Self Rising Flour Red Velvet Half-Cake

Aug 12, 2010 · Modified: Sep 5, 2023 by Anna · This post may contain affiliate links · 24 Comments

Self-Rising Flour Red Velvet Half-Cake is a good way to use self-rising flour. If you have all-purpose flour, you may want to try a different red velvet recipe, but if you are just trying to use some self-rising flour, this recipe's perfect. It's also easy to make because you just stir the batter together and pour it in the pan.

The half-cake recipe is based on a different recipe where the full batch calls for 1 ½ cups of oil. Since this is a half, you'd think there would be ¾ cup oil. However, I've tested the recipe with ¾ cup of oil and ½ cup and think the ½ cup version is just as good. Using ¾ cup makes it lighter and crumblier, which is also good. I just feel like the ½ cup of oil is enough so I keep it at that.

Buying and Using Self Rising Flour

So far I've tested this recipe with both Gold Medal and Pillsbury Self-Rising Flour. White Lily will work too, but if you use White Lily make sure to use the weight (165 grams) rather than just volume because White Lily is a little lighter in weight per cup. Self-rising flour can be clumpy, so make sure to sift it or whisk it before using. If you are measuring by volume, make sure to measure and THEN sift. If measuring by weight it doesn't matter. With the self-rising flour, you will get a little sinkage in the middle. This is why I recommend this cake as "a way to use self-rising flour" and not as the go-to red velvet cake. Want a cake that sinks less? Don't need to use self-rising flour? Here's another good one.

Notice there's no salt in the recipe? That's because self-rising flour already has salt in it. If for some reason you don't think the cake is salty enough you can add a pinch.

Red Food Coloring

The red food coloring I use most often is McCormick because it's easy to find, but I also love Americolor Super Red If you use Americolor Super Red, you only need 2 teaspoons and not 2 full tablespoon. The redness of the cake might also be affected by what type of oil you use. I like baking with grapeseed oil, but it has a bit of a green cast to it which doesn't seem to affect the color much.

9-Inch Cake Pan for Half-Cake or Two 6-Inch Cake Pans

For this recipe you'll need a 9-inch cake pan that is at least 2 inches high. The first time I made this I realized my 9-inch pan wasn't deep enough and had to use a springform. Since the first time I made this cake I've acquired a lot of pans including 6-inch cake pans. This half-cake works well with those, too. Just divide the batter between two 6-inch pans.

Sweetness of Frosting

I changed the ratios of the frosting. The original version was made with the basic amounts, but the new version has a higher ratio of butter and cream cheese to sugar. Because of this the cake will require refrigeration for longer periods. It can sit out at a cool room temperate through the serving period, but for longer term storage it's best to keep it in the refrigerator.

Whole Red Velvet Cake with Self-Rising Flour

When I first made this, I made it as a half-cake which is what's in the recipe card. If you want the full recipe, here it is. I've changed up the frosting a bit to make it less sweet, which is how I like it. It's still rich, but has a higher ratio of butter and cream cheese.

2 ½ cups self-rising flour (330 grams), White Lily if possible
2 tablespoon natural cocoa powder not dark cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons red food coloring, plus more if desired
2 large egg
1 ½ cup vegetable oil (you can reduce to 1 cup if you want)
1 ½ cups granulated sugar (290 grams)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

10 oz cream cheese softened, 280 grams
8 oz butter softened, 114 grams
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9x2 inch round cake pans.
Mix the flour, cocoa and baking soda together in a small bowl and set aside.
Mix the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla and food coloring together in a liquid measuring cup and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, oil and sugar. Using a heavy duty scraper or large spoon, add the flour mixture and milk mixture to the egg mixture alternately in three parts, stirring until flour is mixed in.
Pour batter into the prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a pick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then carefully remove from pan.
Let cool completely.
To make frosting, mix together the cream cheese and butter. Gradually add the sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat until creamy. Beat in the vanilla.

Recipe