Today I'm sharing a flavorful, moist Red Velvet Cake recipe from scratch that is truly the BEST!
Red Velvet Cakes have long been the dessert of choice for Christmas and Valentine's Day celebrations, and have been especially popular in the south, but in recent years Red Velvet Cakes have experienced an explosion in popularity!
We were determined to find the perfect red velvet cake recipe from scratch and I'm happy to say that after lots of experimenting and taste tests (I love a good taste test), we have found the one!
This layer cake is sure to please. Whether you are baking it for a birthday party, family gathering, or just because- you are going to love this tender red velvet cake which has just a hint of chocolate flavor.
This Red Velvet Cake recipe will give you a luscious cake that is ultra moist without being overly soft or crumbly, it has just the right amount of chocolate flavor.
The sour cream in the recipe not only adds a moist texture and tender crumb, but also makes it stable enough to withstand the weight of fondant, or a thick coat of tangy cream cheese frosting. (Yum!)
Cream cheese frosting
Just as with Carrot Cake, Hummingbird Cake, Italian cream cake, Red Velvet Cake is one of those good old fashioned southern cake recipes that pairs amazingly well with cream cheese frosting. It has a wonderfully soft texture and a tanginess that complements the cake perfectly.
Decorating the Cake
In the photo above, you can see that after applying a thin crumb coat with an offset spatula, we've piped a generous amount of our easy Cream Cheese Frosting with a 2D fat star tip. Simply start from the bottom and move the piping tip back and forth until reaching the top of the cake. Work row by row, all the way around.
I love this quick and easy technique but really, there's no wrong way to apply a delicious coat of cream cheese frosting!
If you are making this cake for a Christmas or winter gathering, you may like to make the simple white chocolate candy coating trees as in the photo above.
The Reverse Creaming Method of Mixing..
**This Recipe calls for the Reverse Creaming Method of Mixing, which yields a very moist and slightly denser cake. Many of our favorite cake recipes call for this method.
We explain the steps in our recipe below, but if you are unfamiliar with the Reverse Creaming Method, please watch our quick, free video tutorial: Reverse Creaming Method of Mixing.
***If you prefer the fluffier texture of the conventional method of mixing, click over to our Red Velvet Cupcake (and cake) Recipe!
How to Make Red Velvet Cake
**You can find the full printable cake recipe further down in this post. Here is a quick rundown of our steps!
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two round 8-inch cake pans. (I also like to line the bottom with parchment paper).
In a separate bowl, combine room temperature eggs, vanilla extract, red food coloring, full fat sour cream, vegetable oil, and milk. Whisk to blend and set bowl aside.
Next, add the dry ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and blend with the mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. (cake flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt).
Gradually add the slices of slightly softened unsalted butter to the flour mixture a few slices at a time while the mixer is on medium speed. Mix until the dry ingredients are moistened by the butter and take on a sandy texture.
With the mixer on low speed gradually add about half of the egg mixture increasing the speed to medium and mixing for 1 ½ minutes - the batter will be thick and fluffy. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the remaining egg mixture in two pourings, scraping the bowl and beating for 20 seconds after each addition .
Divide the cake batter between the two prepared cake pans.
Time to bake! Place in the oven for 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake layer comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pans for 10 minutes on a wire rack before turning out.
How to Make the Pretty Chocolate Trees on Top...
I love the these sweet chocolate cake decorations, and they are so simple to make with simple melted candy coating!
I love this decoration for winter cakes (whether Red Velvet or not)--Find our exactly how to make them in our quick step by step cake tutorial here: White Chocolate Candy Coating Trees.
Looking for a Doctored Cake Mix version of Red Velvet Cake?
*If you are looking for the best red velvet cake that starts with a cake mix, we have you covered! This moist, flavorful, and EASY Red Velvet Cake recipe (doctored mix) is a great option. It is moist, tender, with a mild chocolate flavor: Doctored Red Velvet Cake Recipe
*We also love this recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting. If you are a fan of peppermint, add a little extract (start with 1 tsp. and adjust to your liking from there) for peppermint cream cheese frosting! It's a great combination.
