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.
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!
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).
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.
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.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Soft Red Velvet Cake
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: 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
- 1 batch of my cream cheese buttercream frosting recipe - see note 4 if piping rosettes around the cake like I have
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
Notes
Nutrition
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.
715 Comments
Hi, I tried the recipe, the frosting was great but the cakes turned out to be dry and hard. Any idea why???
Hi there! 🙂 Oh no sorry to hear the cake didn’t quite work out for you! It could be due to to a few reasons. Firstly, check that the amount of each ingredient was measured correctly, particularly the flour (it’s best to use the gram measurements and weigh the ingredients for accuracy). Also the cake layers sound like they may have been overbaked so just double check the oven temperature and setting. Some ovens run hotter than others so you may need to reduce your oven temperature by an extra 10 degrees or so. Hope these tips help!
the nicest red velvet cake recipe I’ve come across, so easy to make with a great outcome.
So so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Obiageli 😀
Hi Mk,
This is the best red velvet I’ve made so far. I have also tried your old red velvet recipe and it was equally good. But I’ve noticed both cakes sinks in the middle, any idea why? I usually bake it at 170 C top and bottom setting. I also tried baking in 160 C fan and had the same issue. None of my other cakes have had this issue, so I’m baffled as to why this happens to this one. Because I so love the flavour and texture of this cake, I kept on trying with different temperatures but no luck so far. I still can level it with frosting when I serve but I quite like a flat top. Please let me know your suggestions as well, thank you.
Hi Rinu! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe :D. When it comes to the sinking in the middle, it could be a few things. Firstly, try folding the cake batter for a little longer next time. Because the batter is quite delicate, it may be that not enough of the structure was formed and so a little more mixing is required. Secondly, once the cakes are placed in the oven, don’t open the oven door until the cooking time has finished, and then check it. Lastly, try increasing the oven temperature by 5-10 degrees Celsius as the cake may be just baking a little too slow. Hopefully these tips help for next time 😀
I absolutely loved this cake! I’ve never been fond of red velvet cake because all the ones I’ve tried have a dry and artificial taste to them that I don’t like. This one is moist, DELICIOUS, so beautiful to look at & the cream cheese frosting is DIVINE!!! So happy to add it to my repertoire! Thank you MK🤗😍😘
That makes me beyond happy to hear Catherine :D. You’re very welcome, so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Thanks so much ma’am for this,much love
You’re so welcome! Enjoy 🙂
Can this recipe be used for cake pops without icing ?
Hi Nashana! I’ve never made cake pops with this recipe before but I don’t see why you couldn’t 🙂
Hi, I read somewhere that most people use a simple sugar syrup on their cakes to lock in the moisture. Does this need that too?
Hi RaeLynn! If you’re eating the cake within a day or two, then this cake doesn’t need simple syrup, however if you’re decorating a cake and it may be eaten 2 or 3 days after the cake has been made, then yes you can add simple syrup to lock in moisture 🙂
What is the replacement of eggs
Hi Priyasha! Unfortunately I haven’t tested an egg substitute for this recipe sorry but hope to have an eggless red velvet cake out soon 🙂
I used to have a great red velvet cake recipe that I loved but after trying this, I’ve been converted to this recipe! My cake was perfectly moist and delicious!! The frosting was just the right combination of sweet and salty! Everyone in my family loved it and they all agreed that this recipe was even more delicious than my other tried and tested one. Thank you so much for sharing this🤗
Hello Ambreen! So so happy to hear that you loved both the cake and frosting 😀 I’m honored that it’s replaced your old recipe! Thanks so much for the feedback 🙂
This recipe is by far the best I have tried so far and the only one I will use from now on. I used cake flour and it is super moist, soft and delicious. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!
Yay! You’re so welcome, so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe 😀