Easy Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

There is just something so festive about red velvet cake! I mean, all layer cakes in general just scream “party” to me. My Simply Perfect Chocolate Cake, Carrot Cake, and Tiramisu Cake always get tons of ooh’s and ahh’s, and never fail to make any celebration that much happier and more memorable.
But red velvet cake is special. It’s so eye-catching, and every time I make it, that first bite takes my breath away.

It’s so moist, and the subtle cocoa and buttermilk flavors are so old-fashioned and comforting! I’ve heard a lot of people say that red velvet cake just tastes like plain cake tinted red, but that is not the case with this recipe at all. This red velvet cake tastes so rich! The cocoa flavor really shines, and there’s a subtle tang from the buttermilk. The cream cheese frosting plays off of that and adds sweetness. It compliments all the flavors in the cake in the most delicious way!

THE ORIGIN OF RED VELVET CAKE

Red velvet cake has been around for a long time. Southern bakers have been making it since the 1800’s. The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York claims to have invented it, but since that time it has become hugely popular in the US and around the world.

WHAT IS RED VELVET CAKE MADE FROM?

Red velvet is an oil-based cake that gets its unique flavor from buttermilk, a touch of cocoa, and vinegar. It may sound like a crazy combination, but it’s surprisingly delicious!

The buttermilk gives this layer cake a soft, creamy quality, and it’s amazing how much chocolate flavor just two tablespoons of cocoa powder can bring. Vinegar enhances the subtle tanginess of the buttermilk, but it also reacts with the baking soda to help the cake to rise tall and fluffy.

It’s also thought that at one time the natural alkyds in the cocoa powder would chemically react with the natural acids in the buttermilk and vinegar to create the red color. But nowadays, we just use a splash food coloring.

WHY IS THIS RED VELVET LAYER CAKE SO SPECIAL?

This recipe bakes up incredibly moist and delicate, but unlike many other recipes, it’s not the slightest bit oily. There’s enough oil to keep it moist, and plenty of buttermilk for richness.

It also contains about a third of the food coloring of most other red velvet recipes. I just can’t imagine why anything would need more than a tablespoon of red dye. A little bit goes a long way, and this cake looks vibrantly red, with less than half the artificial color.

Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients

    INGREDIENTS CAKE:

•     2 1/2 cups cake flour Please refer notes for substitutes
•     2 tablespoons cocoa powder
•     1 teaspoon baking soda
•     1/2 teaspoon salt
•     1 stick + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons butter)
•     3 large eggs
•     2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•     1 and 1/2 cups sugar
•     1 and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
•     2 tablespoons red food color
•     1 teaspoon distilled vinegar
•     1 cup buttermilk

    CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

•     2 cups (16 oz )(450 grams) cream cheese
•     1/2 teaspoon vanilla
•     3-4 cups powdered/confectioners sugar
•     1 cup (226 grams) butter at room temperature

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit/160 Degrees Celsius.
2. Sift cake flour + baking soda + cocoa + salt and keep aside.
3. Cream together butter + sugar till fluffy. Add vegetable oil followed by eggs beating well after each addition.
4. Mix together buttermilk + red food color + vinegar + vanilla.
5. Add flour to the egg mixture in three batches alternating with the buttermilk mixture beginning and ending with flour.
6. Divide the batter into two 8 inch pan. Tap the pans 4-5 times on the counter to get rid of the excess air bubbles.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

FROSTING:

1. Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
2. Beat cream cheese + butter till smooth and light for about 2-3 minutes. Add 3 cups of powdered/confectioners sugar gradually. Taste and add the remaining 1 cup of sugar as needed.

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