Red Velvet Cake

4.84 from 12 reviews

Red Velvet Cake has been around at least since the 1920s but has enjoyed a renewed popularity over the last few years. This cake is wonderful filled and iced with either Cream Cheese Frosting or the more traditional Ermine Frosting.

Prep Time30

Bake Time30

Total Time1

Servings:16 servings

Ingredients

15 oz all purpose flour (3 cups, see note)
16 oz granulated sugar (2 cups)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
9 oz vegetable oil (1 ¼ cups)
8 oz buttermilk (1 cup)
3 large eggs (room temperature)
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar
red gel food coloring

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line three 8” cake pans with parchment paper or butter and flour the bottom of pans only. (See note)
In a large bowl, sift together 15 oz all purpose flour, 16 oz granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda and 1 teaspoon table salt. Set aside.
In a mixer bowl, combine 9 oz vegetable oil, 8 oz buttermilk and 3 large eggs. Mix for a minute or two to emulsify the ingredients. Add 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract and 1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar. Add red gel food coloring a little at a time. If using gel color, use a few drops. If using liquid coloring you may need the whole bottle. Tint to your preferred color.
Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until completely combined.
Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake until the middle of the cake springs back when lightly pressed, about 30 minutes.
Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack and cool completely before filling and icing. Fill and frost with Ermine Frosting or Cream Cheese Frosting.

Notes

If measuring the flour by volume use the “dip & sweep” method. That is, dip the measuring cup into the flour bin, overfill it, then sweep away the excess.

If you don’t have 3 pans you can bake 1/3 of the batter in one pan and 2/3 of the batter in the other pan. When the cakes are completely cooled split the larger cake horizontally into two layers.

This recipe can also be baked as cupcakes. The recipe makes 24 standard size cupcakes which take about 20 minutes to bake.

Nutrition