Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

4.34 stars (42 ratings)

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Make this classic moist red velvet cake for your next celebration! So easy to make, with less than half the food coloring of other recipes.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Cooling Time:2

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: red velvet, red velvet cake, red velvet cake recipe, what is red velvet cake

Servings:

Calories: 920kcal

Ingredients

For the Red Velvet Cake:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk*
1 cup oil
2 large egg whites
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
8 ounces cream cheese, cold (the kind in a brick)
3 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 cups powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To Make the Red Velvet Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, mist three 6-inch round cake pans** with non-stick spray, and line with circles cut from parchment.
Place the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
Place the buttermilk, oil, egg whites, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in a large measuring cup, and stir together.
Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry, and stir together until smooth (about 90 seconds to 2 minutes).
Divide the batter equally between the three prepared pans.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of the cake comes out clean (approximately 30 to 35 minutes).
Cool completely, then fill and frost with cream cheese frosting.

To Make the Cream Cheese Frosting:

Place the butter, cream cheese, lemon juice, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl, and beat on medium-low speed until smooth.
Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, and add about half the powdered sugar.
Stir in the powdered sugar until combined, then scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl again, and add the remaining powdered sugar and the salt.
Stir together until combined, then turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and whip until the frosting is fluffy and stiff. (Be careful not to over-whip, or it could become runny. As soon as the frosting looks stiff, turn off the mixer and use the frosting immediately.)

Video

Notes

*If you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute with plain, unsweetened yogurt, plain unsweetened Greek yogurt, or sour cream. Or, stir 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 1/2 cups of regular milk. Allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes, or until thickened and slightly curdled.

**This layer cake can also be baked in two 8-inch diameter cake pans, two 9-inch diameter cake pans, or a 9x13 baking pan. The cake layers may bake up slightly thinner, and the bake times may need to be adjusted. You'll know your cakes are done baking when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

For the cupcake version, click here: Red Velvet Cupcakes.

Nutrition