Red Velvet Cake Recipe

buttermilk

🥗Healthier: low-fat yogurt

💰Cheaper: milk + vinegar

Low-fat yogurt provides tanginess with fewer calories.

cream cheese

🥗Healthier: Greek yogurt

💰Cheaper: ricotta cheese

Greek yogurt offers creaminess with lower fat.

red food coloring

🥗Healthier: beet juice

💰Cheaper: none

Beet juice is a natural alternative for color.

butter

🥗Healthier: coconut oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Coconut oil is plant-based and dairy-free.

Sift 2 cups of cake flour into a bowl.

Add 3 tbsp of cocoa powder, 1 tsp of baking soda, and 1/2 tsp of salt to the sifted flour and whisk together.

In a mixing bowl, beat 1/2 cup of unsalted butter at high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.

Scrape down the bowl and paddle, then add 1 and 1/2 cups of granulated sugar and 1/2 cup of vegetable oil.

Beat the mixture on medium high speed for another 2 minutes until light and airy.

With the mixer on low speed, add 2 large eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next.

Add 2 tsp of vanilla extract and 2 tsp of distilled white vinegar to the mixture.

Whisk 2 tsp of red food color gel into 1 cup of buttermilk.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with the red buttermilk in three additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Scrape down the bowl and paddle, and give it a few stirs by hand to ensure everything is mixed together.

Divide the batter evenly between three 6-inch cake pans (or two 8 or 9-inch pans).

Bake the cakes at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Remove the cake layers from the pans almost immediately to prevent them from continuing to cook.

Allow the cake layers to cool completely before leveling them (optional).

Reserve some cake trimmings for decorating later.

Fill and frost the layers with a double batch of cream cheese buttercream.

Use a cake comb to create a groove texture in the frosting finish.

Crumble the reserved red velvet cake scraps and add them around the bottom of the cake.

Pipe rosettes and stars on top using Wilton tip 1M for rosettes and 4B for stars.

Sprinkle more red velvet cake crumbs on top for added color.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens