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4.6 from 195 votes

Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting - this super moist and tender red velvet cake makes for a divine and dramatic cake topped with an easy cream cheese frosting.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
Servings: 10
Calories: 721 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Cake
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar granulated
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder unsweetened
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup coconut oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup coffee hot
  • 1 tablespoon red gel food coloring
Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 1½ cups whipping cream
  • 16 ounce cream cheese
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups icing sugar same as powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 350℉.
  2. Prepare the baking pans: Prepare 2 8 inch cake pans. Cut out 2 parchment paper circles that will fit inside each pan and spray them with some cooking spray. Make sure to spray some cooking spray up the sides of the pans too.
  3. Make the cake batter: In the bowl of your mixer, add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda and using the paddle attachment mix everything together until well combined, on low speed.
  4. In a large bowl mix together the buttermilk, coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk in the coffee and food coloring.
  5. Add the wet ingredients to the mixer bowl and mix everything over medium speed for about 2 minutes, until everything is well combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula and mix as needed. Add more red food coloring as needed to get to the desired color. Pour the batter into the 2 prepared pans, equally.
  6. Bake: Place the cake pans in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. To test if the cake is done, insert a toothpick in the middle of the cake and if it comes out clean, it's done. Let the cake cool in the pans for about 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack or a cutting board and cool completely.
  7. Prepare the cream cheese frosting: In the bowl of your mixer whip the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Remove from mixer bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
  8. In the bowl of your mixer, beat the cream cheese together with the vanilla extract and icing sugar, until smooth. Fold in the whipping cream gradually until well combined.
  9. Assemble the cake: Cut the top part of the cake first and crumbled it up in a bowl, we'll use this for decoration after.
  10. Cut each cake into 2 pieces. Start by placing 1 cake layer onto your serving cake platter, then spread some of the cream cheese frosting, about 1/4, evenly over the cake layer. Repeat with remaining cake layers. Using a spatula, spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the top of the cake and up the sides. Decorate the cake with the remaining cake crumbs if desired.
  11. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

  • I don't have buttermilk, can I use milk instead: You can actually make your own buttermilk by adding a tbsp of lemon juice. You will notice it start to curdle, so you can use this instead, however, I recommend using buttermilk for best results.
  • Why are you adding coffee to the cake and will it taste like coffee: Coffee is added to enhance the flavor of the chocolate and no, you will not taste the coffee in the cake at all.
  • Can I use liquid food coloring instead of gel: I strongly recommend using red gel food coloring. You need a lot less gel to get the desired color, plus I always find when using liquid food color that it gives the cakes a weird taste.
  • This cake can be made as a 3 layer cake or 4 layer cake. If making a 3 layer cake as seen in some of the pictures, it's easier to use 3 cake pans for baking the cakes, this way there's no need to cut each cake in half.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 721kcal (36%) Carbohydrates 81g (27%) Protein 8g (16%) Fat 41g (63%) Saturated Fat 27g (135%) Cholesterol 138mg (46%) Sodium 685mg (29%) Potassium 232mg (7%) Sugar 60g (120%) Vitamin A 1230IU (25%) Vitamin C 0.2mg (0%) Calcium 126mg (13%) Iron 1.6mg (9%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 10Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 721

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 721kcal 36%
Carbohydrates 81g 27%
Protein 8g 16%
Fat 41g 63%
Saturated Fat 27g 135%
Cholesterol 138mg 46%
Sodium 685mg 29%
Potassium 232mg 5%
Sugar 60g 120%
Vitamin A 1230IU 25%
Vitamin C 0.2mg 0%
Calcium 126mg 13%
Iron 1.6mg 9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.