Subscribe to get new recipes straight to your inbox!

    Soft Red Velvet Cake

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    When I first shared this red velvet cake recipe a few years ago, I remember being SO excited because it was genuinely one of the softest cakes I had ever made. Now, with over 300 5-star reviews, I’m so glad you are all loving it as much as I do! It’s incredibly moist with that classic velvety texture, full of flavor, and topped with the most delicious, slightly tangy cream cheese buttercream.

    Slice of red velvet cake

    See What Readers Have to Say 💬
    ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — I had the hardest time finding a red velvet recipe until this one. I have made this cake going on 3 times, and it always gets rave reviews. Thank you so much for sharing. — Robin
    ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — This is absolutely the best red velvet cake recipe I have ever made. The cake was perfect, the frosting the best. Thank you, MK! — Marisa

    What Exactly Is a Red Velvet Cake?!

    So, what exactly makes a red velvet cake a red velvet cake?! Think of it as a delicious middle ground between a vanilla and chocolate cake, with a subtle chocolate flavor, a hint of tanginess, and that signature soft, velvety texture.

    The tangy flavor comes from ingredients like buttermilk and vinegar, which are classic in red velvet cake recipes. These days, red velvet cake is usually made with red food coloring for that gorgeous deep red color and is most commonly paired with cream cheese frosting or ermine frosting.

    For this recipe, I’m going with my favorite pairing: a rich, creamy, and slightly tangy cream cheese buttercream! If you prefer ermine frosting, you can also check out my traditional red velvet cake recipe, which uses the same soft red velvet cake base but is topped with classic ermine frosting instead. Some people prefer it, as it’s less sweet and a bit more subtle in flavor. I also have an eggless red velvet cake recipe that I promise is just as soft and moist!

    Interesting Fact 🍰
    Traditional red velvet cakes actually didn’t use red food coloring! They were more of a reddish-brown color, thanks to the reaction between natural cocoa powder and the acidic ingredients in the recipe.

    Slice of red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting on a white plate, a silver fork resting against the cake edge.

    Why You’ll Love This Recipe

    SO soft and velvety: This cake has the most incredibly soft, tender texture that practically melts in your mouth.

    Perfectly balanced flavor: It has just the right amount of chocolate flavor, sweetness, and tanginess without any one flavor being overpowering.

    Cream cheese buttercream: The slightly tangy, creamy frosting pairs SO well with the soft red velvet cake.

    Easy to make: You don’t need any fancy equipment or complicated techniques to make this cake.

    A total crowd-pleaser: With over 300 5-star reviews, I think it’s safe to say this one is a reader favorite! 💗

    A Note on the Updated Measurements

    You may notice that some of the cup and tablespoon measurements in this recipe have changed slightly from the original recipe. When I first developed this recipe, I wanted to keep the measurements as accurate as possible, so I would measure an ingredient using a cup or tablespoon, weigh that amount, and use the resulting gram weight as my exact measurement. I did this because I often found that ingredient conversions don’t always translate perfectly, and weighing the amount I naturally measured could sometimes give a more accurate result.

    Over time, though, I realized this could be confusing, so I’ve moved toward using standard US cup and spoon measurements. I have not changed any of the gram measurements, so the recipe itself has not changed.

    I still highly recommend using the gram measurements whenever possible. For example, 1 cup of all-purpose flour is generally considered 120 g, but depending on how you measure that cup, you can easily end up with a different weight. Using a scale gives you a much more consistent and accurate measurement every time.

    The following measurements have been updated from the original recipe:

    – Cornstarch: 3 tbsp (18 g) → 2½ tbsp (18 g)

    – Cocoa powder: 3 tbsp (14 g) → 2½ tbsp (14 g)

    – Vegetable oil: ¾ cup (141 g) → ⅔ cup (141 g)

    – Buttermilk: ¾ cup (158 g) → ⅔ cup (158 g)

    Again, the gram measurements have remained exactly the same, so these updates do not change the recipe or the final cake.

    How to Make Red Velvet Cake

    You can find the full list of ingredients for this red velvet cake recipe in the recipe card at the end of the blog post. For easy navigation, just hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of the page. Here’s a quick visual breakdown of how to make it, and you’ll also find the recipe video in the recipe card below.

    Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) conventional and grease and/or line two 8×3-inch cake pans (I use my homemade cake release).

    greasing cake pans

    In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk, mix until well combined. Set aside for now.

    sifting dry ingredients

    In a large bowl, add the butter, vegetable oil and sugar. Using an electric mixer, cream together for 2-3 minutes until light and creamy.

    creaming wet ingredients

    Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition.

    adding eggs to batter

    Add the vanilla, white vinegar and red liquid food coloring, and mix until well combined. Set the mixer aside as the remainder of the batter will be finished by hand.

    adding red color

    Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently fold together with a spatula until just combined. Add all of the buttermilk and gently fold until just combined. Lastly, add the remaining dry ingredients and gently fold until just combined. Do not overmix.

    mixing in dry ingredients

    mixing in dry ingredients

    Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Be careful not to open the oven door too early, as this can cause the cake layers to sink. Also, avoid overbaking the cake layers, as this can cause them to dry out.

    putting batter in pan and baking cake

    Allow the cakes to cool in the cake pans for 15-20 minutes before carefully turning them out onto a wire rack to completely cool. Once cooled, frost with my cream cheese buttercream frosting.

    How to Decorate Your Cake

    There’s no particular way to decorate a red velvet cake, but here’s how I decorated mine using my cream cheese frosting recipe. 🙂

    Usually, I would trim (or torte) the tops of the cakes with a serrated knife to make them flat, but these red velvet layers bake up really nice and flat, so no trimming was required. I went ahead and added a generous amount of frosting to my first cake layer and smoothed it out with my offset spatula before placing the next cake layer on top.

    frosting cake layers

    Next, I added some frosting to the top cake layer and spread it out with my offset spatula. I then used the excess frosting on the sides to cover the entire cake. I only did a thin layer of frosting and didn’t worry about doing a crumb coat because I was piping rosettes all around the cake. If you also want to pipe rosettes, you’ll need to make 1.5x my cream cheese frosting recipe to ensure you have enough frosting.

    frosting outside of the entire cake

    I used a 1M piping tip to pipe rosettes all around the cake! If you’re new to piping, check out my beginner’s piping tutorial or my 1M piping tip tutorial.

    piping rosette border on the outside of the cake

    Once your cake is decorated, pop it into the fridge to allow everything to firm up. This will make it easier to cut. We don’t want the cake to be cold, though, so bring it out of the fridge about an hour or so before cutting. If it’s still cold when you cut into it, let it come to room temperature before eating. Trust me, it’s worth the wait! 😀

    How to Store Red Velvet Cake

    Because this cake is topped with cream cheese buttercream, I recommend storing it in the fridge. If you have leftover cake, make sure slices are covered well or stored in an airtight container, as the fridge can dry out the cake.

    Can I Freeze Red Velvet Cake?

    I haven’t personally tried freezing this red velvet cake, so I can’t say for certain how it will turn out, but I think it would be fine based on other similar recipes that I have frozen. If you’d like to freeze it, I recommend only freezing the cake layers and not the cream cheese buttercream, as it may split or become grainy when thawed. Wrap the unfrosted cake layers really well in plastic wrap and placing them in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag to help protect them from freezer burn. Allow them to thaw completely before decorating or serving.

    Commonly Asked Questions

    Why did my red velvet cake sink in the middle?

    There are a few reasons why a cake can sink in the middle, including opening the oven door too early, overmixing the batter, inaccurate ingredient measurements, underbaking the cake or putting too much batter in one cake pan. If you’re having trouble with your cake sinking, I’ve put together a whole post on why cakes sink in the middle where I go through the most common causes and how to prevent them.

    Can I use gel food coloring instead of liquid food coloring for this recipe?

    Yes, you can use gel food coloring instead of liquid food coloring. However, because gel coloring is much more concentrated, you won’t need as much. Dilute your gel coloring with just under 3½ tablespoons of water or milk to make up for the liquid lost when using gel coloring.

    This recipe uses 3½ tablespoons of liquid food coloring, but using that much gel coloring would be far too concentrated. The additional liquid also helps thin out the batter, resulting in a fluffier, more velvety cake.

    Can I use a different size pan?

