Red Velvet Cake From Scratch
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
Red Velvet Cake from scratch with Cream Cheese Frosting the BEST Red Velvet Cake Ive ever eaten. I got the recipe from a local bakery, Ashley Macs. Surprisingly easy to make and tastes AMAZING! Sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, red food coloring, flour, cocoa powder, salt, buttermilk, vinegar, baking soda, cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar. Can bake in any cake pan you prefer. Great for holidays, birthdays, and potlucks. #cake #redvelvet #creamcheese
Remember this recipe.
But What Is Red Velvet
We can all see that its redbut what makes it velvet? I mean, its a valid question.
Simply put its a cake made with buttermilk, and in my recipe also a little vinegar to really give it a tender crumb. My recipe also used oil instead of butter, which gives the cake a fluffy texture.
It also includes a little bit of cocoa powder which gives it a VERY mild chocolate flavor. More like a vanilla buttermilk cake with a hint of chocolate. Its unique and delicious!
What Youll Need For This Recipe
As promised, you can easily make your own buttermilk using just two basic ingredients. Heres what well be using:
Lemon juice or vinegar: You can use either freshly squeezed lemon juice or vinegar in this recipe. Any type of vinegar will work, so long as its fairly neutral in flavor . However, I prefer using white vinegar when possible.
Milk: You can use any kind of milk that you prefer for this recipe. Skim, 2%, whole, or even almond milk all work great!
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How To Make Cream Cheese Frosting
To make this homemade cream cheese frosting, youll start by adding your softened cream cheese to a mixing bowl and mixing it until its smooth. Then, add the softened butter and mix until the cream cheese and butter are fully combined.
Next, youll add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue mixing until everything is well combined and the frosting is smooth and creamy. I recommend stopping to scrape down the sides of your bowl once or twice and mixing again to ensure that everything is thoroughly mixed together.
Once the frosting is ready, you can use it on top of just about any dessert or refrigerate it until youre ready to use it.
How To Make This Red Velvet Cake
To make this red velvet cake, youll start by whisking together your dry ingredients: cake flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. I suggest using cake flour because it has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour which creates a softer, lighter cake. When it comes to cake flour, two of my favorite brands are Pillsbury Softasilk and Swans Down.
Theres also 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder in this cake so the cake isnt super chocolatey, but it has a hint of chocolate that is expected in red velvet cakes. Once youve whisked together the dry ingredients I suggest sifting them as well to remove any lumps of cocoa powder and help keep the cake light.
Then, mix up the wet ingredients starting with some unsalted butter and granulated sugar. I suggest creaming the butter and sugar together for about 4-5 minutes. Why? Creaming the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy incorporates more air into your cake batter creating a softer, lighter cake.
Once the butter and sugar are creamed together, youll beat in two eggs until well combined. Then mix in the rest of the wet ingredients: some oil, red food coloring, vanilla extract, and distilled white vinegar. The oil helps to keep the cake incredibly moist, so I use a combination of butter and oil in this cake.
Then, just level your cakes and frost it however you like. I used the Wilton 1M piping tip for the swirls on top of this cake.
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Where Did Red Velvet Cake Originate
While the red velvet cake is largely considered a Southern treat, it appears its roots are in New York City!
The Waldorf Astoria hotel created the recipe and called it the Waldorf Astoria cake sometimes around the Depression Era. So sometime in the 1930s.
The red part of the cake is actually a result of a chemical reaction between the vinegar in the batter and the cocoa powder. Its not as bright as red velvet cakes now. To get that red, we have to add dye.
Despite its northern roots, Ive always known it to be a distinctly Southern cake. In my opinion, its rare to find a truly delicious recipe outside of the South.
Why Is Red Velvet Cake Such A Popular Flavor
I personally think that red velvet cake is popular due to two factors. Some people have had a TRUE red velvet cake recipe and love it! I dont blame them, it really is delicious. The other factor is that its a very controversial cake flavor. If you havent had a really good red velvet cake and you associate the cake with just a bland red cake then you wont see what the big deal is.
Whenever there is a controversy between is something good or not, it always becomes more popular. There is a saying in art, if its good then people will either love it or hate it. If everyone just feels ok about it, then its just meh. Same with cake, people seem to either love or hate red velvet cake.
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The Most Incredible Red Velvet Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting Fluffy Soft Buttery And Moist With The Most Perfect Velvet Texture
Super easy to make Red Velvet Cake is similar to the original recipe that started it all! Made entirely from scratch with a few tips and tricks, this is one cake that takes centre stage! Softer than most cakes with a mouth-watering velvet-like texture in each bite.
Any cake that layered and slathered with a cream cheese frosting can sit by me with a huge spoon. Out of all cakes on this blog, this one is my favourite.
How To Make Buttermilk
For this DIY buttermilk recipe, youll need some milk and an acid. You can use any kind of milk, I typically use whole milk because its what I usually have on hand. For the acid, I usually use fresh lemon juice, but you can also use distilled white vinegar.
Youll start by adding 1 tablespoon of either fresh lemon juice or distilled white vinegar into a measuring cup.
Once youve added the acid, pour in 1 scant cup of milk. In other words, youll pour the milk into the measuring cup until it reaches the 1 cup line. Then, stir the mixture together well and set it aside for about 5 to 10 minutes before using it in your recipe. The mixture should look a little curdled, thats when you know its ready.
Side note: I use these OXO angled measuring cups and love them! You dont have to worry about getting to eye level with the measuring cup to make sure you have the right amount.
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How To Get Perfect Layers
To get three equal layers you can follow the classic method that consists of using a higher pan and from this obtain three bases or put the dough into 3 baking pan of the same size, so as to churn and just stuff them stacking one on top of the other. If you choose this second method, I recommend the Wilton kit that allows you to create cakes up to 4 layers.
Lets now move to the best ever red velvet cake recipe, my very easy red velvet cake recipe from scratch.
What Does Red Velvet Cake Taste Like
Red velvet cake tastes like a light chocolate cake with vanilla buttermilk notes. Its a signature flavor that is well-loved in the south. Velvet cakes have a tender crumb and always consist of buttermilk and distilled vinegar. Check out this lemon velvet cake below for a different spin!
This red velvet cake recipe is SUPERB!!!! And it passes the stick to the back of the fork test like a champ!
Adding a bit of coffee to the batter isnt traditional for red velvet cakes but it adds another layer of flavor and really hypes up the chocolatey taste to perfection. Not to mention the extra liquid makes this cake do doggone soft so dont skip it!
Even if you have to run to Mickey Ds or the gas station to get a cup of coffee! I prefer flavored coffee. When I make this cake for people I always use vanilla biscotti or chocolate-flavored coffee. But plain will do just fine too.
Oh and dont worry, you cant taste the coffee.
Want cupcakes? Check out these red velvet cupcakes!
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How To Make Red Velvet Cake
**You can find the full printable cake recipe further down in this post. Here is a quick rundown of our steps!
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two round 8-inch cake pans. .
In a separate bowl, combine room temperature eggs, vanilla extract, red food coloring, full fat sour cream, vegetable oil, and milk. Whisk to blend and set bowl aside.
Next, add the dry ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and blend with the mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. .
Gradually add the slices of slightly softened unsalted butter to the flour mixture a few slices at a time while the mixer is on medium speed. Mix until the dry ingredients are moistened by the butter and take on a sandy texture.
With the mixer on low speed gradually add about half of the egg mixture increasing the speed to medium and mixing for 1 1/2 minutes the batter will be thick and fluffy. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the remaining egg mixture in two pourings, scraping the bowl and beating for 20 seconds after each addition .
Divide the cake batter between the two prepared cake pans.
Time to bake! Place in the oven for 30 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake layer comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pans for 10 minutes on a wire rack before turning out.
Homemade Red Velvet Cake Recipebaked From Scratch
This Red Velvet Cake is completely made from scratch…yes the cake and icing to. Also, this dessert cake is perfect for holidays and special occasions such as birthdays, retirements, and promotion parties. I assure you that this cake recipe is as easy to prepare and bake as any store bought box cake and icing.
