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This moist and tangy homemade Red Velvet Cake is layered with a fluffy cream cheese frosting for a classic dessert that you’ll savor every bite of. It’s super easy to prepare and it makes a wonderful treat for birthdays, Valentine’s Day or any other festive occasion!
Treat Yourself to the Best Homemade Red Velvet Cake
This glorious red velvet layer cake has a moist, tender texture and just the right amount of tang to keep you coming back for more. The cream cheese frosting is spread between each layer as well as on top to give you the perfect ratio of cake to buttercream in every bite! The sides of the cake are covered in your favorite sprinkles to complete the look.
My original recipe for this cake was oil-based, but I’ve since changed it to a butter-based cake, as not everyone loves using lots of oil. Plus, when working on new recipes, I arrived at this version by chance and fell in love with it. It’s light and lovely and I know you’ll love it too. Even people who don’t love red velvet will want to sneak seconds of this cake. I nearly devoured the whole thing on my own last time I made it!
What is Red Velvet Cake?
A lot of people think that red velvet cake is just chocolate cake with red food coloring, but that’s simply not the case. While red velvet cake does indeed use some cocoa powder, it also includes buttermilk and vinegar to give it a noticeable tang, which is the trademark of red velvet flavor. When those ingredients react with the batter, they naturally produce a reddish tint – the food coloring is there to enhance that.
Recipe Ingredients
Let’s go over the ingredients you’ll need for the cake and the buttercream frosting. Everything can easily be found at the grocery store or created with ingredients you already have on hand.
For the Red Velvet Cake
- All-Purpose Flour: Use a food scale to measure your flour in order to ensure accuracy.
- Cocoa Powder: Natural and unsweetened.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: To help the cake rise. The combination is the two creates the ultimate soft texture.
- Salt: For flavor.
- Unsalted Butter: Bring your butter to room temperature before making this cake.
- Vegetable Oil: This works with the butter to give your cake the most amazing soft and fluffy texture and ideal moisture.
- Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Large Eggs
- Buttermilk: I use powder buttermilk, for convenience. You can also make this yourself in a pinch by combining a cup of milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. If you do this, re-measure the buttermilk after you make it since you only need 1 cup.
- White Vinegar: It’s important to use both buttermilk and vinegar in this cake – otherwise, it’ll miss the mark on red velvet flavor.
- Red Food Coloring: I use regular food coloring, but gel icing color would work too.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream Cheese: Brought to room temperature.
- Butter: Room temperature.
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Sprinkles: I absolutely adore the sprinkles made by Sweetapolita. They are so unique and beautiful! The ones on this cake though are from Home Goods.
How to Make Red Velvet Cake From Scratch
I like to split my cake batter into three 8-inch pans, but you can make a 2-layer cake with 9-inch pans if you’d prefer. The amount of frosting needed for the cake should remain the same.
Make the Cake
- Prep for Baking: Prepare three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom and grease the sides. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set the mixture aside.
- Beat Butter, Oil, Sugar & Vanilla: Add the butter, vegetable oil, sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and beat until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
- Add Eggs: Add the eggs two at a time, mixing until well combined after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all of the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Start Adding Dry Ingredients: Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until combined.
- Add Buttermilk, Vinegar & Food Coloring: Add the buttermilk, vinegar and food coloring and mix until well combined.
- Finish Adding Dry Ingredients: Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until the batter is well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all of the ingredients are well incorporated. Do not over-mix the batter.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the three pans and bake the cake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let Cool: Remove the cake layers from the oven and allow them to rest in the pans for about 2-3 minutes, then transfer them to cooling racks to cool completely.
Make the Frosting
- Beat Cream Cheese & Butter: Add the cream cheese and butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until well combined and smooth.
- Start Adding Powdered Sugar: Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
- Add Vanilla: Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Finish Adding Powdered Sugar: Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until the frosting is well combined and smooth.
Build the Cake
- Remove Cake Domes: If needed, use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the cake layers so that they’re flat.
- Frost Initial Layer: Place the first cake layer on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round. Spread about 1 cup of frosting evenly on top of the cake.
- Finish Layering: Add the second layer of cake and another cup of frosting, followed by the final cake layer.
- Frost Exterior: Finish spreading buttercream onto the top and outside of the cake.
- Decorate: Press sprinkles into the sides of the cake, then pipe shells of frosting around the top edge of the cake and the bottom. Add additional sprinkles on top if desired.
Tips for Success
I have a few little tricks up my sleeve when it comes to homemade red velvet cake. Here they are!
- Measure the Flour Accurately: If you don’t have a food scale you can use to measure the flour, fluff it up and spoon it into the measuring cup rather than scooping it up directly. Once your measuring cup is overflowing, level it off with a butter knife. This prevents the flour from getting packed in.
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure you let your ingredients come to room temperature whenever indicated. Otherwise, you’ll have a hard time combining them into the cake batter or the frosting.
- Adjust the Amount of Cocoa Powder to Your Liking: I prefer using 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder for a tangier red velvet cake, but if you want to taste more of that rich chocolate flavor, you can add up to 4 teaspoons of cocoa powder. Just keep in mind that using more will darken the color of your cake.
- Finesse Your Frosting Skills: Frosting cakes can be a challenge if you don’t have much experience. Refer to my Tips and Tricks for Frosting a Smooth Cake if you’d like to refine your skills.
Variation Ideas
Feel free to put your own spin on this classic layer cake if you’re in the mood to switch things up. Try one of the tempting variations below!
- Use Chocolate Frosting: This cake would be just as tasty with chocolate buttercream in place of the cream cheese frosting. Especially if you follow this recipe!
- Make Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake: You seriously have to try this indulgent homemade Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake! A creamy vanilla cheesecake filling is stuffed between two layers of this moist and fluffy cake.
Storage Instructions
Because of all the cream cheese in the frosting, this cake should be refrigerated in an airtight container. It will stay fresh for up to 3 days – but I have a hunch that it’ll get gobbled up sooner!
Does This Cake Freeze Well?
The red velvet cake layers on their own freeze well. To freeze your cake layers, wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap and freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw them out in the fridge before building the cake.
If you’d like, you can find the original Red Velvet Cake Recipe here.
Print
The Best Red Velvet Cake Recipe
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 14
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This moist and tangy homemade Red Velvet Cake is layered with a fluffy cream cheese frosting for a classic dessert that you’ll savor every bite of. It’s super easy to prepare and it makes a wonderful treat for birthdays, Valentine’s Day or any other festive occasion!
Ingredients
For the Red Velvet Cake
- 2 1/4 cups (293g) all-purpose flour
- 2–4 tsp natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (112g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups (310g) sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
- 2 tsp white vinegar
- 4 tsp red food coloring
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 oz (452g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (172g) butter, room temperature
- 10 cups (1150g) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Sprinkles
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Prepare three 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom and grease the sides. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
- Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
- Add the butter, vegetable oil, sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and beat together until light in color and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
- Add the eggs two at a time, mixing until well combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until combined.
- Add the buttermilk, vinegar and food coloring and mix until well combined.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Do not over mix the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three pans and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for about 2-3 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.
Make the Frosting
- Add the cream cheese and butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until well combined and smooth.
- Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
Build the Cake
- Use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the cakes so that they’re flat, if needed.
- Place the first cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round.
- Spread about 1 cup of frosting evenly on top of the cake,
- Add the second layer of cake and another cup of frosting.
- Top the cake with the remaining layer and frost the outside of the cake. Refer to my tutorial for frosting a smooth cake, if needed.
- Press sprinkles into the sides of the cake, then pipe shells of frosting around the top edge of the cake and the bottom. Add additional sprinkles, if desired.
Notes
- Makes 12-14 slices.
- To Store: Refrigerate cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: Wrap each cake layer tightly in plastic wrap and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter before building cake. Freezing frosting is not recommended.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 853
- Sugar: 107.6 g
- Sodium: 252.3 mg
- Fat: 37.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 126.2 g
- Protein: 6.6 g
- Cholesterol: 131.4 mg
More Easy Red Velvet Recipes
Can’t get enough red velvet? Today must be your lucky day! The recipes below are sure to keep you satisfied.
Red Velvet Berry Trifle
Red Velvet Ice Cream Cake
Creamy Red Velvet Cheesecake
First time making a cake from scratch. Excellent recipe and instructions. I will for ever use this recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I made this cake this morning.are the layers thin?and less than an inch
Less than an inch seems a little small. They are typically about an inch thick.
Hello i wanna make this cake in 2 10in pans how do i adjust it and how long i bake it for thank u
Your channel is my go to for any recipe
I haven’t made that size, but I’d probably double the recipe. Not sure on the bake time. Maybe 30-35 minutes?
Glad you enjoy the recipes!
How many would this make in cupcakes?
It should make about 24 or so.
This is our go to red velvet cake recipe! A must try! Reminds my husband of his childhood & rivals his aunt’s beloved red velvet cake. Not to mention it’s actually red (not burgundy) as a lot of recipes are.
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear that! 🙂
Hi! I love all your recipes, do you think this cake is dense enough to layer with ice cream? And is it hard when frozen?
It’s not crazy dense but I think it’d probably be fine. I image you’d still be able to cut it when frozen.
Thank you! Do you think I can bake 2 larger layers in 8 in pans instead and if so, what do you think an estimated bake time may be?
That should be fine, although the cakes will be a touch more dense. Bake time would be more like 30 minutes or so.
By any chance, do you have a recipe for vegan red velvet cake?
I don’t. Sorry!