    Yes, you can use a different size cake pan, but you’ll need to adjust the amount of batter you use depending on the size of your pan. This recipe is designed to be divided between two 8-inch cake pans, and I don’t recommend putting all of the batter into one 8-inch pan. Because this is a soft cake, too much batter in one pan can cause the center to sink as it bakes, while the edges can overbake before the center is fully cooked.

    For example, 1x this recipe can also be baked as one 10-inch cake, as the larger pan provides enough surface area for the batter to bake properly. The important thing is to avoid baking a very tall cake and then torting it into layers. This red velvet cake is best baked as individual layers, which helps the cake bake more evenly and prevents the edges from becoming overbaked before the center is fully cooked.

    Can I use this recipe to make red velvet cupcakes?

    For a cupcake version of this recipe, check out my red velvet cupcake recipe. It’s essentially a smaller quantity of this recipe, making just enough for 12 cupcakes!

    Can I use a buttermilk substitute?

    Yes, a buttermilk substitute will work perfectly fine in this recipe. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can learn how to make your own buttermilk substitute here.

    Red velvet cake recipe

    Soft Red Velvet Cake

    4.98 from 327 votes
    Print Pin Video
    This red velvet cake is SO soft, moist, and full of flavor, with that classic velvety texture and the perfect hint of tanginess. Topped with a creamy, slightly tangy cream cheese buttercream, it’s a cake you’ll want to make again and again!
    Prep: 15 minutes
    Cook: 30 minutes
    Cooling Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Total: 2 hours 15 minutes
    Servings: 12 servings
    Author: Cakes by MK

    IMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.

    Ingredients
     

    Red Velvet Cake

    • 2¼ cups (275 g) all-purpose flour - regular all purpose (see note 1 if you want to use cake flour)
    • 2½ tbsps (18 g) cornstarch
    • 2½ tbsps (14 g) cocoa powder - unsweetened. Natural cocoa powder preferred (see note 2)
    • ½ tsp baking soda
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • ½ tsp salt - see note 3
    • 6 tbsps (86 g) unsalted butter - room temperature
    • ⅔ cup (141 g) unflavoured vegetable oil - I use canola
    • 1¾ cups (344 g) white granulated sugar
    • 3 large eggs - room temperature
    • 1 tbsp (12 g) vanilla extract/essence
    • 1½ tsps white vinegar
    • 3½ tbsps (38 g) red liquid food colouring
    • ⅔ cup (158 g) buttermilk - room temperature

    Cream Cheese Buttercream

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) conventional (see note 5 if using a convection oven with a fan) and grease and/or line two 8x3-inch cake pans (I use my homemade cake release).
    • In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk, mix until well combined. Set aside for now.
    • In a large bowl, add the butter, vegetable oil and sugar. Using an electric mixer (see note 6), cream together for 2-3 minutes until light and creamy.
    • Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition.
    • Add the vanilla, vinegar and red liquid food coloring, and mix until well combined. Set the mixer aside as the remainder of the batter will be finished by hand.
    • Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and gently fold together with a spatula until just combined. Add all of the buttermilk and gently fold until just combined. Lastly, add the remaining dry ingredients and gently fold until just combined. Do not overmix (see note 7).
    • Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Be careful not to open the oven door too early, as this can cause the cake layers to sink (see note 8). Also, avoid overbaking the cake layers, as this can cause them to dry out.
    • Allow the cakes to cool in the cake pans for 15-20 minutes before carefully turning them out onto a wire rack to completely cool. Once cooled, frost with my cream cheese frosting (see blog post above for decorating ideas). Once your cake is decorated, pop it into the fridge for 30 minutes to allow everything to firm up (see note 9).

    Video

    Youtube video

    Notes

    Note 1. You can use cake flour in place of the all-purpose flour and cornstarch in this recipe (293 g total required).
    Note 2. Natural cocoa powder will help prevent your batter from becoming too dark, allowing a brighter red color to shine through. It is also more acidic than Dutch-processed cocoa powder, lighter in color, and has a slightly sharper, more chocolatey flavor. It works particularly well alongside the buttermilk and vinegar in this recipe, which are also acidic ingredients. 
    Note 3. I recommend using unsalted butter in my baking recipes because it allows you to control the amount of salt. I know salted butter is more commonly used in some countries, including New Zealand, so if that’s what you have on hand, you can still use it! Just reduce the salt to ¼ teaspoon for this recipe.
    Note 4. If you're doing a lot of additional piping like I did with my red velvet cake, then make 1.5x my cream cheese frosting recipe to ensure you have enough frosting. Otherwise, 1 batch will be enough.
    Note 5. If using a convection oven with a fan function, bake at 320°F (160°C), as the fan circulates hot air and causes food to bake faster. Please note that in the recipe video, I use the fan function, so the temperature shown in the video refers to a fan oven. I’ve amended the recipe card to give the temperature for a conventional oven, as most readers of my blog use convection ovens.
    Note 6. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment for the initial mixing, but continue to do the final step by hand as stated in the recipe.
    Note 7. Gently folding in the ingredients prevents too much gluten from forming, resulting in a softer cake. Only mix until the streaks of flour have disappeared and the batter is uniform.
    Note 8. Opening the oven door too early and allowing cold air to rush into the oven can cause cakes to collapse if the structure hasn't set yet. If your oven runs hot and you want to check your cake layers earlier than the stated baking time, allow at least ¾ of the baking time to pass before checking them.
    Note 9. The cream cheese frosting can be on the slightly softer side when it's first made, so allowing it to firm up in the fridge will make the cake easier and neater to slice and serve. We don't want the cake to be cold though, so if you're leaving the cake in the fridge for over an hour, then bring it out of the fridge about an hour or so before serving so the cake has time to soften up. If you cut into the cake and it's still cold, just let it come to room temperature before eating (otherwise the texture will be more firm than soft).
    Note 10. This recipe is designed to be divided between two 8-inch cake pans. I don’t recommend putting all of the batter into one 8-inch pan, as this is a soft cake and too much batter in one pan can cause the center to sink as it bakes. It can also cause the edges to overbake before the center is fully cooked.
    Note 11: You may notice some cup and tablespoon measurements differ slightly from the original recipe that I posted in 2022. I’ve updated these to use standard US measurements, but the gram measurements have not changed, so the recipe itself has not changed. I recommend using the gram measurements whenever possible for the most accurate results. For more details about these updates, see the blog post above.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 429kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 217mg | Potassium: 89mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 272IU | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg

    Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.

    Keyword: red velvet birthday cake, red velvet cake, red velvet cake recipe, red velvet cakes, red velvet layer cake, soft red velvet cake
    Tried this recipe?I love hearing from you! Tag me @cakesbymk.nz on instagram so I can see your amazing creations 🙂

    More Recipes

    715 Comments

    • Karen
      08/01/2024

      I used cake flour and cornstarch. Hope it turns out well. I’ll let you know.
      Reply
    • Trish
      06/01/2024

      Hi Maryam! I want to try this recipe but in cupcake form; is it the same temperature and cooking times for regular sized cupcakes? I’m afraid it might dry out.
      Reply
    • Sun
      31/12/2023

      5 stars
      Totally amazing!! This was my first time making a red velvet cake and oh my gosh i will never use any other recipe it was so soft and melts in your mouth and everyone told me it tasted like the popular bakery in our city. Loved this so so much thank you!!
      Reply
      • Cakes by MK
        07/01/2024

        Yay! So so happy to hear you loved the recipe Sun 🙂 really appreciate the feedback!

        Reply
    • Samira
      28/12/2023

      Hi Mk. I was wondering if it would be ok for me to use one baking pan instead of two. Or would doing this affect the cake results? Thank you
      Reply
      • Cakes by MK
        07/01/2024

        Hi Samira! 🙂 It’s best to use two tins, or 1 larger cake tin (like a 10 inch cake tin). I haven’t tried this recipe in only one 8 inch cake tin, and sometimes soft cakes don’t rise as well if there is too much batter in one tin and you can sometimes have a dense layer on the bottom of your cake – not saying it won’t work, but since I haven’t tried it myself I wouldn’t recommend it 🙂 hope that helps!

