Red Velvet Layer Cake
This classic red velvet layer cake recipe is moist, tender & delicious! It's frosted with the best cream cheese frosting & is irresistible!
Servings: 16
Calories: 692kcal
Equipment
- Greaseproof Cake Board or a Flat Plate
Ingredients
Red Velvet Cake
- 1 cup vegetable or canola oil 225g
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature 240g
- 2 large eggs, room temperature 112g
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 8g
- 1 tsp white vinegar 4g
- 1 tsp red gel food coloring or 1 Tbsp liquid food coloring
- 2 cups granulated sugar 400g
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 310g
- 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 8g
- 1 tsp fine salt 6g
- 1 tsp baking soda 6g
- 1/2 tsp baking powder 2g
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 339g
- 1/2 cup (4 oz) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature 113g
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 12ml
- 1 tsp fine salt 6g
- 7 cups powdered sugar 904g or a 2 lb. bag
- 1 Tbsp heavy whipping cream, room temperature 15ml
Instructions
Red Velvet Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line and grease 3, 6-inch pans. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup buttermilk, 2 large eggs, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp white vinegar, and 1 tsp red gel food coloring. Mix until combined and the batter is evenly colored.
- Add 2 cups of granulated sugar and whisk for 30 seconds to help dissolve the sugar.
- Then mix in 2 1/2 cups flour, 2 tsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp baking powder. Whisk until combined. The batter should be smooth,
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 27-30 minutes. Remove pans from the oven and let them cool in the pans for 15 minutes. Carefully flip the layers out of the pans and place them on a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Level the cake tops with a serrated knife once they're fully cooled. Use a fork to crumble the cake tops, and cover and set aside. If you're making these in advance, wrap and freeze them at this point.
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- Beat 1 1/2 cups of butter and 1/2 cup of cream cheese on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth.
- Mix in 1 Tbsp vanilla and 1 tsp salt on a low speed until the ingredients are combined.
- Gradually mix in 7 cups of powdered sugar on a low speed. Add 1 Tbsp of heavy cream halfway through to make the frosting easier to mix. If the frosting is too thick, add in additional cream (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
- 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.
- Spread 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.
- Cover the cake in a second, thicker layer of frosting and smooth using a bench scraper. Gently press the reserved red velvet crumbs along the side of the cake with your hand.
- Place the remaining cream cheese buttercream into a frosting bag fitted with a Wilton 1M frosting tip and pipe a border around the top of the cake. 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 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.
- 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 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.Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 692kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 455mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 75g