Hi! This cake is amazing! Wondering if I can use this recipe to make cupcakes?
I don’t think I’ve actually tried it as cupcakes yet, but I would expect it to do very well as cupcakes. The bake time should be 15 to 20 minutes.
Can I use gluten-free four to replace AP flour?
I haven’t tried it, but would expect it to be fine.
Hi,
Thank you for the recipe. So if I’m using gel food coloring do I still need 4 tsp?
No, you shouldn’t need that much with gel coloring.
Hi there, I have tried a couple of your cakes and all came out delicious.
Do you think that I can cover this red velvet cake with fondant? I will do a white chocolate ganache under the fondant, but would it hold the weight? Decorations on top are not heavy. Thank you so much for the advice. Lilia
I really don’t work with fondant cakes, so I’m probably not the best one to ask. I typically hear people talk about dense cakes for using fondant and I would not describe this cake as dense. But I would think that if you have a firm layer of white chocolate ganache underneath that it should be fine.
Thanks a lot, I might give it a try. Btw. It worked out well with you lemon layer cake :).
Glad the lemon cake worked for you!
Is there a way to get the other red velvet recipe with out the butter? I use that one all the time and it’s my families favorite. I thought it was this one but noticed this one has butter
If you look right above the recipe card, there’s a link to the PDF of the old recipe. It’s a shame more people didn’t let me know that they loved that recipe before. I may not have changed it lol.
I tried this recipe for the first time and it’s better than one I used to use with only butter.
I made two small cakes, and used the rest of the batter to make cupcakes.
Would you know why the cupcakes shrink after cooling? This happens to me lots with cupcakes, but for your recipe, perhaps you have some idea of why. I’d appreciate any tips. But a really soft and light and lovely tasting cake!
So glad you enjoyed it! I’m not sure exactly how much the cupcakes shrank. If the cake layers didn’t shrink, it would seem like the batter was fine. It’s not uncommon though for cakes and cupcakes to do that a little bit when they cool. Did it feel excessive?
Thanks so much for responding!! I did some Googling and some suggestions were over beating, which with me is entirely possible. Opening the oven was also suggested, but I have to rotate my trays. Not a great oven. Freshness of raising agents etc. It was the same shrinkage I used to get with my old red velvet recipe. The difference is mine was all butter so also much more dense. I always look for recipes that use oil or more oil than butter, as where I live the price of butter is out of the park. It definitely gave a softer crumb which I think is better. Thanks again,
Hi Lindsay,
I’m struggling to find Buttermilk, is there an alternative?
You could try making your own. You’d need one cup of milk minus one tablespoon and then one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice.
Thank you I will make some. Also do you need to crubcoat this cake before adding all the frosting?
I don’t typically worry much about a crumb coat because of how I frost my cakes with an icing tip, which you can see in this tutorial. But you certainly can. https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/how-to-frost-a-smooth-cake-with-buttercream/
HI Lindsay
I would like to make Blue velvet cake for my daughter is her favorite color.
How much blue food coloring do you recommend ? Do I have to omit the cocoa powder?
I’m not really sure how much blue coloring. I would kind of add a little bit as you go and add more if you need it. You could try leaving out the cocoa to get a more true blue color, but it may affect the way the cake makes a little bit. You could also try dying a vanilla cake blue. This one would be my recommendation. https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/moist-vanilla-layer-cake/
Hi! Love love love all of your recipes!! Every one I have made of yours is so moist and tastes so wonderful! Do you think you could ever post a tutorial on crumb coating? It’s the one thing I really struggle with!
So glad you’ve enjoyed everything! What part of crumb coats do you have trouble with? I could certainly do a tutorial, I’m just not sure where the pain points usually are.
I think I struggle with the application, how much to put on the sides and how to get it on there, as well how to make sure the layers are on there as straight as possible (which I do realize is pre-crumb coat), Thank you!!
hi, I have used may of your recipes before and I love them so much they are absolutely perfect
Ive been making your red velvet cake recipe for about 3 years and my daughter looooves it so much. The recipe page was getting very old and worn so I printed out another one and threw the old one away, but the recipe isn’t the same as the other one didn’t have butter and Im sure from memory it also had water .
Do you have a copy for the old recipe as my daughter does not like the new one as much lol, Ive looked for it but can’t find it anywhere
I would appreciate this a lot thank you
So glad you enjoy the recipes! You can find a link to the old recipe above the recipe card, in case you ever need it. Here’s the PDF as well.
Hi Lindsay
I want to say this is the best recipe ever .I want to make this in to cupcakes and i know you have other recipe and you cut in half ,but it ok if i make this into cupcakes.
Another question it is any difference one recipe have unsalted butter and other no? because for cupcakes i want to keeps this .
