Red Velvet Cake!
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This striking classic red velvet cake features a wonderfully light, cocoa-kissed sponge layer perfectly balanced by a thick, velvety cream cheese frosting. Requiring 20 minutes of active prep, 30 minutes of baking time, and a 3.5-hour chill, this recipe creates a beautiful 12-slice showstopper that masters the perfect red velvet crumb.
Notes from The Patisserie
The vibrant crimson of a modern red velvet cake is a beautiful marvel of baking chemistry. Historically, the reddish tint came from a natural reaction between the cocoa powder and acidic ingredients like buttermilk and vinegar, which activates the red in the cocoa.
Today’s cocoa powders are heavily alkalised to reduce acidity, which neutralises this reaction and leaves the cake a dark brown. To achieve that signature, show stopping bright red, you must rely on high-quality gel colourings rather than standard liquid supermarket bottles, which contain too much water and fade under oven heat.
The red velvet texture
The word “velvet” isn’t just a marketing term; it describes the incredibly fine, tight, and soft crumb structure of the cake. This unique texture is triggered by a quick-acting chemical reaction between the ingredients:
- Butter – I use unsalted butter at room temperature
- Sugar – caster sugar provides a finer granule of sugar to create that fine crumb
- Eggs – as usual I use medium eggs unless stated otherwise
- Cocoa powder – high quality cocoa powder is the difference in flavour and texture
- Red colouring – I use high quality food gel, a little goes a long way!
- Vanilla – I use vanilla extract for that classic flavour profile
- Buttermilk – the acidic profile works with the akalines creating bubbles in the batter
- Flour – plain flour works well here as we are creating a rising reaction elsewhere
- Bicarbonate of soda – this is the main akaline being utilised to react with the buttermilk
- Vinegar – I use white wine vinegar to act as another acid to work with the bicarb
When the acidic buttermilk and white wine vinegar hit the alkaline bicarbonate of soda, they instantly react to release carbon dioxide bubbles. This reaction causes the batter to expand rapidly in the oven, lifting the heavy flour and creating a crumb that is light, brilliantly tender, and uniquely melt-in-the-mouth.
Delicious cream cheese frosting
The cake has a delicious mix of the flavours of chocolate and vanilla, which is utter heaven to me. The cream cheese frosting on top is sweet, delicious, and marries with the cake perfectly – but cream cheese frosting can always be a liiiittle bit runny in comparison to others, thats its nature, however, as long as you don’t over beat it too much, it’ll be lovely and delicious.
I love this cake so so so much, so I really hope you guys do too. For the cream cheese frosting, you have to make sure that your cream cheese has no extra excess liquid, and try not to over mix the mixture. Also, room temperature butter is important so there is no lumps. Take a look at this blog post for a whole post dedicated to cream cheese frosting.
FAQs
No, liquid colourings contain too much water and will alter the chemistry of the batter, resulting in a dull, brownish cake with an unpleasantly bitter taste.
Alternating between the dry flour and liquid buttermilk prevents the fat in the creamed butter mixture from separating, ensuring a completely smooth, emulsified batter.
Don’t panic; cream cheese frosting often goes through an unappealing lumpy stage, so simply keep beating it for a few minutes and the lumps will smooth out perfectly.
No, baking powder does not have the same intense alkaline strength needed to react with the vinegar and buttermilk to create the classic velvet crumb.
Red Velvet Cake!
Ingredients
Cake
- 125 g unsalted butter
- 300 g caster sugar
- 3 medium eggs
- 30 g cocoa powder
- 1 heaped tsp red food colouring
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 250 ml buttermilk
- 300 g plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 150 g unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 150 g icing sugar
- 300 g full fat cream cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat your oven to 170ºc/150ºc fan and line/grease two 8" cake tins – leave to the side for now.
- Beat together the unsalted butter and caster sugar in a stand mixer until smooth and fluffy like you would a normal cake, and then gradually beat in the egg so that it doesn't curdle (if it doesn't curdle, beat in a little flour to bring it back)
- In a small bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, Sugarflair red extra food colouring, and vanilla extract to a thick dark paste (if it is struggling to become a paste, then add in a little milk to make it runnier and mix better – it needs to be smooth!) – it may take a couple of minutes but this will make it easier to add to the rest of the mixture if you do it this way – and the sponge will be more red!
- Add this mixture to the unsalted butter and caster sugar mixture and beat until combined and evenly coloured.
- Turn the speed down to slow, and pour in half of the buttermilk.
- Add in half of the plain flour and beat again, and then the other half of the buttermilk & beat, and then the other half of the flour & beat (I realise this is faffy, but it works!).
- Beat in the bicarbonate of soda and white wine vinegar.
- Beat again for a couple of minutes until everything is smooth and incorporated well.
- Separate into the two tins and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the middle of the cake comes out clean when poked with a skewer!
- Once the cakes are baked, leave to cool fully on a wire rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Make sure your unsalted butter is at room temperature. I leave mine out overnight when it's cold weather, but in the hotter months this can take as little as 30 minutes!
- Beat your butter on it's own for a few minutes to loosen it.
- Add in the icing sugar, and beat again – I beat this for about 5 minutes, to make it really smooth.
- Make sure your cream cheese doesn't have any excess water – I find it best to add it to a bowl first just to make sure.
- Add in the cream cheese, vanilla and beat. At first, it may look a little weird, but just keep on beating.
- I end up beating it for a few minutes – it can go through a lumpy stage first, but eventually the lumps beat out and it's smooth and thick!
- Once beaten – it should be lovely and thick.
- Pipe/spread 1/2 of the frosting onto the top of one sponge.
- Add the other sponge on top, then pipe/spread the other half of the frosting onto the top and decorate with sponge crumbs if you fancy!
Notes
- This cake will last in the fridge for up to 3 days, covered, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months!
- I use these 8″ Cake Tins
- I use this red food colouring
- I use this Vanilla extract
- I use this Medium 2D Closed Star Piping Tip
- If you would like the original cream cheese frosting recipe it is:
- 125g room temperature unsalted butter, 280g full fat cream cheese, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 400-600g icing sugar.
- Beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth, and add the vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the icing sugar until thick and delicious.
Storage and freezing
Because of the high dairy content in the cream cheese frosting, I keep the cake covered and stored in the refrigerator, where it will stay wonderfully moist and delicious for up to 3 days. If you want to prepare this dessert well in advance, the un-iced sponge layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic cling film and frozen for up to 3 months. Simply thaw them completely at room temperature before whipping up your fresh frosting and assembling.
Related recipes
Red velvet cake is one of those ‘in things’ that all coffee shops will sell at some point, and the recipe that everyone wants to have and use, but its one of the most inconsistent cakes to make at home that I have come across. I use this as a base for all things red velvet – red velvet NYC cookies, red velvet brownies, red velvet loaf cake and red velvet cupcakes… the list goes on.
Hi Jane, I want to make this cake tomorrow but with 7inch tins and 3 layers. If I do 1.5 of the mix will that be okay? Thanks! Love ur recipes🥰
Hiya! Yeah I’m sure that would work x
Did you use sandwich tins for this? Or deep cake tins?
Hiya! I use deep 8″ cake tins. Hope this helps! x
Hi Jane,
Thanks for this recipe! If i wanted to make a 3 layer 4inch cake, how should I scale the recipe?
Ooh gosh I am not sure! That is a very small cake!
Hi Jane
I have been asked to make this cake as a gluten free version – would I simply swap the plain flour for a gluten free plain flour?
Thanks
That should be fine yes! x
Hello
Can this recipe be used in 2×6″. I want to double the recipe to make a 4 layer 6″ would that work?
It would probably be too much for a 6″ cake, as its designed for an 8″ (which is about 1/3 bigger!). I would suggest using just another half rather than doubling x
Hi Jane
Can i use this recipe in 2 x 6″ to create 4 layer cake? Or should i double your recipe.
Thanks
Thanks so much for this recipe and the detailed instructions- this recipe worked a treat and the cake is delicious! I only had regular Sainsbury’s food colouring so used 3 teaspoons and it worked great! I really struggled to make the paste though – is it ok to use a good bit of milk? I used regular milk but should it have been buttermilk? And finally, does it matter if it’s salted or unsalted block butter – is one better than the other for cakes generally? Thanks so much x
I always use unsalted butter when baking personally – and if you struggle to make a paste that’s okay, if you have a good mixer you can add it in! I use the buttermilk for the paste bit x
Hi,
Thanks for all the recipes I love them!
I was wondering if it is possible to use Christmas red food colouring instead of red extra?
TIA x
yes that should work! Just might need a little more x
I love all your recipes and want to try this one for my birthday. I know you have had loads of comments saying the same but I want to make 3 layers but do you recommend making the batch as normal and then a half one to make the third layer or just put 1.5x all ingredients in a batch together? I’m just worried about overmixing xx
You would be able to make the 1.5x in one batch! Xx
Hi Jane,
I have loved all of your recipes that I have baked so far. Never made a red velvet cake before, can I use vanilla American buttercream with this instead of the frosting or does it not go so well?
Thank you x
Oh yes you definitely can! Buttercream lasts much longer and you don’t have to refrigerate the cake x
Thank you xx
Hey Jane,
I tried making this cake last week & used the extra red food colouring suggested. However, it was more of a burgundy colour than a bright red like yours. Do you have any tips? X
It might have been a bit less than I used, or you used a bit more cocoa powder so it darkened it slightly!
Would more food colouring work?
Likely, yes!! x
Would it help if I used more food colouring?
Likely, yes!! x
Hi Jane love your blog!! I’m going to make this for my sisters birthday does it matter what type of butter to use? which is the butter you use? thank you 🙂
For the cake you can use block butter or spread, for the topping you need to use block butter x
Hi, I’ve been asked to make this for a friend for her birthday. How many days will this cake last? Also, can I use cream cheese frosting round the sides or do I need to use buttercream and cream cheese frosting in middle?
Hiya! This will last for around 3 days covered in the fridge, and you can absolutely use cream cheese frosting for the entire cake! Enjoy! x
Hi Jane I’m making this tomorrow for my mums birthday and I only have baking powder not bicarbonate soda will this still work?
Unfortunately not – the bicarb reacts with the vinegar and baking powder doesn’t work the same x