        Reply
    • Natalia
      21/12/2023

      hi!! i was wondering if i could use my hand mixer for the entire process? just to incorporate the ingredients on the last steps (specially the dry ingredients). i have made this cake 2 times now and it has turned out delicious, but i have a hard time on the last step. my batter ends up having a lot of clumps when i use a spatula (even though i make sure everything is incorporated, it still has clumps) and i worry that i could end up having clumps of flour in my cake. Hope you could help 🙂
      Reply
      • Cakes by MK
        23/12/2023

        Hi Natalia! 🙂 If using the hand mixer on the lowest speed, then I think you can get away with mixing it with the hand mixer at the end, just be sure not to overmix the batter 🙂 you could also hand mix the dry ingredients, and then use the hand mixer for a few seconds at the end on a low speed just to make sure everything is mixed well. Hope that helps! 🙂

        Reply
    • Muskaan
      14/12/2023

      5 stars
      Hi..can I make this cake eggless? If yes may I know what should I replace the eggs with to make this an eggless recipe?
      Reply
      • Cakes by MK
        19/12/2023

        Hi Muskaan! 🙂 I haven’t tried this recipe as an eggless version myself so I can’t recommend any substitutes at this stage sorry!

        Reply
    • Bimsara
      29/11/2023

      Hi! I tried your recipe it was amazing but it was a bit thin because I used an 9 inch cake tin. I want to make it again for Christmas is there a way to change the quantities in a way it would suit the 9 inch tins?
      Reply
      • Cakes by MK
        30/11/2023

        Hi Bimsara! So glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂 I would recommend making 1.5x the recipe for thicker 9 inch cake layers! Enjoy 🙂

        Reply
    • Kate
      26/11/2023

      My absolute favourite!
      My son is allergic to egg so I would be forever grateful for an eggless version 😀
      Reply
      • Cakes by MK
        30/11/2023

        So happy to hear you loved the recipe Kate! Will keep an eggless red velvet cake in mind for future videos 🙂

        Reply
    • Tersha
      15/11/2023

      Hi MK.
      Tried your recipe
      Wow
      I veganized it
      But now I need to make it gluten free too
      Can I do that wirh a 1 to 1 gf flour like Bob’s red mill?
      Reply
      • Cakes by MK
        16/11/2023

        Hi Tersha! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe 🙂 I haven’t tried a gluten free flour for this recipe myself, but I think if it’s a regular flour substitute it should work fine 🙂 you may just want to mix a little longer at the need to ensure everything is mixed well and the cake holds together once baked 🙂 would love to hear how you go if you try it out!

        Reply
      • Tersha
        23/11/2023

        Hi MK
        Love following You
        Bought the Gluten free flour
        Going to make it tomorrow
        It will be lactose free
        Eggs will be in this time since it’s not dairy for a gluten free person
        Everyone loved the vegan version
        I used flax instead of eggs 🥚
        Reply
        • Cakes by MK
          26/11/2023

          So happy to hear the vegan version was a success! Hope the gluten free version also turns out just as well Tersha! 😀

          Reply
    • Sarah
      09/11/2023

      Hi, I’d love to try this recipe out but we don’t have buttermilk in my country. Can I make a substitute version with milk and lime juice or vinegar? If so how much of milk and souring agent do I use?
      Reply
      • Cakes by MK
        10/11/2023

        Hi Sarah! 🙂 Check out this blog post for a homemade buttermilk substitute: https://cakesbymk.com/recipe/how-to-make-buttermilk/

        Reply
      • Felicia
        31/12/2023

        5 stars
        Hi MK! I made your red velvet recipe at home yesterday and when i cream the butter, oil and sugar, they did not rise at all, as if i just stir it with a spoon. Unlike your fluffy batter. But i continue to do the next step anyway. Any idea what did i do wrong? Aside from that, i still got the softest red velvet cake ever! Amazing recipe! Thanks a lot 💖
        Reply
    4.98 from 327 votes (215 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating





    About me

    Welcome to my blog! My name is Maryam and I LOVE baking! :) I hope to provide you with the tools (i.e. simple, from-scratch, quality tested recipes), so that you can confidently bake up delicious treats to share with your family and friends!

      Categories
      Tips & Tricks
      Specialty Desserts
      Single Layer Cakes
      Sheet Cakes
      Quick Desserts
      Quick Breads & Loaf Cakes