So glad you enjoyed it! Yes, it should be fine as cupcake. You can use salted or unsalted butter, but if you use salted, just leave out the additional salt in the recipe.
Hi Lindsey,
I am such a fan of your original red velvet recipe and I wanted to know if you would recommend this new recipe over the old one?
Gosh, it’s hard to say. They are fairly different. The old one really is great – nice and moist and oil-based. But some people have had trouble with it not turning out and when we moved, I experienced the same thing with my new oven. To avoid other people having issues, I shared this new version that’s butter-based and really lovely. It’s very soft and tender. I think it’s really a preference thing – oil versus butter and a little bit more tender texture of the butter or the heavier moist-ness of the oil. I hope that helps!
Would this recipe fit for two twelve inch pans and if so would I need to change the amount of time for baking?
I don’t think it would be enough. I don’t really make 12 inch cakes, but you might need to triple it.
Hi Lindsay
I would like to make pink velvet cake can I add pink color gel instead of red gel color? What do you recommend?
You can. Just keep in mind that there’s a little bit of cocoa in the cake, so it won’t be as pink-pink.
Can I omit the cocoa?
It will be fine?
It should be fine.
This was a hit cake.
the bday girl loved it
one problem i had whilst baking tho was the cakes sunk.
can you advise
So glad she enjoyed it! As far as the cakes sinking a bit, it can be a little hard to say from a distance. That can happen if the oven is opened to soon and lets heat out, or perhaps there was something off with an ingredient. You may want to check that you’re baking soda and baking powder are still good.
Can i use this recipe for cupcakes as well.
actually i am making a 6inch cake so i was wondering if the balance mixture can be baked as cuppies
Yes, it should work well as cupcakes. I’d bake them for 15-18 minutes.
Hi Lindsay
Can I make this cake 2 “9”inches pans and use other recipe to make cheesecake?
I was looking the other recipe is different it has to add hot water.
I am wondering to combine both recipe.
What do you think?
I would like to know if I can make this cakes 3 6″pans.
I have to make tomorrow.
Thanks for your delicious recipes
Hi made it 3 6″pans baked 30 _35 min.
I omitted vainilla extract and I add I tbsp red velvet extract ,2 teaspoon super red gel color.
Omg the cake was bright Red and beautiful ,moist and delicious .Perfect red velvet cake.
So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
I tried this version but really prefer the original oil-based recipe. This knew has a different texture and is not as moist. So glad I took a screen shot of the original recipe. I will continue to use the old one. 🥴
The pdf of the old version is also above the recipe card, if you ever need it. Sorry you didn’t like this one quite as much. Oil based cakes generally are more moist and have a different texture than butter-based cakes, but unfortunately the old version would sometimes give people issues. I was unaware that so many loved the old version before I shared this new one. It’s always nice to leave comments when you like a recipe, so the creator knows and is less likely to change it. 🙂 This new version should work more universally for everyone. Thanks for the feedback!
I am still confused. The red velvet cake from 2017 is quite a bit different than this one. I just want to know if I got this right. The amounts of flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, eggs are different. In this version above, you have added 1/2 cup butter and the same amount of vegetable oil. The liquid has been cut by 1 cup since the hot water is not used in the recipe above to bloom the chocolate. Have I got this right or am I wrong? Thank you.
The recipes are completely different. They use the same ingredients but in different amounts and with different methods. You can still find the old recipe here as part of this cake – https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/red-velvet-cheesecake-cake/. Sorry for the inconvenience!
Have you changed the red velvet cake recipe? The one I have uses 1 cup of hot water and it is not listed in the recipe or when to add it. Thank you.
I must of somehow got the cheesecake confused with the red velvet cake! Thank you so much for clarifying my confusion. I appreciate it. Thank you.
Hello dear, I’m just from trying this recipe and I followed all the instructions as they are but it came out brown like a chocolate cake and it was flat. What could have been the problem?
I see that you had asked earlier if you could use one pan. Did you end up using one pan or three?
I used three pans
Are you sure you used 4 teaspoons of cocoa and not 4 tablespoons? Not sure why else it’d be particularly brown. Maybe the brand or type of food coloring?
Can I Use one deep tin instead of three 8″?
Wow! Thank you very much for the recipe. I’m a beginner in baking and I’m looking forward to receiving more recipes and learn more from you, I will try this one today. Thank you very much.
I also like your step by step instructions, it’s very helpful.
Is this cake sturdy enough to stack? I’ll be baking a two tier wedding cake in a few weeks.
I’m probably not the best person to ask since I don’t make wedding cakes. I would assume that any cake should be fine as long as it’s properly doweled.
Hi! Can this recipe be used for cupcakes as well?
So looking forward to trying this out!
