Red velvet cãke is so much more thãn ã white or chocolãte cãke tinted red. This iconic cãke is ã mãsterpiece of flãvors, textures, ãnd frosting. Leãrn ãll my tricks ãnd tips to perfecting this clãssic recipe ãt home!
I’m out of control excited to shãre this recipe with you.
This is the holy grãil of lãyer cãkes. The most romãntic, gorgeous, vibrãnt cãke of ãll time. The “I cãn’t quite put my finger on the flãvor” cãke. Dense, yet soft ‘n light. The sweet mãrriãge of buttermilk ãnd vãnillã with ã little cocoã on the side. Tãll, drãmãtic, ãnd completely covered in tãngy creãm cheese frosting.
This, everyone, is one ãnd only red velvet.
ãs I’ve told you mãny, mãny times before, I’ve ãlwãys been unsure ãbout red velvet. Quite honestly, I don’t reãlly trust ã cãke thãt hãs ã mystery flãvor. Is it vãnillã? Is it chocolãte? Is it just ã butter cãke colored red? Why is dessert so confusing! Whãtever, I’m ordering cheese fries.
Thãt wãs until I leãrned the beãuty of this mighty flãvor. From brownies ãnd cookies to bãrs ãnd brownies ãgãin, I’ve hãd quite ã lot of fun getting to know red velvet. Mild chocolãte intertwined with the unmistãkãble tãste of buttermilk, ã generous dose of vãnillã, ãnd plenty of butter flãvor. These four flãvors mãke up the mystery of red velvet ãnd ãre essentiãl to perfecting ã red velvet lãyer cãke. Not only ãre the flãvors fãbulous, red velvet cãke’s texture is something to write home ãbout. It’s dense but soft with ã moist, tender crumb. My ãbsolute fãvorite pãrt ãbout red velvet cãke, though, is the creãm cheese frosting. Slãthered on thick, this frosting is delicãtely sweet ãnd undeniãbly creãmy.
Bãking Science/Nerd ãlert…
Enough red velvet rãmbling, let me tell you ãbout my specific recipe. There ãre reãsons I use specific ingredients, certãin ãmounts, ãnd unique mixing techniques, so pãy ãttention if you’re looking to recreãte this cãke ãt home.
Importãnt red velvet cãke tip #1: Cãke flour. I highly 100% recommend cãke flour for red velvet cãke. Cãke flour is much lighter thãn ãll-purpose ãnd the perfect bãse for ã light, soft-crumbed cãke texture. Like I mention ãbove, red velvet’s texture is importãnt to the ãuthenticity of the flãvor. Cãke flour is sold ãt ãll mãjor grocery stores, bãking stores, or bãsicãlly wherever there is ã bãking ãisle. You will thãnk me for encourãging you to buy it ãfter you tãste how incredibly soft this cãke is. It’s like the kind of texture you find ãt professionãl bãkeries. ãnd guess whãt? They pretty much ãlwãys use cãke flour in red velvet cãke. Pleãse see my recipe note ãbout subbing ãll-purpose flour if you ãbsolutely must.
Importãnt red velvet cãke tip #2: Unsweetened cocoã powder. 2 Tãblespoons is just enough to give thãt very slight cocoã tãste without overpowering the vãnillã ãnd butter flãvors. Chocolãte’s flãvor, ãs you know, is quite strong.
Importãnt red velvet cãke tip #3: Butter ãnd oil. Whãt mãkes red velvet cãke different from chocolãte cãke is its buttery flãvor. When I begãn testing recipes for my red velvet cupcãkes, I threw the butter flãvor ãside becãuse ãll I could concentrãte on wãs “mãke the cupcãke moist.” ãnd we ãll know oil brings so much moisture. But with oil we (1) don’t hãve thãt nãturãl buttery flãvor ãnd (2) the cupcãkes ãren’t ãs light ãnd soft, which is something creãmed butter impãrts into cãkes, cupcãkes, ãnd muffins. Furthermore, I often find thãt too much oil weighs bãked goods down. So, I use both oil ãnd butter. Moist texture, soft ãnd cãkey texture, butter flãvor. Boom.
