Go Back
Red velvet cake recipe whole layer cake with a slice cut out, decorated with rustic cream cheese frosting swirls and red crumbs on a wooden table.

Best Red Velvet Cake

This Red Velvet Cake is incredibly moist with a bold crimson color, subtle cocoa flavor, and a tangy cream cheese frosting that never melts or slides. Made with a butter and oil combo for the perfect velvety crumb — bakery-quality results at home in under an hour!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 33 minutes
Cooling Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 10 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Southern
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Red Velvet Cake Layers
  • 2½ cups All-purpose flour 315g — or substitute 2½ cups cake flour for softer crumb
  • 2 tbsp Natural unsweetened cocoa powder NOT Dutch process — natural cocoa is essential (see Notes)
  • 1 tsp Baking soda Check it is fresh — expired baking soda = flat cake
  • 1 tsp Baking powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp Unsalted butter 115g — fully softened to room temperature
  • ½ cup Vegetable oil 120ml — or canola, sunflower — any neutral oil
  • 1¾ cups Granulated sugar 350g
  • 2 Large eggs Room temperature — cold eggs can curdle the batter
  • 2 tsp Pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup Buttermilk 240ml — room temperature (see Notes for substitute)
  • 2 tsp White vinegar Essential — do not skip (see Notes for why)
  • 1–2 tsp Red gel food coloring NOT liquid — gel gives vivid color without affecting texture
For the Never-Melt Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 16 oz Full-fat block cream cheese 450g — COLD from fridge — NOT tub or spreadable
  • 1 cup Unsalted butter 225g — fully softened to room temperature
  • 4 cups Powdered sugar 480g — also called icing sugar or confectioner's sugar — sifted
  • 2 tsp Pure vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch Salt Balances the sweetness
  • 2 tbsp Heavy cream Only if frosting needs thinning — add 1 tsp at a time

Equipment

  • 2 9-Inch Round Cake Pans Or three 8-inch pans for thinner layers — line with parchment
  • 1 Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer For creaming butter and making frosting
  • 2 Large Mixing Bowls One for dry, one for wet ingredients
  • 1 Medium Mixing Bowl For making the frosting
  • 1 Wire Cooling Rack For cooling cake layers completely before frosting
  • 1 Offset spatula For smooth frosting application
  • 1 Serrated knife For leveling cake layers
  • 1 Sifter or fine mesh sieve For sifting powdered sugar and cocoa powder
  • 1 Parchment Paper To line cake pan bottoms
  • 1 Toothpick For testing doneness
  • 1 Cake board or serving plate For assembling the finished cake
  • 1 Bench Scraper Optional — for ultra-smooth frosting on the sides

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper circles, then grease the parchment. Set aside. Take butter, eggs, and buttermilk out of the fridge at least 45 minutes before starting — room temperature ingredients are essential.
    Red velvet cake recipe preparation step showing two parchment-lined round cake pans, eggs, butter, and buttermilk on a wooden counter.
Make the Cake Batter
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, natural cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until fully combined. Sift the cocoa if it has any clumps. Set aside.
    Red velvet cake recipe dry ingredients step showing a hand holding a sieve with clumpy cocoa over a medium bowl of flour and leaveners.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until pale and creamy. Add the vegetable oil and granulated sugar. Beat for 3 full minutes until the mixture is very light, fluffy, and almost white in color. Do not rush this step — it builds the structure of your cake.
    Red velvet cake recipe wet ingredients step showing an electric hand mixer beating pale, fluffy butter and sugar in a large glass bowl.
  3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully combined. Add vanilla extract and mix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl between additions.
    Red velvet cake recipe step showing a hand cracking an egg into a glass bowl of fluffy batter next to vanilla extract.
  4. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, white vinegar, and red gel food coloring. Stir until the color is evenly distributed — it should be a vivid red liquid.
    Red velvet cake recipe step showing a wire whisk stirring bright red buttermilk and vinegar in a glass measuring cup.
  5. With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk mixture — beginning and ending with the dry ingredients (dry in 3 additions, buttermilk in 2). Mix just until each addition is incorporated. Stop mixing the moment you no longer see dry flour streaks. Do not overmix.
    Red velvet cake recipe step showing bright red buttermilk being poured into a bowl of dry ingredients and butter mixture while folding with a spatula.
Bake
  1. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Smooth the tops with a spatula. Bake for 28–33 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Start checking at 26 minutes. Do not overbake.
    Red velvet cake recipe step showing two round baking pans filled with smooth, bright red cake batter on a wooden counter.
  2. Let cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges and carefully turn out onto a wire rack. Cool completely — at least 1 full hour — before frosting. A warm cake will melt the frosting.
    Red velvet cake recipe step showing two baked red cake layers cooling on a metal wire rack over a pristine wooden table.
Make the Never-Melt Cream Cheese Frosting
  1. Beat the COLD block cream cheese alone in a large bowl for 2 minutes until completely smooth and lump-free. Set aside.
    Red velvet cake recipe frosting step showing perfectly smooth, beaten cream cheese in a large glass bowl on a wooden counter.
  2. In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter for 3 minutes until very pale and extremely fluffy. Add the beaten butter to the cream cheese bowl and beat together for 1 minute.
    Red velvet cake recipe frosting step showing a spatula transferring pale, fluffy beaten butter from a ceramic bowl into a glass bowl of smooth cream cheese.
  3. Add the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time on low speed, beating well between each addition. Add vanilla extract and salt. Beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until frosting is thick, glossy, and holds stiff peaks. If too thick, add heavy cream 1 teaspoon at a time. If too thin, add powdered sugar 2 tablespoons at a time.
    Red velvet cake recipe frosting step showing sifted powdered sugar being added to whipped cream cheese and butter in a large glass bowl using a hand mixer.
Assemble and Frost
  1. Using a serrated knife, level the tops of the cooled cake layers if they have domed. Save all trimmed crumbs — do not discard. Crumble them finely for the classic red velvet crumb decoration.
    Red velvet cake recipe assembly step showing a baker using a serrated knife to level the domed top of a red cake layer on a wooden board.
  2. Place one cake layer on a cake board or serving plate. Spread about 1 cup of frosting evenly across the top using an offset spatula. Place the second layer on top, pressing gently to level.
    Red velvet cake recipe assembly step showing an offset spatula spreading a thick layer of white cream cheese frosting on a red cake layer.
  3. Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting all over the top and sides. Refrigerate for 15 minutes until firm.
    Red velvet cake recipe step showing a two-layer cake covered in a thin crumb coat of frosting with red crumbs on a wooden table.
  4. Apply the final generous layer of frosting over the top and sides. For ultra-smooth sides, use a bench scraper held against the cake while rotating the stand. For a classic look, create swirls and swoops with the offset spatula.
    Red velvet cake recipe decorating step showing a hand using an offset spatula to create thick rustic swirls of white cream cheese frosting over a layer cake.
  5. Immediately press the reserved red cake crumbs gently onto the sides and top of the cake while the frosting is still slightly tacky. Work quickly — once the frosting sets, crumbs will not adhere. Slice with a hot damp knife for clean cuts and serve at room temperature.
    Red velvet cake recipe finishing step showing a hand pressing bright red cake crumbs onto the sides of a white frosted layer cake on a ceramic stand.