Yes, I cut the recipe in half and used it as cupcakes here. https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/red-velvet-cupcakes-chocolate-cream-cheese-frosting/
Hi Lindsay,
I would like to try your Red Velvet cake recipe for a 1/2 sheet cake (size of pan 18”x13”x2”)
your recipe scale is x1, x2, or x3 what recipe size would I use for this size pan? this cake looks so good.Thank You
I haven’t made that size, so I’m not 100% sure, but I think 1x would be fine, assuming you want one layer.
I love your recipes! I would like to make a red, white and blue velvet cake that I saw on a baking show. Can I eliminate the cocoa from the white and blue layers and just put it in the red layer? If so, how much cocoa do you think?
Glad you enjoy the recipes!
That would really require some testing to be sure otherwise it’s just guess. I’m sorry.
This recipe looks delicious I hope it’s gonna taste as delicious as it Looks
How come I never can see your video with the same recipe on one page? I just want to know the speed when mixing with the mixer. You barely say it on your written recipes
If there’s a video for a recipe, it will be right above the recipe itself. Not all recipes have videos. I pretty much always use a medium speed unless I say otherwise. On this recipe, I often just use a whisk because the mixer is not necessary.
Hiya, I’ve used your chocolate cake recipe before and it’s literally the best! Wanted to try out red velvet and was wondering could you swap white vinegar for apple cider vinegar?
Glad you enjoy the chocolate one! Swapping that out should be fine.
Thank You for the recipe. I will definitely be making this desert today.
Was wondering if this could be done in two layer 9 inch pans? or does it make difference ratio frosting cake layer?
You could do 2 pans, yes.
Hi Lindsay,
This recipe looks delicious! I was wondering if you’ve ever tried making this recipe with gluten free flour? Do you happen to know if it will work the same? I plan on baking a cake for a friend who is gluten free and have read elsewhere that usually 1-to-1 flour works in most recipes,
I haven’t ever tried it, but 1 to 1 flour does usually seem to work for people.
I tried baking this cake today and it turned out great. The cake was very moist although I felt that the cake and the icing were way too sweet. With the icing is there anyway of compromising the sugar amount without ruining the consistency? Otherwise the cake was amazing, thanks for posting!
Glad you enjoyed it! Unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do about the frosting. Feel free to read more about it in my post on Cream Cheese Frosting, but the problem is the cream cheese. It’s just soft and to have a good consistency to work with, you’ve got to add powdered sugar. You could reduce it, but it might make it hard to work with.
Hi Lindsay, I realized there was an extra vinegar in the recipe. I use the homemade buttermilk (full cream and vinegar) do I still need to add the additional vinegar?
Hi Lindsay, I use homemade buttermilk (full cream and vinegar). Would it still be necessary to add the extra vinegar?
Honestly, I’ve never thought about that before. I’m thinking it’d be fine either way.
Hi Lindsay, I have made this cake twice using this recipe but it ends up flat and raw even after testing with a toothpick to check if it is ready. I have followed the recipe to the letter but i can’t seem to figure out where i go wrong.
Hey, Lindsay! I just made this cake for my family and it was awesome! Thanks so much and I love the scriptures you posted! 🙂
I’m so glad to hear it was a hit!
Hi can you use apple cider vinegar to substitute the regular white vinegar ?
I’ve honestly never tried that, but I would think it’d be OK.
I just made this today for my boyfriend & I’s anniversary! We figured since COVID-19 has really limited our food options, we could cook ourselves. I decided to make this for dessert and it was D E L I C I O U S! We had to go back for seconds… and maybe even thirds 😉 thanks for sharing!
what would be a replacement for vinegar?
I’m not really sure that there is one.
Hi, please can you confirm whether this recipe can be doubled so that you have 2″ deep layers? And also can it be covered in fondant?
I haven’t tried it, so I’m not sure exactly. I would think it’d be fine under fondant.
Any advice for keeping the cake together as you frost it? I have leveled each layer and the layers move the more I frost it and looks terrible. Amazing flavor tho!
Could it be that the frosting is a little soft? If things are moving around too much, it’s usually an issue with the consistency of the frosting. Cream cheese frosting can be a little tricky. If it’s a little thin, you could try adding some additional powdered sugar or you could chill it for 15 to 20 minutes and it’ll firm up a little bit but still be workable. I hope that helps!
Hi Lindsay, when I added the cocoa powder to my batter it made it seem more brown than red. Would it be ok to omit the cocoa powder in the future? Thanks a lot!
You can omit it, but it wouldn’t be a true red velvet cake that way. Maybe try adding a little less? Or a little more red color? Naturally adding brown cocoa is going to make it not a true and total red.
Hi! Any advice for baking in a place that has very high altitude?
I’m sorry but I really don’t know much about height altitude adjustments.
Hi Lindsay! Such an amazing recipe. Best red velvet tried so far. I was just wondering if I could bake it as a single cake instead of separate layers. For how long should I bake it? Thanks.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It should be fine as one layer. For a 9×13, I’d try baking it for about 25 minutes.
