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Tangy buttermilk Red Velvet Cake recipe
Have you ever had really great Red Velvet Cake?
If you’ve had great Red Velvet Cake you probably remember the delicious tang from the buttermilk, the hints of cocoa, gorgeous red color and the moist, light crumb. And let’s not forget the best cream cheese icing on this earth!
What is Red Velvet Cake?
Real deal Red Velvet Cake always has vinegar and buttermilk in the mix. Occasionally you might find Red Velvet cake recipes that include red food color but not the vinegar and buttermilk. They may be called Red Velvet, but it won’t taste the same or have that wonderful texture.
The history of Red Velvet cake is interesting and thought to have been developed during the Victorian Era. The cake we enjoy today, with red food coloring, probably came about during the depression when a Texas company starting selling red food dye. This made Red Velvet Cake climb in popularity to the iconic showstopper we know and love today.
You can make your own red food dye by using beet juice but for this cake we used a one-ounce bottle of liquid red food coloring.
Overview: Ingredients
For the cake batter:
- unsalted butter at room temperature
- granulated or white sugar
- eggs at room temperature
- red liquid food coloring (not gel food coloring)
- cocoa powder
- salt
- vanilla extract
- buttermilk, full fat, well shaken
- cake flour
- white vinegar
- baking soda
For the cream cheese icing:
- cream cheese at room temperature
- unsalted butter at room temperature
- powdered sugar
- pinch of salt if using unsalted butter
- vanilla extract
Okay. I have a story about an infamous Red Velvet Cake.
While growing up Red Velvet cake was my favorite and always the one I asked for each year on my birthday. My mom made great cakes and I always loved her Red Velvet Cake, until I tried to make it.
It was around the time my husband and I got engaged.
I was trying to impress him with my baking abilities and it was his birthday so I decided to make my favorite cake in the whole world, Red Velvet. Generally, I don’t make great cakes, I make great pies – BIG difference. Anyway – always up for a challenge, I made the homemade cake and was pleased that it looked so pretty! Three layers with cream cheese, pecans complete with candles.
We did the birthday song and presents but much to my dismay, the cake was really, really dry. I over-baked it a bit, I think.
Sometimes those handwritten recipes don’t include ALL the pertinent information. Such as reduce the cooking time if you make three layers instead of two. Duhhh. Oh well, it didn’t taste terrible, it was just very dry.
I thought the cream cheese frosting covered any flaws the cake might have had, at least a little. It was edible … I think, but I may not be remembering it clearly because it was over 30+ years ago.
Being the supportive fiancé he was, he ate a few bites of cake each time I pulled it out of the fridge.
A couple of days after his birthday we went on a weekend camping trip and I slipped the leftover cake in the cooler. I was determined not to waste it because after all, it was homemade and wasn’t that bad!
Finally Ed had to tell the truth. “Trish, this cake is not very good and I just can’t eat anymore.” OK, you’re off the hook. I agree it’s a little dry.
I pitched the giant hunk of leftover cake in the blazing fire thinking it would quickly dissolve. We watched as the cake started to glow, not really burn, but glow, like a piece of coal or …. oh my gosh, it glowed like a Duraflame Log! It burned/glowed for hours like the piece of coal it was!
We laughed and laughed and from then on it was called the Duraflame cake. Our children have never wanted to try Red Velvet cake and who can blame them! But come on guys, it has been over 33 years! Let it go already!
25 years later I tried again.
The cake I made in 2010 was pretty good and not as dry as the Duraflame cake, but I still wasn’t thrilled.
Being the stubborn girl that I am, I ‘forewarned’ my husband that I was going to make another Red Velvet Cake this time with a holiday theme. His response was … “Oh good, a Yule Log.” I’ll never live this down. Not ever.
Thank goodness I’m a much better cake maker than I used to be. And this time I fixed mom’s recipe by reworking it into this amazingly moist and delicious chocolate cake you see here!