When I was growing up in Georgia this was my mom’s favorite recipe for two reasons. She always had the cooking ingredients on hand and pecans were plentiful because there were pecan trees everywhere.
If you’re ready for a rewarding challenge, put away your boxed cake mix and store bought icing and give this red velvet recipe a try. I expect after trying it this way you’ll no longer want to prepare and eat a store bought cake again. Only time will tell.
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How To Make Cake Flour
To start, youll measure out one cup of all-purpose flour. One important thing to remember for this step is that you need to spoon your all-purpose flour into the measuring cup then level it off with the back of a knife.
If you scoop your flour from the container, it can become packed inside the cup and you can end up with WAY too much flour.
Then, remove two tablespoons of the flour and add it back to your flour bag or container. Next, replace the two tablespoons of flour with two tablespoons of cornstarch .
Why cornstarch? The cornstarch inhibits some of the gluten formation, which results in a softer baked good.
Once youve added the cornstarch, whisk it into the flour until well combined and sift the mixture 4-5 times. This will help aerate the flour and incorporate the two together really well.
Then, measure out the amount of cake flour needed in your recipe by spooning the sifted flour into your measuring cup and leveling it off with the back of a knife.
How To Make Red Velvet Cake From Scratch
I know some people are intimidated by layer cakes, but this cake is surprisingly easy to make. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, mix together sugar and vegetable oil. Add eggs and mix well. Mix in gel food coloring and vanilla. In another bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to batter alternating with buttermilk. Finally, combine white vinegar and baking soda. Immediately add to the batter and stir. Pour the batter into the cake pan of your choice and bake.
Cool the cake slightly in the pan and then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. Mix together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Frost the cake and enjoy!
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The Reverse Creaming Method Of Mixing
**This Recipe calls for the Reverse Creaming Method of Mixing, which yields a very moist and slightly denser cake. Many of our favorite cake recipes call for this method.
We explain the steps in our recipe below, but if you are unfamiliar with the Reverse Creaming Method, please watch our quick, free video tutorial: Reverse Creaming Method of Mixing.
***If you prefer the fluffier texture of the conventional method of mixing, click over to our Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe!
The Best Food Coloring
We highly recommend using gel food coloring rather than a liquid one. We purchased the 12-color starter kit which is great for any baking project.
- Gel is more concentrated so you need less of it. This cake calls for just 1/2 teaspoon of super red #120 gel color and you could get away with using 1/4 tsp and still maintain a nice color.
- Gel is thicker which means its less likely to water down your batter or frosting.
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Prepare The Cake Base
Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt this is particularly worth doing with this cake, because its what gives it that characteristic soft, fine texture and set aside.
Beat the butter and sugar in large bowl or food mixer until really light and fluffy, periodically scraping down the sides of bowl: this will take about five minutes with electric beaters, longer with a wooden spoon.
Tips On How To Achieve The Best Red Velvet Cake
- Following the above doses you will get a cake of 18 cm in diameter if using the method of the three baking sheets or 21-22 cm using a single baking sheet and then cutting the cake once cooked
- Do not overmix: the key to get a perfect Red Velvet Cake is give all the ingredients air so that they will raise while cooking
- If you bake layers of different sizes, you can decide their size once cooked by using a knife to get the desired shape/size. You can crumble the remaining cake on top of the cake
- The layers of the cake must be cold before being filled with the cream. If you try to fill the cake when the layers are still hot, they will collapse
- Once ready, place the cake in the fridge and remember to remove it at least 15 minutes before serving it so that it is not too cold
- Do not leave the cake out of the refrigerator for a long time or the cream will soften too much and may become sour
- Use the remaining cooked mix to cover the surface of the cake, by crumbling it. You will get an original yet more beautiful Red Velvet
- Once prepared, the original Red Velvet keeps well for 3 days in the refrigerator, taking care to cover it to prevent the cheese from assimilating the odors of the other products.
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