Hi Lindsay. Will this cake be good under fondant and for tiered cakes?
Can this be used to make a 3 layer in 9 inch pans?
It could, but the cake wouldn’t be as tall. You might want to make 1 1/2 recipes worth.
Do you have baking times for this cake in 6 inch pans?
I don’t, I’m sorry. I haven’t tried it as a 6 inch cake.
What is the purpose of adding hot water to red velvet cake?
The water adds more moisture to the cake. Hot water helps cocoa bloom. It doesn’t have to be hot if you don’t want as rich of a flavor.
I’m so sad this didn’t work for me. The only thing I did differently was double the recipe. I feel like the hot water made it too thin and the cake ended up sooo gummy and flat. Womp womp.
I’m sorry to hear that. I have a few recipes that are very thin batters like this one, so the water shouldn’t be an issue. I’m not sure what the problem was though. If you ever decide to try it again, I might just double check your baking soda and baking powder.
I use canola oil and it tastes delicious!
Let me start by saying that I do not care for red velvet cake but made this for my son’s birthday. I could not stop eating it! It is the most delicious red velvet cake I have ever tried! I have always used Cakeman Raven’s recipe, however, his recipe has been replaced! You are my go-to for all sweets! I am going to get rid of my cookbooks and just count on you to show me the way to sweets! Thank you!
What a complement! I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you, Jennifer!
Hey Lindsay, I just had an inquiry about this cake…from what I have gathered, it seems like one of the primary aspects of red velvet cake is it’s buttery flavor. In the majority of other recipes I’ve seen, there is both butter and oil in the ingredients listed. I was curious as to why you have no butter in your recipe; I’m sure it still tastes awesome, but does it have that buttery flavor that seems to be so important in red velvet cake? Thanks! 🙂
I’m not sure that I’ve ever known red velvet to be known for the buttery flavor, but more the flavor of the buttermilk/vinegar/cocoa combination and cream cheese frosting. I personally don’t miss the butter, but you could certainly try a couple versions and see what you prefer.
Hi can I use corn oil instead of vegetable oil??
I have never tried it, but I would think it would be fine.
I use canola oil and it tastes delicious!
I made this cake but it’s taking longer than 25 mins
Is the batter supposed to be so watery? Asin so funny?
There can be a little variation between ovens. You want to bake it until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Yes, it’s a very thin batter.
I have made so many red velvet cakes on my quest to find the “perfect” one and this is it!!!! It is a no fail, super moist, always perfect recipe!!!. I am so glad I discovered it.
So glad to hear that! Thanks Alicia!
HI, I was wondering how baking times would change if a 6 inch pan was used? Thanks!
I haven’t used 6 inch pans, so I’m not sure. I’m sorry!
Hi, I want to make this for my friend’s birthday this Friday, do you have any tips on making cream cheese frosting? I’ve tried it before and it came out too runny and would not set!
Cream cheese frosting can be tricky. The butter and cream cheese make it fairly thin, so to end up with a thicker consistency, you’ll need to make sure to add enough powdered sugar to thicken it. For my recipe, the amount of powdered sugar listed in the recipe is really going to be best. I know some people like to reduce it, but for it to be thicker, it’s going to be best.
This is the best red velvet recipe out here… can’t stress enough on how moist these cakes are… I’m now obsessed with your recipes as this is the 5th recipe I’m using from your site… thank you… wish I could send you pics..
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear you’re enjoying them!
Hi, Lindsay! I’m about to do this but in our country, there’s only limited store that sells buttermilk. So I won’t be able to use them. Can i replace it with regular milk instead? Will there be any changes if I do this?
I think it should be fine with regular milk.
Hi, love all your recipes!! Just wondering with the red velvet cake, swapping red food colouring for pink should be okay shouldn’t it? I’ve got gender reveal cake to do and hoping I can use this recipe!
Thankyou Jade xx
I’m so glad you enjoy the recipes! If you are going to make this pink, you’ll want to leave out the cocoa.
Hi I’m wanting to make this cake for my partner for Valentine’s day. Could I swap out the white vinegar for Apple cider vinegar instead?
Hi Lindsay,
This looks really good. May i ask where you got the sprinkles from and also can you recommended the best food colour brand for redvelvet cakes with your years of experience? Thank you
Hi Laura! There’s a link to the sprinkles in the recipe. They are from Sweetopolita. 🙂 I usually use McCormick brand food coloring.
Hi Lindsay,
I tried half the recipe for a 6 inch two layer cake. It is quite tasty. However went through a small problem…
Is the batter supposed to be runny? I have springform cake pans and it was leaking through…
Thanks!
It is a pretty thin batter so unless your springform pan is super well sealed, it probably would leak. A regular cake pan would be better.
I have never used hot water in the batter. Whats the point?
