Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

4.98 from 47 votes

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This rich, moist red velvet cake has a hint of cocoa and deep rich red color. An oil-based cake baked from scratch using buttermilk with baking soda, making it extra light and airy. A simple and easy recipe frosted with a light and fluffy cream cheese frosting.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cakes, Red Velvet

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 578kcal

Author Veena Azmanov

Cost $10

Equipment

Ingredients

Cake

2 ½ cup All-purpose flour
2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
¾ cup Cooking oil
1 ½ cup Sugar
½ tsp Salt
3 Eggs
1 cup Buttermilk
1 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Vanilla extract
2 tbsp Red food color (or ¼ tsp food gel color)

Cream cheese frosting

8 oz Cream cheese 38% fat or more
4 oz Butter unsalted
4 cup Powdered sugar
2 tbsp Whipping cream or milk
½ tbsp Lemon juice
¼ tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla extract

Extra

½ cup Simple Syrup

Metric - US customary

Instructions

Cake

Pre-heat the oven to 160 C / 320 F
Grease and line 3 x 6-inch round cake pans or 2 x 7-inch- round cake pans
Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa powder - set aside
Whip eggs with a pinch of salt using a whisk attachment until light and foamy (see video)
Tips - whole eggs will not whip to stiff peaks but they do become light and foamy
Then gradually add the sugar one tbsp at a time. Once all the sugar is, in turn, the mixer to medium-high and whip until light and fluffy (ribbon stage)
Once eggs are whipped slowly add the buttermilk. Followed by the oil and vanilla extract
Lastly the red food color.
Gradually fold the flour mixture in three additions with a whisk to prevent lumps.
Pour into your prepared baking pans. Tap on the counter three times to remove air pockets.
Tip - I like to use cake strips to ensure my layer cakes bake flat.
Bake in a preheated oven on the center rack for 20 to 25 minutes or until the skewer inserted comes clean.
Cool in the baking pan for 5 minutes. Invert and cool on a wire rack completely before you decorate.

Cream cheese frosting

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream the cream cheese and butter to remove any lumps.
Add 2 tbsp of cream, salt, lemon juice, and vanilla extract– cream another minute
Next, add powdered sugar one cup at a time. Once all the powdered sugar has been used whip for 2 to 3 minutes on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
Tip - do not over whip cream cheese as it can separate or curdle.
Check consistency – if necessary add more powdered sugar to stiffen or more whipping cream to loosen it.

Assemble

Prepare simple syrup - cool completely before using.
Tip- Simple syrup is just sugar water that has been boiled and cooled. Used to keep cake layers moist.
Once cooled, use a bread knife or cake leveler and cut the domes off the cake layers
Brush each layer with the cooled simple syrup
Place a cake layer on the cake board or cake stand.
Top with a big dollop of buttercream - spread evenly using a straight-edge spatula.
Then top the second cake layer on top followed by more buttercream and the last layer.
Place the cake in the fridge to chill for 10 to 15 minutes.
Tip - Chilling the cake at this point will ensure the layers don't move when you frost the outside. Though, if you leave the cake uncovered in the fridge for too long it can dry out. So, 10 minutes is all you need.
Spread the remaining buttercream around and top of the cake.
Tip - A straight-edge spatula fo the top, an off-set spatula and bench scraper for the sides work better.
One smooth, place the remaining cream cheese frosting in a piping bag with a star or round and pipe borders on the top and bottom of the cake.
Alternatively, you can crumble the cake domes (scrap cake) into crumbs and use that around the cake on the bottom.

Video

Notes

Use fine grain or castor sugar when preparing cake batters so it creams and dissolves easily.
Grease and line the pans with parchment for easy release.
Keep cakes moist by brushing the layers with simple syrup - simple syrup is a mixture of sugar and water boiled until the sugar is dissolved.
Cool the cakes for a few hours before frosting or the frosting will melt on warm cakes.
Use cake strips to bake flat cakes.

Other pans suggestions

If you don’t want to make a layer cake like this. you can

If you want 3 x 8-inch cakes you will need 1 ½ times this recipe so change the serving size in the recipe to 12 and it will calculate the recipe for you.
Double this batter to make a 9 x 13 sheet cake.
You can also pour the batter into a well-greased and dusted 6 cups bundt pan for a red velvet bundt cake.
And these can also be baked into 12 beautiful red velvet cupcakes

Nutrition