Homemade Red Velvet Cake

Red velvet is such a unique cake. It has combination of vanilla flavor and chocolate flavor but still has its own unique taste. Some recipes combine red velvet cake with Ermine frosting.

It tastes delicious with ermine frosting or flour frosting too but I personally like the tangy taste of cream cheese so I always use cream cheese frosting on this cake.

Sometimes, I combine it with “cream cheese and whipping cream’’ frosting to make the lighter frosting. And sometimes, I make it like this recipe which is only cream cheese frosting.

I have tried with ermine frosting once but prefer to stay with cream cheese frosting.

If you want to make recipe with “cream cheese and whipping cream” frosting, please refer here. The ratio of cake to frosting is different in this recipe so I have created different post for that cake.

If you are following me, you will realize that there are few recipes on my blog which are kind of tradition at my home. Like, every year, I make chocolate truffle cake for my husbands birthday, I make Rasmalai Cake for Diwali.

Similarly, I make the red velvet cake for valentines day every year.  Do you also have similar tradition? If yes, comment below, I would love to know 😊

List of ingredients and importance of each ingredient.

• For Cake

• Butter

Use room temperature butter so that it mixes properly with other ingredients.

• Sugar

Just plain white caster sugar or granulated sugar.

• All-purpose flour

Regular all-purpose flour. If you want to replace it with cake flour, I would highly recommend to replace some of the butter with oil. Please refer my guide here to know about different flours and their substitutes.

• Cocoa powder

Use plain unsweetened cocoa powder and not Dutch processed one.

• Baking powder & Baking soda

Works as leavening agent. Make sure to replace this once every 6 months.

• Oil

This will make our cake soft and moist.

• Eggs

Always use room temperature eggs so that it mixes evenly with rest of the ingredients.

• Buttermilk

Buttermilk, baking soda, vinegar and cocoa powder reacts with each other and releases red color. So, this is essential in our cake recipe. If you do not have buttermilk then just mix ½ tsp of vinegar into ½ cup of milk to make buttermilk at home. You can refer my to go buttermilk recipe too.

• Vinegar

Buttermilk, baking soda, vinegar and cocoa powder reacts with each other and releases red color. So, this is essential in our recipe.

• Pure Vanilla Extract

Use Pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. Both will work great.

• For Cream cheese Frosting

Please refer my cream cheese frosting to pair it with this red velvet cake.

Equipments required to make this red velvet cake

1. Stand mixer or hand mixer
2. Measuring spoons
3. Measuring cups
4. Weighing scale
5. Rubber Spatula
6. Parchment paper
7. Baking Pan. (PS: you can also use heart shaped pan if you are making it for valentines day)

Step by step recipe (with images) to make homemade red velvet cake recipe.

Making red velvet cake at home is very easy with following step-by-step instructions. And trust me, it just melts in your mouth! You will never order from outside and always make red velvet cake at home.

So, Let’s get started.

1. As always, the first step is to prepare your pan. I am using butter and flour method here.
2. In a big bowl, sift all dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder) together. Keep it aside.

3. In another bowl, add butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.
4. Now, add oil and beat again.

5. Next step is to add vanilla extract and neat again until it is just combined.
6. Add 2 large eggs and mix until it is just combined.

7. Now, vinegar and beat again.
8. Now add dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk.

9. Finally add red food coloring and mix again.
10. Pour the cake batter in prepared pan. Bake at 350F (180 C) for 40-45 minutes.

11. Toothpick Test: Insert a clean toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, your cake is done. If it has some moist crumbs then put it in the oven for couple of minutes and check again.
12. Let it cool down for 10-15 minutes. Decorate with your favorite frosting and Enjoy.

Pro tips to make easy homemade red velvet cake recipe.

• Read your recipe

Always read your recipe completely before starting. It will give you on overall idea of ingredients required, substitutes and details steps to make them.

• Room temperature ingredients

This is the most important step when you are preparing any cake. Room-temperature ingredients easily mixed up with each other to create smooth batter. This will also avoid over mixing which makes our cake dense.

• Sifting Dry Ingredients

This is also an important step when making cakes. Sifting will ensure our leavening agents are properly mixed and this also incorporates some air in to the dry ingredients. This makes our cake light and fluffy.

• Do not skip Buttermilk

DO NOT Skip or replace buttermilk with milk. If you do not have buttermilk handy, simply add ½ teaspoon of vinegar into ½ cup of milk and keep it aside for 5-10 mins are you are good to go.

• Keep your baking pan ready

It is not a good idea to keep the batter outside for long once it is ready. So, keep your baking pan ready before starting the recipe. Cover it with parchment paper or butter and flour your mixer. Please refer my video to see how it is done.

If you still have any more doubts, please let me know in the comment section below.

Video representation of the recipe

https://youtu.be/ZUFH_mlvXOY?si=R3aYnnZ7sCAOMHwc

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is red velvet cake same as chocolate cake?

No, Red velvet cake is not same as chocolate cake but red velvet cake has little hint of chocolate flavor in it.

• What is the difference between chocolate cake and red velvet cake?

Main difference between red velvet cake and chocolate cake is red velvet cake has very less quantity of cocoa powder whereas chocolate cake has more quantity of cocoa powder.

• Why red velvet cake is red?

Cocoa powder, vinegar, buttermilk and baking soda reacts with each other and releases red color. Addition of red color will make the cake color bright red.

• How to store this red velvet cake?

This can be kept at room temperature for couple of hours. As this contains cream cheese frosting, always store this in the refrigerator. This can be kept good in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

• Can I freeze this red velvet cake?

Of course! You can very well freeze this cake up to 2-3 months. First wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil and then keep in freezer. It stays the cake soft and moist.

• What are the calories of red velvet cake?

Please refer my recipe card to know the details about calorie and nutritional information.

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Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments! I really love hearing from you, and your feedback is very much important to me. Tag @DessertKatta or Hashtag it #DessertKatta

Red Velvet Cake - Recipe Card