I’m going to make this for Thanksgiving dessert. 🙂 Should I use butter that is salted or unsalted?
I’d suggest salted. 🙂
Hi Lindsay! is it safe to use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour for this recipe? Thank you.
I haven’t ever tried it, but my guess would be no.
I used to put cake flour in my recipe and turns good..don’t worry ’bout that..
Hi Lindsay!
What a fantastic cake! i think this cake is absolutely perfect for Valentine’s Day! Thank you very much for sharing!
I tried this recipe and followed it to a “t”. My cakes were about 1″ high. I have all fresh rising ingredients so that’s not the issue. NEver have had that happen before.
Are you sure you fulling creamed the butter and sugar? I’ve often seen people not cream them properly and they don’t get the proper rise and the cakes end up kind of dense.
Hi Lindsay! I am making this for my Grandmother’s birthday on Saturday, and reading the above comment confused me. You said that she may not have creamed the butter and sugar properly, but there isn’t any butter listed in the cake ingredients, only oil. I really want this to come out well. Can you clarify for me? Thanks a million!
Well that is my mistake. I’m used to most of my cakes having butter and sugar creamed at the beginning. I honestly don’t know why she had that result – the cake seems fairly straight forward and I obviously didn’t have a bad result or I wouldn’t have shared the recipe. It can be very hard to say why someone gets a bad result without being there to physically see what happened. It could be any number of things.
there is no butter and sugar in this cake recipe it veg oil
I had the same result. Followed every step exactly. The batter was too liquidy once the water is mixed in and cakes didn’t rise. I’m guessing need to beat it for longer to get air ino the batter and thicken it. Some time indicators or texture info at step 4 & 5 would help understand what to expect for amateur bakers like me.
What I’ve found is most of the time it has to do with your oil, if you’ve had it for too long, or lets say you only had a little left so transferred it to anything besides its original container, the oil gets all wonky, and often times has a peculiar smell (not always) and it’ll effect the cake like this. I found this out the HARD WAY and now I tell my family that the oil in it’s original bottle is to be left there, even if it’s only a little bit in the gallon for when I need to bake. I’ve tried countless of Lindsay’s recipes and after getting over this oil hump they ALL come out absolutely perfect in taste and texture! Hope you give it a go again!
Thank you for that insight Shanelle! Very helpful!
Can you use powdered buttermilk?
Definitely!
Hi, I would love to try this cake! It looks fabulous ???? I just want to know if it is alright to use gel food colouring instead of liquid colouring. If so how much should be used? Thanks
Yes, you can certainly use gel coloring. I’m not sure exactly how much. You’d want to add a bit at a time and use your judgement.
I make wedding cakes, birthday cakes etc here in South Africa, and I always struggled to find the ‘perfect’ red velvet recipe, until I tried this one! It is perfect! Moist, tasty and stable but still soft. Thank you for sharing!
This was a really good cake! I made it for my mom for her birthday and it was so good. So good you could eat it by it self. I wish I could show a picture of the cake. As soon as they were done baking, and cooled and the tops were cut off we (my mom and I) ate it. So good. Add the cream cheese frosting and it’s amazing! This is the best red velevet cake I have ever had! And I was never a fan of red velvet before I found a good recipe.
I want to try this as cupcakes. How long should I leave it in the oven? 18-20 minutes I think would be good to start with.
I have also made your red velvet sandwich cookies. They are so good!
Thank you for all the good recipes.
Thanks, Sarah.
Wonderful! So glad to hear that Sarah! 🙂 Thank you!
Hi! I made this cake today and used a 9×3 cake pan. I timed it for 25 min but felt it should come out at 22min. The top was still “sticky” but the inside clean. Should I keep it in there longer? I was trying to get that moist cake without it drying out.
The best way to test I think is with a toothpick. Stick it in the center of the cake and as long as what’s sticking to it is moist crumbs and not liquid and batter-like, it should be fine.
Hi, really disappointed with the outcome of this cake… Followed all the steps, apart from falling apart, the icing was soft and will not settle in a firm way… Alot of work for nothing…
Hmm, that’s strange you had that outcome. I made this cake and it turned out amazing. Maybe you missed a step or ingredient. I have made at least 50 recipes from this blog and never had a bad outcome. I would recommend trying this again because it’s delicious!
Hi! This will be the 4th of your recipes that I’ve tried and I love them all!! I was wondering what you think about swapping the buttermilk for the sour cream?
So glad you’ve enjoyed them! Not sure about the substitution – it’d probably bake fine, but I do love the tang from buttermilk in red velvet.
I wanted to make a blue velvet cake. I’ve read things about alterations that need to be made so that it doesn’t come out looking like teal. Any suggestions on how I can work this recipe?
It definitely can turn a funny shade. It’s been years since I made a blue velvet cake but I can’t remember what I did. I think I had to try out a few different shades of blue.
