5-Layer Red Velvet Cake

5 from 1 rating

5-Layer Red Velvet Cake

This 5-layer red velvet layer cake bakes up so incredibly soft and moist and is layered with generous amounts of cream cheese frosting. It's always a crowd favorite!

Prep Time10

Cook Time22

Chill Time30

Total Time1 2

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 24

Calories: 692kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Equipment

Ingredients

Red Velvet Cake Batter

5 cups cake flour 600g
3 1/2 cups granulated sugar 700g
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (not Dutch-processed or dark) 25g
2 tsp baking soda 12g
1 tsp fine salt 6g
2 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature 600g
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled 226g
1 cup vegetable or canola oil 240g
4 large eggs, room temperature 224g
1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 16g
2 tsp instant coffee, dissolved in 1 Tbsp warm water
2 tsp white vinegar 8g
2 tsp red gel food coloring or 2 Tbsp liquid food coloring

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 339g
1 1/2 cups (12 oz) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature 339g
1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 12ml
1 tsp fine salt 6g
10 cups powdered sugar 1250g

Instructions

Red Velvet Cake

Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C. Grease five 8-inch cake pans with non-stick baking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside. If you don't have 5 cake pans, the batter can sit at room temperature for a few hours. Bake as many layers at a time as you can at a time.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 5 cups cake flour, 3 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp fine salt. Set aside.
In a separate, very large bowl, whisk 2 1/2 cups buttermilk, 1 cup vegetable or canola oil, 1 cup (2 sticks) melted and cooled unsalted butter, 4 large eggs, 1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, 2 tsp of instant coffee, dissolved in 1 Tbsp warm water, 2 tsp white vinegar, and 2 tsp red gel food coloring (or 2 Tbsp liquid food coloring). Mix on low speed until combined. The mixture may look broken at this stage, but it will come together once the dry ingredients are added.
Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients at a low speed in two additions. Mix until just combined and no visible streaks of flour remain.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans, about 2 1/2 cups or 540g per pan.
Bake for 23-26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Remove the pans from the oven and let them cool for 30 minutes. Run a small offset spatula around the edges of the pans, then carefully flip the cakes out and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Level the top of the cake layers with a serrated knife once they've fully cooled. It'll make the cake a lot easier to stack. If you're making the cake layers in advance, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and freeze at this stage.

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

While the cake layers bake and cool, make the cream cheese buttercream frosting. Beat 1 1/2 cups of butter and 1 1/2 cups of cream cheese on a medium-high speed for a couple of minutes with a paddle attachment. The mixture should look light, fluffy, and smooth.
Mix in 1 Tbsp vanilla and 1 tsp fine salt on a low speed until the ingredients are combined.
Gradually mix in 10 cups of powdered sugar on a low speed. If the frosting is too thick, add in some heavy cream or milk (1 Tbsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (1/4 cup at a time).
Cover the cream cheese frosting with a piece of plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming and set aside.

Red Velvet Cake Assembly

Once the cake layers have cooled fully, it's time to assemble the cake. Stack and frost cake layers on a greaseproof cake board using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
Add an even layer of cream cheese buttercream between each cake layer. For reference, I add about 1 1/2 cups of frosting per layer.
Spread a thin coat of frosting around the cake to fully cover the cake layers. This helps lock in any crumbs and will give you a really beautiful finished look. If the layers start to slide around as you do this, you can either pop the cake in the freezer for about 15 minutes to help chill the frosting between the layers or insert a wooden dowel or thick plastic straw in the middle of the cake to help keep them in place. Smooth the frosting using a bench scraper or large offset spatula, then chill the cake in the fridge (30 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
Cover the cake in a second, thicker layer of frosting and use a large offset spatula or the back of a spoon to give the frosting a textured look, then enjoy!

Video

Notes

If you need to make any substitutions or swaps in this recipe, please check out the section on ingredient substitutions in the post above.

Making This Red Velvet Layer Cake in Different Sizes

One batch of batter is about 2700g or a little over 13 cups, so I add about 540g to each of my cake pans when using 5, 8-inch cake pans.

You can also use one batch of batter to make 4, 8-inch cake layers. Bake time will be a few minutes longer.

One batch can also make a half (13x18-inch) sheet cake. Bake at 350°F/175°C for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

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 18-20 minutes. One batch of batter will make about 4 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.
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.

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.

Nutrition