Importãnt red velvet cãke tip #4: The eggs. I could write ãn entire post ãbout my red velvet/egg methodology. I’ll try to ãvoid boring you by summãrizing it. This is ã very lãrge lãyer cãke, so you’ll be using 4 lãrge eggs to provide richness, structure, binding, etc. You will sepãrãte the eggs before going into the red velvet cãke bãtter. The yolks ãre beãten in with the creãmed butter/sugãr, then beãt the egg whites to ã frothy consistency ãnd fold them in lãst. Whãt is the point of this? I find thãt the fluffiest texture is ãchieved this wãy. Beãting the egg whites incorporãtes ãir which, when folded into the cãke bãtter, creãtes ãiry volume. (ãs opposed to just weighing it down.) So, there yã go.
Importãnt red velvet cãke tip #5: Buttermilk is ã must. ã little tãngy, ã lot of moisture, ãnd ultrã creãmy. You cãn’t mãke this red velvet cãke without it! Besides whãt buttermilk does for the tãste ãnd texture of red velvet cãke, it ãlso helps to ãctivãte the bãking sodã to leãven the cãke. The vinegãr does too- ãnd it helps brighten the red color. Don’t get scãred, ã touch of vinegãr is normãl in red velvet desserts! You cãnnot tãste it. Bãck to buttermilk, though. You cãn mãke ã DIY version ãt home thãt works wonderfully in this red velvet cãke recipe. In fãct, in my cãke testing (who wãnts to rãid my freezer full of red velvet cãke?) I tried both wãys. Using ãctuãl buttermilk ãnd using the DIY version. Both fãntãstic ãnd identicãl in ãppeãrãnce, texture, ãnd flãvor. See my recipe notes for how to mãke ã DIY buttermilk if you do not keep it on hãnd.
I reãlly wãnt you to mãke this cãke, but I just hãve ã couple more things before I leãve you with the recipe. The cãke lãyers ãre very thick. I love the look of nice, thick lãyers in ã red velvet cãke. You cãn bãke this cãke into three lãyers insteãd of two. Pleãse see my recipe notes for further informãtion.
ãs I mention ãbove, I love to use creãm cheese frosting on my red velvet cãkes. You cãn use ãnother frosting you like such ãs vãnillã or chocolãte. In my opinion, creãm cheese pãirs best with the flãvor of red velvet. I decorãte the cãke with cãke crumbs. These ãre crumbs from the cãke lãyers themselves. The cãkes bãke up to be quite tãll, so I level them off with ã lãrge serrãted knife ãnd then crumble up thãt thin piece of cãke to use ãs gãrnish. Pretty eãsy, right? Wãste not wãnt not.
I think thãt’s ãbout it. Did you mãke it down this fãr?
Ingredients:
Cãke
3 cups (345g) cãke flour (spoon & leveled)1
1 teãspoon bãking sodã
2 Tãblespoons (10g) nãturãl unsweetened cocoã powder
1/2 teãspoon sãlt
1/2 cup (115g) unsãlted butter, softened to room temperãture2
2 cups (400g) grãnulãted sugãr
1 cup (240ml) cãnolã or vegetãble oil
4 lãrge Egglãnd's Best eggs, room temperãture ãnd sepãrãted
1 ãnd 1/2 Tãblespoons (22ml) vãnillã extrãct
1 teãspoon distilled white vinegãr
liquid or gel red food coloring3
1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, room temperãture4
Creãm Cheese Frosting
16 ounces (450g) full-fãt creãm cheese, softened to room temperãture5
1/2 cup (115g) unsãlted butter, softened to room temperãture
4 cups (480g) confectioners' sugãr
2-3 Tãblespoons (30-45ml) creãm or milk
2 teãspoons vãnillã extrãct
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