Lindsay, oh my goodness. This cake. It was so good. The texture was so spot on and the flavor was incredible. I never understood the rave over red velvet before, but I think I do now. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I used to feel the same about red velvet but a good recipe really makes you love it! 🙂
I made cupcakes to compare to my usual recipe and this recipe won hands down!! It s so moist and so flavorful! Thank you!
Thank you so much for the recipe.. pls how can i use a red velvet powder instead of f d liquid colouring
I’m not sure. I’ve never used the powder.
Hello Lindsay! I was thinking about making this recipe into cupcakes or using a 13×9 in cake pan. Do you have any cooking time suggestions? Thank you for all the great recipes!
Leah
For cupcakes, I’d say about 15-18 minutes. For a 9×13, I’d guess around 30 minutes, but I haven’t actually done it to know for sure. 🙂
I look soooo forward to getting Lindsay’s emails. LOVE them all. WONDERFUL Photos!!!
How do u press the sprinkles around the cake so perfectly? Any tricks? How many sprinkles? 1c?? 2?
There are some photos in this post that show I usually add sprinkles to the sides. For how many, I used most of a 7oz bottle, so probably one to 1 1/2 cups.
Love this cake but I can never get this colour Red…any suggestions on what you use???
I use McCormick red food coloring.
This cake is too cute! I am so glad you posted this. I planned on testing out a new red velvet cupcake recipe today and this is going to be the one. Would you change the amounts of baking soda or baking powder to create a cupcake? If not, I will let you know how it turns out. 🙂
You make the most beautiful cakes!! 🙂
Thanks Vanessa! It should be fine as cupcakes without changes. I hope you enjoy them!
Hi. I love your website and have tried this red velvet cake multiple times. Love love the texture and moistness. However, I can’t seem to get consistency in the baking. I have had to throw out a whole cake once fully decorated because when I cut into the cake it was rubbery and not good at all. I can’t figure out what I could be doing wrong. Simple recipe to follow but sometimes I get success and other are a total failure. I have to have consistency and I’m getting frustrated not knowing the cause. Any tips?
I’m sorry to hear you’ve been having trouble with it. It seems so strange that you would get different results. I’m honestly not sure what we cause that other than an ingredient not being fresh or some thing. But I’m sure you’ve probably tested that.
What a gorgeous cake! Thanks for all the red velvet goodness! It is my very favorite and perfect for Valentine’s Day!
Beautiful! Love the sprinkles!
Thanks Alison! 🙂
Hi Lyndsay, what a fabulous looking cake and perfect for my daughter’s 6th birthday coming up! I was wondering quantity wise, how much sprinkles you had to use to cover the side of the cake. I’ve been online to Sweetapolita and just wondering if I can get away with the medium bottle (200g) or do I need to buy the large (400g)! Can you let me know the name of the sprinkles you used too – trying to work it out from pictures but I don’t see the identical one on sweetapolita’s website 🙂 Also any tips on putting the sprinkles around the side of the cake?!? Many thanks, Lorna.
Yes, it’d be so fun for a birthday! And there are so many awesome sprinkle choices! These are the ones I used. My bottle is 7 oz (200g) and I used most of it for this cake. There are a couple photos in this post showing how I usually add my sprinkles. I just cup them in my fingers and press them into the cake. The cream cheese frosting is pretty sticky so they stick pretty easily. It helps to set the cake over a cookie sheet or something so that it catches the excess sprinkles as they fall. The round/ball sprinkles are pretty bouncy, so high sides are helpful for catching runaway sprinkles. 🙂
Thanks for your reply Lindsay, went to purchase those sprinkles but unfortunately the postage was a crazy price of €38 to post to Europe so I’ll have to get creative 🙂
Absolutely beautiful!!! I just ordered some of her sprinkles and I’ve definitely been inspired!
Awesome! You won’t regret it – I have several of her mixes. 🙂
I just completed my 2nd version of your recipe and i absolutely love it. I’ve done loads of red velvet cakes over the years but this is the best sponge by far.
What I did find tricky was icing the cake. I found when it came to doing the outside layer the sponges started to move and by the end it looked a bits slanted. Do you need to do a crumb base and then refrigerate it half way though? Any tips would be appreciated as this icing is very sticky and you have to work quickly before it became too warm to work with
Are you in a warmer climate? That could affect the frosting. I know people also sometimes like to reduce the amount of powdered sugar, which thins out the frosting. Aside from those possibilities for thinner frosting, you can certainly apply a crumb coat and refrigerate it so that it’s a little firmer when you frost the rest of it. You could also refrigerate the frosting for about 20 minutes before using it so that it’s already a little cooler. There’s no doubt that cream cheese frosting can be tricky. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the cake!
Thanks Lindsay, I can always rely on your recipes.