Mom’s original recipe called for vegetable shortening, like Crisco. I felt like the shortening was making the cake dry and tough, so I switched it out for unsalted butter. Then I added more butter and used full-fat buttermilk. Now we’re talking about the perfect Red Velvet Cake!
This is the Red Velvet Cake I dream about!
Our new and improved Red Velvet Cake is moist and tender, with a lovely tang that I’d recognize if I ate it blindfolded. The flavor might remind you of chocolate devil’s food cake, but with terrific flair!
It took me a long time, actually decades, but Mom’s cake is now a keeper. I think she would approve of my changes, especially after she tried it.
Even though we decorated this cake for the holidays, it’s great to make all year long. To give it a holiday theme use fresh Rosemary sprigs and a batch of our Sugared Cranberries to create a wreath.
After 33 years of trying to live it down, I’ve finally achieved red velvet cake redemption!
My husband said, and I quote, “it’s perfect and I would marry you all over again!” Thank heavens!
Overview: how to make the BEST Red Velvet Cake
Prepare the cake batter:
- Preheat the oven. Grease and flour three 8 inch pans.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer) cream together the butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time.
- In a small bowl combine the red food coloring with the cocoa, salt and vanilla. Add to the creamed butter mixture.
- Alternate adding the buttermilk and flour on low speed until incorporated.
- In a small bowl stir the vinegar with the baking soda until dissolved. Gently fold the mixture into the batter.
- Divide the dough between the prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out with no wet batter. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
Prepare the icing:
- Combine the cream cheese and butter until blended. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until combined.
- Frost the cake and decorate as desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Thanks for PINNING!
Red Velvet Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 ounce red liquid food color (not icing gel food color)
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder natural, unsweetened
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk well shaken
- 2 ¼ cups cake flour
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
For the icing:
- 12 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 24 ounces powdered sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
To prepare the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 3 (8-inch) cake pans. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing just until the yolk disappears.
- In a small bowl whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, salt and vanilla until blended. Add the cocoa mixture to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Blend on medium-low until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add ⅓ of the buttermilk and blend on low until incorporated. Next add ⅓ of the flour and mix on low. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Repeat by adding ½ of the remaining buttermilk and then ½ of the remaining cake flour taking care not to over-beat after each addition. Blend on low just until incorporated. Repeat until all the buttermilk and flour are incorporated.
- In a small cup stir together the vinegar and baking soda, until completely dissolved. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the vinegar mixture into the cake batter. Do not beat!
- Divide the batter equally into the three prepared 8-inch cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (moist crumbs are okay – no wet batter) about 18 to 20 minutes. DO NOT OVER BAKE. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out and cool completely on a wire rack.
To prepare the icing:
- Combine the cream cheese and butter and beat until blended. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. And the salt and vanilla and mix on low until smooth and creamy.
- I use about 2 cups of icing in between the cake layers but you can probably use more. There is enough to frost this cake without leaving the layers showing through (naked). Frost the cake as desired. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Cake keeps well up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes
- Decorate the top of the cake with fresh rosemary twigs and sugared cranberries if desired. Click HERE to get recipe for the sugared cranberries.
- I used three 8-inch cake pans. You can also make this cake into two 9-inch layers. Watch the baking time – dried out Red Velvet cake is not good!
- Recipe adapted from my Mom’s archives.
Ellen
Hello, thank you so much for an amazing idea! I just made this cake for a Christmas party. Everyone was so impressed!
One moment: I used muuuuch less sugar for icing. And have added a spoon of milk to make it creamy.
My cake took twice more cream ))
Thank you and Happy holidays!
Tricia Buice
Thanks Ellen! So happy you enjoyed the cake. Thank you and happy holidays!
Ransrini
Hi! Love how this looks! I have a small concern, I am not able to find buttermilk here, what can I substitute it with? Thanks in advance.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Ransrini! To make your own buttermilk put 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in a 1 cup measure. Fill the measuring cup with regular milk and stir. Allow it to sit for about 5 minutes then it’s ready to use!
