I first made this cake in 2012 as my sister’s wedding cake; red velvet was (is?) my brother-in-law’s favorite cake flavor. I tested a few different recipes and adapted this one from Magnolia Bakery Red Velvet Cake. I recently made a cupcake version of this recipe as part of the awesome “Nerd Wedding” for my friend; these were Legend of Zelda, “Heart Container” cupcakes decorated with red sprinkles and a red colored, white chocolate, pixelated video game heart. This cake recipe is relatively easy to make and quite stunning. I’ve included directions for baking the cake and cupcakes. Make sure to read the directions a few times and have ingredients measured and prepped before you start mixing the batter. Velvety light chocolate cake frosted with light whipped cream cheese frosting.
Tips & Tricks: Stirring in the flour mixture and buttermilk produces a light and fluffy cake, whereas, using the beaters will make a very dense cake; do as you wish. Red gel food coloring works much better than liquid food coloring, which will effect the consistency of the batter.
Red Velvet Cake
1-9″, 2-layer cake OR ~30 cupcakes
Cake Ingredients
3 ½ cups cake flour
1 ½ sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature
2 ¼ cups sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons red gel food coloring
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons alt
1 ½ cups buttermilk, well-shaken
1 ½ teaspoons cider vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
punch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
Cake Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter, flour and line 2-9″ cake pans with parchment paper. If baking cupcakes, line 30 cupcake tins.
- In a medium bowl sift together the cake flour and cocoa powder. Set aside.
- Using a hand held mixture and a large bowl, cream together the sugar and the butter until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Beat in vanilla and then the red gel food coloring.
- Combine the buttermilk and salt in a measuring cup.
- Using a spatula, stir in the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk mixture. DO NOT use beaters, as this will make a very dense cake. Stirring makes the cake light and fluffy.
- In a small bowl combine the baking soda and cider vinegar and watch it bubble. Stir the mixture into the batter.
- Distribute the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and bake in the pre-heated oven for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. OR scoop the batter into the cupcake tins and bake in the pre-heated oven for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pans for about 15 minutes, turn out and cool completely on a baking rack. If baking cupcakes, remove them from the tins and cool on a baking rack. While the cake/cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting.
Frosting Directions
- In a medium sized bowl, beat the room temperature cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla together until smooth.
- In a second medium sized bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks.
- Gently fold ⅓ of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until combined. Repeat with another ⅓ and then the final ⅓.
Cake & Cupcake Assembly
- Place one of the cooled cakes on the center of a cake plate/stand. Spread about ⅓ of the frosting on the cake.
- Place the second cake on top of the frosted cake. Spread the remaining frosting on the top and sides of the cake. Or you can frost it like a naked cake, and just spread frosting between the cake layers and on the top of the cake.
- For the cupcakes, fill a piping bag, fitted with a 1M or large round tip and pipe frosting on to each cupcake.
- Decorate with sprinkles, red colored white chocolate hearts or anything you want!
