Red Velvet Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
This Red Velvet Cake is incredibly moist with hints of chocolate paired with a rich vanilla flavor. This is the best homemade red velvet cake recipe you'll ever make! Topped with an easy cream cheese frosting, you'll love every bite of this bright red velvety cake. It's the perfect recipe for Christmas, Valentine's Day, and birthdays!
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 450kcal
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 2½ cups self rising flour
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1½ cups vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup red food coloring, (two 1 oz. bottles)
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
Frosting Ingredients
- 8 Tablespoons plus ⅓ sticks butter, room temperature
- 10 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 16 ounces powdered sugar
- 2 cups pecan pieces, finely chopped
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Put all the cake mix ingredients into a large bowl and mix for about 3 minutes on medium speed. NOTE: You can use a standing mixture or handheld electric mixer.
- Spray three 9-inch round cake pans with a non-stick cooking spray. You can also cover the bottoms and the sides of the pans with butter and then coat with a light dusting of flour.
- Pour the cake batter equally into the three pans. Bake for 22 minutes.
- When done, remove the pans from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack for 10-20 minutes. From there, carefully remove the cakes from the pans and place them directly on the cooling rack until they are completely cool.
For the frosting
- Combine the butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Start by mixing slowly on low speed, increasing to medium speed for 2-3 or until the frosting is well combined and slightly fluffy. NOTE: You can use a standing mixture or handheld electric mixer.
- If you're adding in chopped pecans, slowly add in 1 ¼ cup after 1 minute of mixing so they are well combined in the frosting.
To assemble the cake
- When the cakes have completely cooled, place one layer directly on a cake stand.
- Using a spatula or a butter knife, gently spread a layer of frosting onto the top of one of the layers.
- Put the second layer of cake on top of the iced layer and gently spread a layer of frosting like you did to the first layer.
- Put the third layer on and evenly spread the cream cheese frosting onto the top and sides of the cake.
- Once frosted, allow it to cool for an additional hour before serving. When you cut into it, you'll immediately be able to see the moisture in each slice!
Video
Notes
- You'll get better volume if you use room temperature eggs. Set them out on the counter 30 minutes before using.
- For a fluffier frosting, use room temperature cream cheese and butter.
- For best results, use the exact measurements this recipe calls for. Never eyeball the measurements.
- I've had the best results when I use self rising flour. While you can use all purpose flour or cake flour, I find that the cakes don't rise enough. I don't recommend using gluten free flour in this recipe.
- To get perfectly flat layers, use a cake leveler to evenly cut off a thin layer of the roundness of the cake. You can also use a serrated knife. Just ensure you are cutting a thin layer.
- I like to decorate the top with finely chopped pecans and small pieces of the cake. If you have any cooked crumbles left from the pans, run the mixture and pecans through a sifter and top. Fresh mint sprigs also look amazing on top!
- While 22 minutes is the perfect time to remove the pans from the oven, you can also test for doneness by inserting a toothpick. When a toothpick comes out clean, it's done.
- Be sure to not overcook. Even when you remove them from the oven, they will continue to cook while cooling, which is why I remove them at 22 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 450kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 123mg | Potassium: 65mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 73IU | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg