Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This is my forever favorite red velvet cake recipe. I published it on my blog a few years ago and decided it’s time for clearer recipe instructions and a video tutorial. Many of you love this recipe too, so let’s roll up our sleeves and rev up our mixers!

Red velvet cake is the queen of all layer cakes. The “I can’t quite put my finger on the flavor” cake. It’s the sweet marriage of buttermilk and vanilla with a little cocoa for good measure. She’s tall, dramatic, and completely covered in silky cream cheese frosting. This is my best red velvet cake.

This cake is one of my favorite cakes and it’s perfect for the holidays because its color is so vibrant and festive. Valentines, Christmas, July 4th and birthdays are always a good reason to make red velvet cake!

And this isn’t just any red velvet cake. This is thee red velvet cake you need in your recipe box!! This is my version that I’ve tested and re-tested and tweaked and perfected. Everyone always loves it and I think you’ll find it to be the the best out there too!

What Does Red Velvet Cake Taste Like?
There are a few things that give Red Velvet cake it’s own unique flavor:

It’s lightly tangy from the buttermilk and vinegar.
Slightly chocolatey thanks to the cocoa.
You get delicious background notes of vanilla flavor to compliment everything.
It’s perfectly sweet.
My version is deliciously buttery. Many red velvet cakes are oil based but butter is so much better!
There’s also a faint, traditional flavor from the red color.
And the luscious cream cheese frosting just perfectly highlights it all.

Ingredients
FOR THE RED VELVET CAKE LAYERS

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk*
• 1 cup oil
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tablespoon red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese (the kind in a brick)
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• juice of half a lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions
TO MAKE THE RED VELVET CAKE:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, mist three 6-inch diameter cake pans** with non-stick spray, and line with circles cut from parchment paper.
2. Place the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Place the buttermilk, oil, egg whites, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in a large measuring cup, and stir together.
4. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry, and stir together until smooth (about 90 seconds to 2 minutes).
5. Divide the batter equally between the three prepared pans.
6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
7. Cool completely, then fill and frost with cream cheese frosting.

TO MAKE THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

1. Place the butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl, and beat until smooth.
2. Add the powdered sugar, and mix until incorporated.
3. Stir in the vanilla, lemon juice, and salt, then turn the mixer up to medium high speed and whip until fluffy.

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