Classic Red Velvet Cake
A traditional red velvet cake recipe made with a mix of butter and oil. The frosting that goes with this one is heavy on the cream cheese and lower on the sugar. For a more traditional, sweeter frosting you can use the one in the notes.
Servings 12 slices
Cost 5
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (not self-rising) (340 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or ¾ if using unsalted butter)
- 2 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder (10 grams)
- 1 stick salted butter, softened (114 grams)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300 grams)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup neutral vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ oz red food coloring (or just 1 ½ teaspoons if using Super Red)
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
Frosting
- 4 ounces salted butter, softened (114 grams)
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar or about 3 cups sifted** (285 grams)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda and cocoa powder, then whisk in the salt. Set aside. Make sure dry ingredients are evenly blended.
- In mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until creamy, then beat in the eggs, one by one, beating until light. Don't forget to scrape the side of the bowl as needed.
- In a measuring cup, combine the 1 cup of oil, food coloring, vanilla and vinegar. Drizzle into the egg mixture with the mixer going.
- Using the lowest speed of the mixer, beat in half of the flour mixture. Add half of the buttermilk and continue adding flour mixture and buttermilk alternately until blended. Beat for about 30 seconds or until mixture is smooth.
- Pour into cake pans (about 15 oz per pan if you have a scale). Bake for 25 minutes or until cake springs back lightly when touched and toothpick inserted comes out clean (test your cake when it starts to smell).
- Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then flip onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
- Prepare frosting. Beat together softened butter and cream cheese, stir in sugar, then beat until fluffy and light. Beat in vanilla and lemon juice. Add more sugar to taste if desired. This is a very slick, heavy-on-the-cream-cheese frosting.
Notes
Sifted powdered sugar is lighter and fluffier than unsifted, so if you start with 2 ½ cups of unsifted (285 grams) and sift it, you'll have close to 3 cups of sifted and it will still weigh 285 grams<BR> For a more traditional cream cheese frosting, use 12 oz cream cheese, 6 oz salted butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 3 cups of powdered sugar, sifted after measuring.