Notes

  • Natural cocoa ONLY — not Dutch process. This is the most critical rule for Red Velvet Cake. Natural cocoa is acidic and reacts with the baking soda to create the proper rise and velvety texture. Dutch process cocoa is alkaline and neutralized — it will not react the same way and your cake will not turn out correctly. This is the opposite of our Chocolate Fudge Cake which requires Dutch process.
  • Gel food coloring — not liquid. Liquid food coloring is mostly water and disrupts the acid-base balance of the batter. You would need several tablespoons to achieve a vivid red, which adds too much liquid. Gel food coloring is highly concentrated — half a teaspoon gives a dramatically more vivid crimson. Find it at any craft store, baking supply store, or Amazon.
  • No food coloring? Use 2 tablespoons of beet powder in place of the gel food coloring — add it with the dry ingredients. The color will be a deep natural burgundy-red. The beet flavor is completely undetectable in the finished cake.
  • Why is there vinegar in this cake? The white vinegar reacts with the baking soda to help the cake rise and adds to the overall acidity that tenderizes the gluten — creating the signature velvety crumb. You cannot taste it in the finished cake. Do not skip it.
  • No buttermilk? Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of whole milk. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes — it will curdle slightly. This works perfectly. Full-fat Greek yogurt thinned with a splash of milk also works.
  • The never-melt frosting secret. Use COLD block cream cheese and SOFT butter — and beat them separately before combining. Cold cream cheese keeps the frosting structured and stable at room temperature. If both are room temperature, the frosting becomes too soft and slides off the cake.
  • Block cream cheese only — not tub. Tub or spreadable cream cheese has too much water content. It cannot hold its structure in frosting and will cause the frosting to become runny and slide off the cake.
  • Cake flour upgrade. Substitute 2½ cups of cake flour for the all-purpose flour for an even softer, finer crumb. No cake flour? Mix 2 cups all-purpose flour with ¼ cup cornstarch as a substitute.
  • Room temperature ingredients. Cold butter will not cream properly, and cold eggs can cause the batter to curdle. Take everything out of the fridge 45 minutes before starting.
  • UK/Australia notes. "All-purpose flour" = plain flour. "Powdered sugar" = icing sugar. "Heavy cream" = double cream. "Granulated sugar" = caster sugar works well.
  • Cupcakes. Fill lined muffin tins ⅔ full and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 18–22 minutes. Makes approximately 24 standard cupcakes.
  • Storage — Room temp: Under a cake dome, up to 2 days. Refrigerator: Up to 5 days tightly covered — bring to room temperature 45–60 minutes before serving. Freezer (unfrosted layers): Wrapped tightly, up to 3 months. Freezer (frosted whole cake): Up to 2 months — freeze uncovered 1 hour until frosting is firm, then wrap.
  • Make-ahead timeline: Bake layers 3 days ahead (freeze). Thaw 1 day before, frost and refrigerate overnight. Remove from fridge 1 hour before serving.
  • Nutrition values are estimates. Use a nutrition calculator with your exact brands for precise figures.

    Note

  • Values are estimates calculated with standard ingredient brands. Actual values vary based on exact ingredients, slice size, and frosting amount. Use a nutrition calculator with your exact brands for precise figures.