Mike
Question for you, I’ve never seen vinegar in a cake. Can you help me understand the purpose there?
Tricia Buice
Hi Mike. Vinegar combined with baking soda creates a chemical reaction which helps provide lift, and a good rise in your cake. Anything acidic combined with vinegar will do the trick. Although Red Velvet Cake contains buttermilk, which reacts the same way as vinegar when mixed with baking soda, the additional vinegar ensures the cake will turn out beautifully. It’s an effective leavening agent for sure. True red velvet cakes have always contained vinegar, not just red food color. Hope that helps!
Trudy
Hi there! Love this cake! Do you think the recipe will work for a 9×13 pan? Should I increase at all? Thanks for the advice!
Tricia Buice
Hi Trudy. I love this cake too and think it will be fine in a 9×13-inch pan. I don’t know how long to bake so you’ll have to watch it carefully. Good luck and enjoy!
Jennie
Can’t wait to make your beautiful red velvet cake. Can you clarify cake pan size? At the beginning of instructions for this recipe, it calls for using 3 (8”) pans, yet further down in instructions, it refers to prepared 6” pans. However; In recipe notes, it states you used 3(6”) pans but can use two 9” or two 8” pans. Which size pan and how many pans match recipe cooking time? Thank you.
Tricia Buice
Hi Jennie. Thanks so much for calling these errors to my attention. I don’t know why I had it in my mind that I used smaller cake pans. For this recipe I used 3 (8-inch) cake pans. You can also use 2 (9-inch) cake pans if you prefer. The baking time is for the three (8-inch) pans. Good luck – this is a wonderful recipe and delicious cake!
Jan
I would like to make this for a friend. It’s her favorite. However, she has become allergic to red dye. Any suggestions for a replacement?
Tricia Buice
Hi Jan. I’ve heard that you can use beet juice as a substitute for red food dye. Not sure how much you would have to use but even a little might do the trick. Here’s a good article on making a Natural Red Velvet Cake. Good luck!
Lisa d
Are they 8” pans that are 2” in or 3” deep? I hv the 8×3 professional baking pans.
Makes a difference in baking. Thanks.
Cakes looks beautiful
Tricia Buice
Hi Lisa – mine are the 2-inch deep pans. Thank you and enjoy!
Tess
This cake is so beautiful! I made it last weekend and it turned out fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe Tricia. I do have a question, I didn’t decorate the cake with the fresh rosemary because I was worried that the rosemary flavour would transfer to the icing, does it ?
Tricia Buice
Hi Tess! Thanks so much for trying our cake and I’m thrilled that you liked it. I could not taste any rosemary on the icing, however I didn’t try each piece – haha. I refrigerated the cake overnight before decorating so I think that helps harden the icing and the rosemary just sat on top. Hope that helps! Thanks again for trying our recipe and we truly appreciate you taking the time to comment!
Tess
That sounds like a great idea, I will do that the next time I make it. Thank you so much for the tip!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Tess!
Monique
I mentioned on IG how stupendous this was and I Pinned it I am sure.I forget where I have commented..just don’t want NEW YEAR to slip by without my wishing you the very best..to you and yours..
Tricia Buice
Thank you sweet lady! Happy New Year to you and yours!
Tena
Very excited to make it this Christmas! Never made or even had a proper Red Velvet before (it’s not very common here in Europe) but it looks too inviting to pass! I couldn’t help but wonder if adding a bit of orange or clementine zest/juice to the icing would make it even more festive or if it would work at all?
Tricia Buice
Yes Tena! I think the addition of orange juice would be terrific. Not too much, just a hint would be perfect. Enjoy!
Susan
That is a good story, Tricia! You certainly made amends with this one 🙂 It looks moist and delicious and oh, so pretty! You know, I’ve never had a red velvet cake?! Would love to taste yours 🙂
Tricia Buice
Thanks Susan – hope you get to try it sometime!
