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slice of pink velvet cake on a plate that's been frosted with cream cheese buttercream frosting
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4.97 from 61 ratings

Pink Velvet Cake Recipe

This delicious pink velvet cake bakes up so tender and is frosted with the best cream cheese buttercream frosting!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Additional Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Cakes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24
Calories: 511kcal
Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Pink Velvet Cake Recipe

  • 3 cups cake flour 360g
  • 3 cups granulated sugar 600g
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder 10g
  • 1 tsp fine salt 6g
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 226g
  • 1 cup carton egg whites or 7 large egg whites, room temperature 235g
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature 360g
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil 30g
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
  • pink gel food coloring

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

  • 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature 452g
  • 1 cup cream cheese, room temperature 226g
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 12g
  • 1 tsp fine salt 6g
  • 11 cups powdered sugar 1375g
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature 60g
  • pink gel food coloring

Recommend Tools and Equipment

Instructions

Pink Velvet Cake Layers

  • Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line four, 7-inch or three 8-inch pans with parchment rounds and grease with non-stick baking spray or homemade cake pan release. I used 7-inch cake pans.
  • Mix 3 cups cake flour, 3 cups sugar, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp salt together in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or hand mixer until fully combined.
  • Mix in 1 cup of room temperature, unsalted butter slowly into the dry ingredients on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture looks like moist sand.
  • Pour in 1 cup of egg whites and mix on low until just incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
  • Then mix in 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract on a low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula one more time, then beat on a medium speed for about 30 seconds to make sure everything is properly mixed together. This also helps lighten the texture of the cake layers. The batter will be thin, but don't worry! That's how it's supposed to be.
  • If you make four 7-inch cake layers, pour half of the batter into a separate bowl (roughly 900g). Color one bowl light pink and the other bowl a deeper shade of pink using pink gel food coloring. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans, making 2 light pink and 2 deeper pink cake layers. I like to use a scale to make sure each pan has the same amount of batter and will bake up to the same height.
  • If you make three 8-inch cake layers, pour 1/3 of the batter into a separate bowl (roughly 600g). Color the bowl with more batter light pink, and the other bowl a deeper shade of pink using pink gel food coloring. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans to make 2 light pink cake layers and 1 deeper pink cake layer
  • Bake for 33-37 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Rotate the pans halfway through to help them bake evenly.
  • Let the pans cool for 10 minutes, then run a small offset spatula around the perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan.
  • Place the cake layers into the freezer for 30 minutes to accelerate the cooling process. Once the layers are fully cooled, carefully flip the pans and remove the layers.
  • Use a serrated knife to level the tops and remove any caramelization around the sides of the layers. I also like to torte the cake layers horizontally (see picture above) to create thinner cake layers, but this is optional. You can also trim the layers, then wrap and freeze them if you're making them in advance.
  • If you make these cake layers in advance and freeze them, let them thaw for about 15 minutes before making the cake. The cake layers should still be slightly cold to the touch, which will make it easier to assemble the cake.

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

  • While the cake layers bake and cool, make the cream cheese buttercream frosting.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, beat 2 cups of unsalted butter and 1 cup of cream cheese on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a stand mixer and paddle attachment or hand mixer until smooth.
  • Mix in 1 Tbsp of vanilla extract and 1 tsp salt on a low speed. Then, gradually mix in 11 cups of powdered sugar and 1/4 cup of heavy cream on a low speed.
  • Continue to mix on a low speed for a few minutes until the desired consistency is reached.  If the frosting seems too thick, add in additional cream (1 Tbsp at a time). If the frosting seems too thin, add in more powdered sugar (a quarter of a cup at a time).
  • Wait to color the buttercream until we've filled and frosted the cake. Cover the buttercream flush with plastic wrap to prevent crusting, then set aside.

Assembling This Pink Velvet Layer Cake

  • Stack and frost cake layers on a greaseproof cake board or flat plate using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
  • Spread an even layer of buttercream between each cake layer with a large offset spatula.
  • Then add a thin coat of frosting around the cake to fully cover the cake layers.
  • Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (30 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
  • Add a second, thicker layer of frosting to the cake and smooth using a bench scraper. If you're struggling to get smooth sides on the cake, check out my in-depth tutorial on how to frost a cake smoothly.
  • Color the remaining buttercream three different shades of pink using the same gel food coloring you used to make the cake layers. Place each color in its own small piping bag fitted with a plastic coupler and a small round tip like a Wilton 10.
  • I like to use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to map out where I want to pipe the hearts, and to make sure they end up being similar in size. Pipe hearts around the cake with the different colored frosting, then swap out the piping tip for a smaller round tip, like a Wilton 3. Pipe little dots and hearts between the bigger hearts to fill in any empty spaces or gaps.
  • Then enjoy! If you're making this cake in advance, it can sit at room temperature for a few hours or be stored in the fridge for up to a week.

Video

Notes

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

 

Recipe Variations

One batch of cake batter makes about 1800 grams, or 10 cups. If you plan to use four circular cake pans, add 450 grams of batter to each pan. If you make 3 layers, add 600 grams to each pan.
This recipe can also be used to make a pink velvet sheet cake! One batch will make 2, 9 x 13-inch cake layers that are about 1 inch tall.
Bake for 35-40 mins at 350 F / 175 C. I recommend using heating cores if you have them to help large cake layers like this bake more evenly and quickly.
You can also make one 9 x 13-inch cake layer that's about 2 inches tall, but bake time will be 45-55 minutes at 350 F/ 175 C.

 

Tips for Making the Best Pink Velvet Cake

  • Ingredients at room temp 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.
  • Use a scale to weigh your cake pans as you fill them. It will make the cake layers bake up 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.
  • Make sure the buttercream is the right consistency. This will help give the cake proper structure and make it easier to decorate.
  • Chill the cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. It makes them so much easier to stack and frost!
  • If your cake layers turn out less than perfect, read my cake troubleshooting guide to see where things might've gone awry.

 

Making This Pink Velvet Layer Cake in Advance & Storage Tips

Make these cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.
This cream cheese frosting can also be made ahead of time, or you can 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 up to a month.
Be sure to give it 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 it in the fridge for up to a week.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 511kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 278mg | Sugar: 58g