Red Velvet Layer Cake

Red velvet cake…it has eluded me for so long!! You’ve been asking me to share my favorite red velvet layer cake recipe, and I’ve wanted to. I wasn’t procrastinating, I just hadn’t made a red velvet cake I was truly happy with.

I wanted moist, spongy, tender cake layers, sandwiched between generous layers of cream cheese frosting. So, I continued my red velvet experiments.

I tried tons of different recipes to see what ratios I preferred, played around with the amount of leavening agents, and went through 4 iterations of recipe testing.

And here we have it. A delicious, 6-inch red velvet cake recipe that is super moist and has a delicate, tender crumb.

Oil Vs. Butter, or Oil & Butter?

While most of my cake recipes use butter as the fat, this recipe uses oil.

Butter adds a lot of flavor to a cake, but oil adds a lot of moisture. Not to say that a butter cake is dry, but the texture is denser than a cake recipe made with oil.

Oil gives the cake a fluffier texture. While I love a good butter cake, that’s not the texture I associate with a red velvet cake. That’s why this cake recipe uses only oil.

Red Food Coloring

When you make a red velvet cake, you expect it to have that gorgeous, deep red color when you cut it. I’ve found that it’s a lot easier to achieve that result using gel food coloring.

I prefer Americolor or Chefmaster, but any gel food coloring should work! If you don’t have gel food coloring on hand, you can also use liquid food coloring.

I’ve found that you need to use an entire bottle of liquid food coloring to get the deep red color, so be sure you have a full bottle if you go this route.

The Cream Cheese Frosting

This red velvet cake recipe would taste great with just about any frosting, but I wanted to stick with the classic combination of cream cheese frosting and red velvet cake.

My cream cheese buttercream is a dream to frost with. It’s thick, has great structure, and pipes like a dream. It’s wonderful on layer cakes because it is stiff enough to support the weight of the cake layers.

This cream cheese frosting recipe is also stiff enough to pipe a beautiful border around the top of the cake, which is exactly what I did for this cake!

Decorating This Red Velvet Layer Cake

While I love making challenging cake designs, sometimes it’s nice to just make a classic layer cake. I kept things simple with this cake and used crumbled cake tops to decorate the sides of the cake.

This cake decoration screams red velvet! It’s also super easy to make and gives the cake such a classic look.

Substitutions & Swaps in This Red Velvet Cake Recipe

This recipe uses quite a few ingredients, and I know you might not have them all on hand. Or if you have food allergies or restrictions, I’ve got you covered.

Below are some swaps and substitutions that you can make.

• Vegetable Oil – Any flavorless oil can be used in this recipe. Canola, vegetable, or even sunflower oil would all work great. I don’t recommend olive oil, though, as it has a strong flavor and will change the taste of the cake.
• Buttermilk – You can also use full-fat yogurt, sour cream, whole milk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat).
• Large Eggs – This recipe uses large eggs. If you have an egg allergy, you can try using a vegan egg replacer, but the texture will be a bit different.
• Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of the cake layers.
• All-Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with all-purpose flour. However, you can swap in a good gluten-free flour blend (like this) if needed. Just be sure to stir the batter longer than normal to help give the cake layers proper structure, and let the batter sit for about 20 minutes before baking it if you opt to make a gluten-free version.
• Unsweetened Baking Cocoa – I like to use the Hershey’s brand of baking cocoa, but any brand of unsweetened baking cocoa powder should work. I don’t recommend using Dutch-processed or dark cocoa powder, as it can impact the rise of the cake.
• Red Food Coloring – Gel food coloring allows you to get a bright shade of red without throwing off the consistency of the batter. You can use 1 Tbsp of liquid food coloring if needed, though!

Making this Red Velvet Layer Cake in Different Sizes

One batch of batter is about 1300g or 6 cups, so I add about 440g to each of my cake pans when using 3, 6-inch cake pans.

You can also use one batch of batter to make 2, 8-inch cake layers. Bake time will be a few minutes longer at 350°F/175°C.

If you want to make a tiered cake with this recipe, check out my cake batter calculator to see how many batches of batter you’ll need.

If you want to make red velvet cupcakes, bake them at 350°F/175°C for 18-21 minutes. One batch of batter will make about 2 dozen cupcakes (yield will vary based on the size of your liners).

You can also use my red velvet cupcake recipe if you want to make a dozen.

Tips for Making the Best Red Velvet Layer Cake:

• Ingredients at room temperature mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
• Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level). Or better yet, use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
• Mix the cake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated, once you add in the flour. This will ensure your cake layers are tender and fluffy.
• Use a scale to weigh your cake pans as you fill them. It will make your cake layers bake to the same height and bake more evenly.
• Use full-fat cream cheese that comes in a brick. It will give the frosting the best consistency.
• Level the room temperature or thawed cake layers with a serrated knife to make them easier to stack.
• Chill the cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. It makes it so much easier to stack and frost them!
• Use gel food coloring to create brightly colored cake layers. It works best because it doesn’t throw off the consistency of the batter or give it a bitter taste.

Making This Layered Red Velvet Cake in Advance and Storage Tips

I highly recommend making the components of this cake in stages. It breaks the process up and makes it so much more approachable!

The cake layers can be made in advance and frozen. They taste just as great when they’re frozen as when they’re fresh, I promise!

You can make the frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for a month.

Be sure to give the frosting a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!

If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Let Me Know What You Think

If you try my layered red velvet cake recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts.

Don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets on social media so I can see your amazing creations!

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