Red Velvet Cake Recipe- Traditional Method of Mixing Option (Great for Cupcakes!)
As we mentioned above, this Red Velvet Cake recipe calls for the Reverse Creaming Method of mixing which creates a slightly denser, velvety texture.
If you prefer the more traditional Conventional Method of Mixing, which yields cakes and cupcakes with a fluffier texture, hop over to our Red Velvet Cupcake (and cake) Recipe linked here!: Red Velvet Cupcakes!
Other Classic Cake Recipes to Try
We love go-to classic cake recipes. In addition to Red Velvet Cake, here are a few other classic cake recipes that belong on your "must-bake" list!
Red Velvet Cake from Scratch
We love this moist and delicious classic red velvet cake recipe! We love to pair it with cream cheese frosting!
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon (12 g) vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons (24 g) red liquid food coloring
- 1 cup (242 g) sour cream (full fat)
- ¼ cup (54g) vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup (73 g) milk
- 2 ½ cups (285g) cake flour
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 4 Tablespoons (19 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon ( 3g) salt
- 1 Tablespoon (15 g) baking powder
- 1 ½ sticks (12 T) (170 g) unsalted butter slightly softened (Do not soften in microwave). I cut the butter into ¼ inch slices onto waxed paper so it will soften quickly
Instructions
- {*This recipe uses the Reverse Creaming Method.}
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8 x 2 inch pans.
- In a separate bowl, combine eggs, vanilla, red food coloring, sour cream, veg. oil, and milk. Whisk to blend and set bowl aside.
- Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and blend with the mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds until the dry ingredients are well blended.
- Slowly add the slices of butter a few at a time while the mixer is on medium speed. Mix until the dry ingredients are moistened by the butter. It will look like coarse sand, and all the dry ingredients will be moistened by the butter. If you pinch some of the mixture between your fingers, it will stick together. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Method is important when using the Reverse Creaming Method. With the mixer on low speed SLOWLY add approximately ½ of the egg mixture increasing the speed to medium and mixing for 1 ½ minutes - the batter will be thick and fluffy. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl. Add the remaining egg mixture in 2 pourings, scraping the bowl and beating for 20 seconds after each addition .
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pans 10 minutes then turn out.
Makes 7 cups cake batter
If you love all things red velvet, you'll LOVE our Red Velvet Marble Pound Cake! This is an easy-to-make, ultra moist pound cake recipe that is sure to bring rave reviews!
The slices are so beautiful with their swirls of red, and around the holidays, we love to add a simple peppermint glaze. This one's a keeper!
Thanks so much for stopping by! We hope that our FAVORITE Red Velvet Cake recipe becomes your favorite as well! If you give it a try, please leave a note or photo in our comments below. We would love to hear what you think!
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Thanks so much, Hema! So glad that you liked the recipe!
Just made cupcakes using this recipe and they turned out perfect! Made one addition to the recipe, added mini chocolate chips. Thanks so much for this delicious recipe!
Hi Nancy, Thanks so much for posting your thought on the recipe. I am so happy you liked the cupcakes.
Hello! Would this recipe be OK to use Gluten Free flour?
Hi Mary, I'm sorry but I have not tried it with gluten free flour so I am not sure of the outcome. Let us know if you give it a try.
The absolute best RV cake I’ve ever eaten. It was even better the second day. Incredibly moist. I used almond oil and Ghirardelli’s cocoa. Made 1/2 of the recipe and a 8” square pan because it’s only me. 1/4 of the cream cheese frosting recipe was the perfect amount to ice the top. Best from scratch cake I’ve ever baked.
Hi Diane! Thank you so much for your review of the recipe. We are so glad that you enjoyed it! xo
Can I use all propuse flour and cornstarch instead of cake flour?
Hi Magda, that should be fine to use the substitution!
hi just wondering if I can use gel red food coloring
Hi Joyce, We have only used liquid red for this recipe so I'm not sure how to substitute gel coloring, you may be able
to find that info online.