Lakshmy
Hi Tricia! Would love to try your red velvet cake! Can I use all purpose flour instead of the cake flour mentioned in your recipe?
Regards-Lakshmy
Tricia Buice
Hi Lakshmy – yes you can substitute all-purpose flour for the cake flour, with a little adjustment. Check out this link – How to Make Cake Flour with All-Purpose Flour
handmade by amalia
Wow. Way too pretty to eat. Hope you’re enjoying the season, dear Tricia.
Amalia
xo
Tricia Buice
Thank you Amalia – I hope you have a very happy New Year!
Diana
The cake looks awesome..and I want to try it for new year..would you be able to share the measurement in grams?
Tricia Buice
Hi Diana – You can look the conversions up on Google, but I have found it doesn’t always work as well as you want it to. I have not calculated these ingredients in grams. Sorry!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
What a stunning cake! I had to laugh at your story about the Duraflame cake…that is so funny. I hope Christmas was everything you wanted it to be.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Karen! Our Christmas was lovely and hope yours was too. Have a wonderful New Year!
Renee
I saw this on Facebook. I love Red Velvet Cake but the recipe I tried in the past was just too oily. This is so pretty. I have the ingredients and am making this tomorrow to take to my daughter’s house. I even bought the rosemary and cranberries for the top of the cake 🙂
Tricia Buice
Hi Renee! I hope you got the chance to try this cake. And I hope you loved it as much as we do! Enjoy 🙂
Monica
Gorgeous cake! It is absolute red velvet cake perfection..and I adore the beautiful decoration on top. It is redemption and then some. Just wanted to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas. Happy everything!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Monica – so great to hear from you! Hope you are doing well and that you have a blessed Christmas holiday!
Liz
Oh, my gosh, I LOVE how you garnished your cake! Makes it super festive for the holidays. And the story of your first attempt is priceless. I’ll never live down the first stroganoff recipe I made for Bill, it was BAD! Merry Christmas!! xo
Tricia Buice
Thank you Liz! Bad recipes seem to be more memorable than the great ones – oh well! Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Gerlinde @Sunnycovechef
What a nice husband you have . Your velvet cake looks divine, I don’t think I ever have had anything like it. It looks so beautiful Tricia. Have a merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.
Tricia Buice
Merry Christmas to you too Gerlinde. Enjoy your company!
Larry
I can’y remember my last red velvet cake, yours looks delicious. I especially like your Christmas wreath on top.
Tricia Buice
Thanks Larry. Merry Christmas to you and Bev!
Chris Scheuer
Such a gorgeous cake should be on the cover of a magazine! There’s something magical to me about anything red velvet and this cake definitely looks magical. And delicious!
Tricia Buice
Thank you so much Chris! It’s a great cake, and a personal favorite 🙂
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
Stunning! And so beautifully decorated for the season. Hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas, Tricia 🙂
Tricia Buice
Thanks Jennifer! Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas too.
Julie G
Absolutely gorgeous! That cake does look moist! I love how beautifully you decorated it…perfect for the holiday. I may give this one a try next week Tricia. My daughter is getting married tomorrow and we have a holiday full of excitement. I want to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and wonderfully Happy New Year! And, I’m excited about what you have in store for us in 2019!!
Tricia Buice
Oh Julie congratulations!!!! I bet you are so excited. A Christmas wedding is amazing. My husband and I were married on December 14th, a long time ago, but we’ve always loved celebrating during this festive and special time of year. You are the sweetest and I’m so happy for you all. Merry Christmas to you and yours. I know you are busy, so take care and enjoy the ride! XOXOX
angiesrecipes
This looks stunning! The cranberry and rosemary decorations are brilliant, Tricia.
Tricia Buice
Thank you Angie – so easy and fun. LOVE this cake!