The Only Red Velvet Cake Recipe You’ll Ever Need

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 together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt to remove lumps.

In a separate jug, mix together flavorless oil, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract.

Add gel food coloring to the wet mixture until the desired color is achieved.

Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix by hand with a fork to avoid over mixing.

Observe the mixture bubbling due to the reaction between baking soda and buttermilk.

Pour the batter evenly into two buttered and lined 9-inch cake pans, shaking gently to even it out.

Bake in a hot oven for about 30 minutes, checking for doneness by pressing lightly on top and ensuring it pulls away from the sides.

Allow cakes to cool before decorating with Ermine frosting or cream cheese frosting.

Place one layer of cake on a stand, add frosting in the middle, and top with the second layer.

Apply a crumb coat of frosting to the entire cake, then refrigerate for 45 minutes to 1 hour to set before finishing decoration.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens