Best Red Velvet Cake with Italian Meringue Buttercream
This is the best red velvet cake EVER.
Moist, light and fluffy with a hint of cocoa. A simple butter-based recipe that's surprisingly easy to mix from scratch. Perfect to use for tiered wedding cakes, novelty cakes or any celebration cake. Today I have used a meringue buttercream frosting but try the classic cream cheese too.
This week I had three red velvet cake orders. Was weird because they were all from different people. Weird because I've not had a red velvet order in over a year and then suddenly three in the same week. That is weird, right? Is there a red velvet week?
- One cake was a 30th birthday celebration and she asked to add a touch more chocolate so I actually frosted that with chocolate ganache. Have you ever had red velvet with chocolate? I tasted it for the first time. She said she loved it.
- The second was for a grandmother and she wanted a red velvet with no added vinegar. Of course, I made her my moist red velvet cake which is oil-based and does not have any vinegar.
- The third said she wanted this classic red velvet but with a Meringue buttercream. So, I made her this red velvet with Italian Meringue Buttercream. I thought I'll share that recipe with you so I made a little one (small cake for home) to share the recipe with you.
The kids were excited about the red velvet fiesta so I also made a few of my red velvet cupcakes this week for the kids. So in all, we had a red velvet kinda week.
About this Red Velvet Cake
This is a deliciously light and airy cake. Not to be mistaken for classic chocolate or vanilla cake dyed in red. The vinegar added just before baking combines with the leavening in the cake batter bubbling to make a lighter and fluffy cake texture. The resulting cake ends up being so light you can enjoy it on its own without frosting.
Frost it with cream cheese frosting for a light and indulgent dessert or dress it as I have with meringue buttercream. I have used Italian meringue buttercream today but Swiss meringue would work just as well. But you can also check out my 30 plus homemade buttercream frosting recipes
Do you remember this cake tutorial with the Brush embroidery lace? This is also this cake recipe but with Swiss Meringue Buttercream and the progress, pictures below are from this cake.
Useful Tips and Tools
- If you bake often, it would be a good idea to invest in a cake mixer. Because often we try to mix by hand and then we are too tired to give it enough creaming or mixing. So, if you are making this cake go ahead and remove that K-Mix or Kitchen Aid from your kitchen cabinet. You don't have to buy an expensive stand mixer, a simple hand mixer works great too.
- I believe in weighing ingredients by weight, which makes my kitchen scale one of the most valuable items when baking.
- The same goes for my measuring cups and measuring spoons. It's always a good idea to have these handy and use them when baking rather than trying to guess measurements.
- I think one set of baking pans is a must for anyone a home baker. I like to bake three layers rather than torte my cakes and it bakes faster too. For most of my layer cake recipes on this blog, I use 3 x 6-inch round pans
- Once baked always invert your cakes on a cooling rack. This encourages air circulation and prevents the steam from pooling at the bottom of the pan.
- Every oven works differently. So the baking times are just guidelines. In the case of cakes, a skewer inserted in the center is a great indication. If the cake bakes too quick or too slow compared to the time given it might be a good idea to check if your oven needs calibration. An oven thermometer is a great little gadget to help keep the oven temperature in check. All you need to do then is adjust the temperature accordingly
Ingredients and substitutes (Save/Pin)
- Butter - I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can control the quantity of sugar in my recipe but if salted butter is all you gave go ahead and use it. Just omit salt in the recipe.
- Eggs - Always use large size eggs when baking unless specified. The size of eggs varies significantly these days so as a guide on large eggs weighs between 50 to 60 grams
- All-purpose flour - yes, regular plain flour (maida) is all you need for this cake and it does make the cake incredibly moist with a soft crumb. Do not use any self-raising as those contain more leavening.
- Cocoa Powder - The cocoa powder in a red velvet enhances and deepens the color of the red with just hint of flavor. I used regular unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
- Buttermilk - keeps the cake moist with a soft crumb. If you don't have buttermilk, you can make buttermilk at home in just 5 minutes - here's my tutorial for homemade buttermilk.
- Vanilla Extract - always use a good quality vanilla extract. I know it's expensive which is why I make my own vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste as well as vanilla sugar.
Food coloring for red velvet cakes?
The food color is what makes a RV cake red. So yes, you do need some good red food coloring. I like to use gel food colors diluted with water because they are more concentrated and give that rich shade of red.
If you want to use natural food coloring just substitute the red color with approximately 1 tsp beet powder
How to make the BEST Red Velvet Cake with IMBC (Save/Pin)
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 160 °C/ 320 °F
- Grease and line two 6-inch baking pans with parchment paper
- Melt butter - aside to cool.
- To prepare red food color - combine the gel color with the water - set aside
- Sift together - flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt - set aside
- Whip the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Slowly add melted and cooled butter into the eggs.
- Next, add buttermilk.
- Followed by the prepared red food color and vanilla
- Lastly, add the flour mixture.
- Mix until just combine - but do not overmix.
- Make sure the oven is hot and the baking pans are ready
- Add vinegar to the batter.
- Once you add the vinegar the mixture will start to bubble.
- Divide batter evenly between the prepared baking pans.
- Place in the middle rack in the oven.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes invert onto a baking rack.
- Let cool completely before you decorate.
Frosting - IMBC
- Watch a video - how I make my Italian Meringue Buttercream (IMBC)
- Separate the egg whites from egg yolks making sure no egg yolks gets into the whites
- Cut the butter into cubes.
- Heat sugar and water over medium heat.
- Place a candy thermometer inside.
- Continue to boil until the sugar syrup reaches about 238 F on the candy thermometer (softball stage). This takes about 5 to 7 minutes on medium heat.
- Place egg whites, salt and cream of tartar in a mixer bowl on medium speed.
- After 2 minutes, your meringue should be at soft peak consistency.
- Turn the mixer with the meringue to medium. Start pouring the hot sugar syrup into the mixer bowl with the mixer on medium speed. The sugar should stream between the whisk and the edge of the bowl.
- Once all the syrup is in. Turn the mixer on high and whisk for about 3 minutes.
- Continue to let the mixer run on low until the bowl feels cold to the touch.
- Add in the butter - one cube at a time.
- Once all the butter is in whip the mixture for another minute or two until you have a smooth and satin-like buttercream that light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla and combine well.
Assemble
- Once cooled - cut off any dome on the cake to level them
- Torte/cut each layer of cake into two horizontally so you have four layers. (watch how to level, torte, fill, and frost a cake like a pro).
- Spread buttercream and sandwich the three layers
- Crumb coats or spread a little buttercream around the cake. (this helps seal the crumbs)
- Chill the cake if necessary for 10 to 15 minutes so the layers won't move.
- Add pink gel food color to the half of the remaining buttercream
- Put both colors of buttercream in a piping bag with a star piping tip nozzle
- Pipe swirls around the cake. These swirls are exactly what you would do on a cupcake just smaller and on the side and top of the cake.
Storage
- The cake will stay fresh for up to four days at cool room temperature, longer if kept in the fridge.
- It can be frozen for a month or more.
read - 10 Tips to baking a cake from scratch
Best Red Velvet Cake with Italian Meringue Buttercream
Print Pin RateDescription
Ingredients
For the cake
- 4 oz (113 g) Butter (1 stick) unsalted, room temperature
- 1 ½ cup (190 g) All-purpose flour
- 2 tsp Cocoa Powder
- 1 tsp ( ) Baking powder
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Vinegar
- 2 Eggs large
- 1 cup (200 g) White Sugar
- ½ cup (120 ml) Buttermilk
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 tbsp Water
- 2 tsp red food color or ½ tsp red gel food color
For the filling and frosting
- ½ cup (100 grams) Sugar
- 3 tbsp Water
- 3 (90 g) Egg whites 3 oz
- ⅛ tsp Cream of tartar just a pinch
- ⅛ tsp Salt just a pinch
- 8 oz (226 g) Butter (2 sticks) unsalted, room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Extra
- ½ cup (120 ml) Sugar Syrup
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 160 °C/ 320 °F
- Grease and line two 6-inch baking pans with parchment paper
- Melt butter - aside to cool.
- To prepare red food color - combine the gel color with the water - set aside
- Sift together - flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt - set aside
- Whip the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Slowly add melted and cooled butter into the eggs.
