Desserts / Cakes & cheesecakes
Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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A whisper of cocoa, a tang of buttermilk, and a crumb so tender it gives way under the fork. It's the cake that gets requested by name every year, so let the layers cool all the way before the frosting goes on.
The short version
Rub cold butter into the dry ingredients, whisk in a wet mix of eggs, buttermilk, oil and red coloring, and bake two 9-inch layers at 350°F for 22 to 30 minutes. Cool completely and frost with cream cheese frosting.
What makes ours better
why ours wins the argument at dinner
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Rub the butter into the dry ingredients first. Coating the flour in butter before any liquid goes in limits gluten, which is how you get a fine, velvety crumb instead of a bready one.
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Use butter and oil together. Butter brings flavor and oil keeps the crumb soft and moist for days.
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Go light on the cocoa. Three tablespoons is just enough to give the cake its mild chocolate note. More and it becomes a chocolate cake dyed red.
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Frost with a tangy cream cheese frosting. Its tang cuts through the sweetness and is what most people remember about red velvet.
What you need
the stars of the show
- Cake flour3 cups
- Granulated sugar1¾ cups
- Unsweetened cocoa powder3 tablespoons
- Unsalted butter½ cup
- Eggs3 large
- Buttermilk1 cup
- Vanilla extract1 tablespoon
- Cream cheese16 ounces
Cake
Cream cheese frosting
yes, all of the butter
Steps
apron on. phone down. mostly.
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Heat the oven, prep pans
Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat it to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment circles, and grease the parchment.
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Mix the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle, mix the cake flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
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Work in the butter
Add the cold butter cubes. Mix on low, or rub the butter in with your fingertips, until the mixture looks like fine, damp crumbs with no large pieces of butter left, about 2 minutes.
This step is why the cake is tender. Don't skip it or melt the butter.
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Whisk the wet ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, oil, red food coloring and vanilla until smooth and a uniform red.
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Combine the batter
Pour the wet mixture into the dry and mix on low until combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, then mix 20 more seconds. The batter will be thin and smooth.
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Bake
Divide the batter evenly between the pans and smooth the tops. Bake until a toothpick in the center comes out clean and the tops spring back lightly, 22 to 30 minutes. Start checking at 20 minutes.
Don't bake past clean. Red velvet dries out quickly.
About 22 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Cool completely
Cool the layers in the pans for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, turn them out onto a rack and cool until completely cold, about 1 hour.
About 60 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Make the frosting
Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat on low, then medium, until smooth. Chill 15 minutes if it feels soft.
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Fill and frost
Spread about a cup of frosting over one layer, set the second layer on top, and frost the top and sides. Chill the cake for 30 minutes before slicing for clean cuts.
Good to know
read this before somebody asks for seconds
- Liquid food coloring is what this recipe is written for. If you use gel, you need much less, so add it a little at a time until the batter is a deep red.
- For a more tangy cake, use full-fat buttermilk. Low-fat works but gives a slightly less rich crumb.
- Cold cream cheese and cold butter make lumpy frosting. Soften both on the counter for about an hour. For another frosting recipe, see cream cheese frosting that holds its shape.
- Storage. Covered in the fridge, 5 days; let slices come to room temperature before serving. Unfrosted layers wrapped well freeze for 3 months.
Questions, answered
asked and answered at the kitchen counter
What does red velvet cake taste like?
It is a tender buttermilk cake with a mild cocoa flavor and a slight tang, not a chocolate cake. The cream cheese frosting adds the tang most people expect.
Do I need vinegar in red velvet cake?
Not here. The buttermilk and the baking soda supply the acid and the lift, so no extra vinegar is needed.
Can I make it without food coloring?
Yes, but the cake will be a pale brown. The red color comes only from coloring, so use 1 to 2 tablespoons if you want the classic look.
Why is my red velvet cake dry?
Overbaking is the usual cause. Start testing at 20 minutes and pull the layers when a toothpick comes out clean. Measure the flour by spooning it into the cup.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Bake the layers a day ahead, wrap them tightly and frost the next day, or freeze the unfrosted layers for up to 3 months.
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Published October 29, 2026.