Red Velvet Cake
User Reviews
4.7
Red Velvet Cake
Description
This Red Velvet Cake combines butter and caster sugar creamed until light, then eggs are incorporated individually. A mixture of cocoa powder, red food coloring, oil, and vanilla is blended in with white vinegar to deepen the red hue and add mild acidity. Sifted cake flour, baking soda, and salt alternate with buttermilk in the batter, producing a moist and tender crumb after baking in greased pans dusted with cocoa powder.
The cake layers are baked until a toothpick comes out clean, cooling completely before frosting. The cream cheese frosting comprises room temperature cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and icing sugar, whipped smooth and lightened in color. Optional lemon juice adds a subtle hint of brightness to the frosting.
Red velvet's mild cocoa taste and striking color make it popular for celebrations, and the cream cheese frosting offers balance with its slight tanginess. The cake can be assembled into layers and decorated with a dusting of cocoa powder for a classic look. This recipe includes a tip for making homemade buttermilk by souring milk with vinegar if not available, aiding in texture and flavor.
You can make buttermilk by mixing 1 cup full cream milk with 1 teaspoon vinegar and letting it sour for 5–10 minutes.The recipe is adapted from The New York Times.
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter at room temperature, unsalted
- 1 ½ cups caster sugar or fine white granulated sugar
- 2 large egg
- ¼ cup neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon extra for dusting, unsweetened
- 2 ½ tablespoons red food colouring liquid, not gel
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract pure
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 ½ cups cake flour sifted, or all purpose/plain flour, plain
- 1 teaspoon baking soda bi-carb soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 14 ounces cream cheese not spreadable, at room temperature
- ½ cup butter at room temperature, unsalted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract pure
- 4 cups icing sugar or confectioners
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice optional - adds subtle hint of lemon
Instructions
For Cake:
- Heat oven to 350°F | 175°C. Lightly grease two 8-inch cake pans with butter or nonstick oil spray and lightly dust with 1 tablespoon of the sifted cocoa powder.
- Cream butter and sugar together until light in colour. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition to combine well.
- In a smaller bowl, mix together oil, remaining cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla until smooth. Stir colour mixture and vinegar through the creamed sugar mixture to combine.
- Sift together flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add half of the dry ingredients and half of the buttermilk to the wet ingredients; mix well. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk.
- Divide batter among the 2 prepared pans and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack completely.
For Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Beat together cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth lighter in colour (about 3-4 minutes). Beat in icing sugar until frosting is light and fluffy (if frosting is too thin, add more icing sugar and beat again until reaching your desired consistency).Optional if using: mix in the lemon juice.
Assemble Cake:
- Transfer 1 cake onto a serving dish/plate, flat-side down. Trim the top dome off of the cake to create a flat bottom later. Scoop about 1 ½ - 2 cups of frosting onto cake and spread evenly over the top.
- Place second cake layer on top and use remaining frosting to cover top and sides of cake.
- Crumble trimmed pieces of cake to decorate.Enjoy!
Notes
- To substitute buttermilk, combine 1 cup full cream milk with 1 teaspoon vinegar and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
- This recipe is adapted from The New York Times.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12slices
Amount Per Serving
Calories 431 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 431kcal | 22% |
| Carbohydrates | 90g | 30% |
| Protein | 10g | 20% |
| Fat | 22g | 34% |
| Saturated Fat | 11g | 55% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 78mg | 26% |
| Sodium | 553mg | 23% |
| Potassium | 172mg | 4% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 28g | 56% |
| Vitamin A | 569IU | 11% |
| Vitamin C | 0.5mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 153mg | 15% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
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