- Next, add the buttermilk.
- Followed by the prepared red food color and vanilla
- Lastly, add the flour mixture.
- Mix until just combine - but do not overmix.
- Make sure the oven is hot and the baking pans are ready
- Add vinegar to the batter.
- Once you add the vinegar the mixture will start to bubble.
- Divide batter evenly between the prepared baking pans.
- Place in the middle rack in the oven.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes invert onto a baking rack.
- Let cool completely before you decorate.
IMBC
- Watch a video - how I make my Italian Meringue Buttercream (IMBC)
- Separate the egg whites from egg yolks making sure no egg yolks gets into the whites
- Cut the butter into cubes.
- Heat sugar and water over medium heat.
- Place a candy thermometer inside.
- Continue to boil until the sugar syrup reaches about 238 F on the candy thermometer (softball stage). This takes about 5 to 7 minutes on medium heat.
- Place egg whites, salt and cream of tartar in a mixer bowl on medium speed.
- After 2 minutes, your meringue should be at soft peak consistency.
- Turn the mixer with the meringue to medium. Start pouring the hot sugar syrup into the mixer bowl with the mixer on medium speed. The sugar should stream between the whisk and the edge of the bowl.
- Once all the syrup is in. Turn the mixer on high and whisk for about 3 minutes.
- Continue to let the mixer run on low until the bowl feels cold to the touch.
- Add in the butter - one cube at a time.
- Once all the butter is in whip the mixture for another minute or two until you have a smooth and satin-like buttercream that light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla and combine well.
Assemble
- Once cooled - cut off any dome on the cake to level them
- Torte/cut each layer of cake into two horizontally so you have four layers. (watch how to level, torte, fill, and frost a cake like a pro).
- Spread buttercream and sandwich the three layers
- Crumb coats or spread a little buttercream around the cake. (this helps seal the crumbs)
- Chill the cake if necessary for 10 to 15 minutes so the layers won't move.
- Add pink gel food color to the half of the remaining buttercream
- Put both colors of buttercream in a piping bag with a star piping tip nozzle
- Pipe swirls around the cake. These swirls are exactly what you would do on a cupcake just smaller and on the side and top of the cake.
Equipment
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Frequently asked questions
This red velvet cake will stay fresh for up to four days at cool room temperature, longer if kept in the fridge. It can be frozen for a month or more.
Well, a chocolate cake is made with cocoa powder or chocolate and taste like chocolate.
The cocoa powder added to red velvet is very little often a tablespoon or so and that's not for taste but to deepen the red food color in the cake.
Actually neither. A red velvet cake is a recipe on its own made with buttermilk, sometimes vinegar which creates a reaction with the baking soda added just before baking.
Besides, a chocolate cake has more chocolate than red velvet but a vanilla cake had no cocoa at all. So it's neither chocolate nor a vanilla based cake.
No, this recipe works better with butter. However, I do have an oil-based red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting that I highly recommend you try.
Absolutely, if you don't mind the added chocolate flavor from the extra cocoa powder. Also, note that the color will be a deeper red sometimes even burgundy rather than bright red.
Yes, if stored properly this cake can be frozen for up to 4 months in the freezer
First, wrap each layer well in plastic wrap,
Then wrap each layer in parchment paper followed by aluminum foil.
Place one or two layers in each ziplock bag.
The aluminum foil prevents freezer burns and other food smells from getting into the cake. The parchment keeps condensation on the paper rather than the cake when thawing.
Yes, both my red velvet cakes works perfectly with fondant. This as well as my oil-based red velvet cake
Yes, both my red velvet cakes can be used in tiered wedding cakes. This as well as my oil-based red velvet cake
Absolutely, a butter-based cake works best for sculpted cakes.
Yes, this recipe will make about 15 cupcakes. I do have a recipe for red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting that I highly recommend
Can I use another frosting for this cake instead of Italian Meringue buttercream?
If you do not want to use Italian meringue try Swiss meringue or a classic cream cheese frosting. My favorite is my no-butter cream cheese frosting, it is a bit softer but very delicious.
You know I love frosting so I have lots of options for you to try. Check out my 30 plus homemade buttercream frosting recipes
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