Y’all if you are looking for an authentic Southern red velvet cake, you have come to the right place. This baby is a showstopper! It’s got moist tender layers with a hint of cocoa in the mix. They are the perfect foundation for a creamy cream cheese frosting that’s tangy and the perfect contrast to the flavors in the cake. You will want to lick the spoon (no judgement here!) For real, this is the best red velvet cake recipe out there! Get into it!
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Y’all there is something super special about red velvet cake boos. It has subtle chocolate flavor in a melt-in-your-mouth package. Then it’s topped off with a smooth and creamy cream cheese buttercream that makes red velvet the ultimate Southern treat. Whether you make it for a holiday, birthday or any special occasion you can think of, it is guaranteed to wow anyone who is at the table. Let’s get into it!
The Lowdown on The Best Red Velvet Cake Recipe
Cuisine Inspiration: Southern classic
Primary Cooking Method: Baking
Dietary Info: Can be made gluten-free with ingredient swaps
Key Flavor: Velvety smooth rich cake with just a whisper of chocolate wrapped in tang creamy frosting
Skill Level: Intermediate (Bring on those cake icing skillz)
Velvety Texture and Flavors
This super moist cake practically melts in your mouth with just a hint of chocolate flavor that isn’t overpowering. And when you add that frosting? Baby it sets the whole thing off!
Straight Showstopper
This cake is a head-turner boos. That red color just pops and stuns with each glance. It’s perfect for pulling out for any holiday or special occasion you can dream up!
As Authentic As They Come
Red velvet cake is a whole Southern mood, and it must be done correctly. This straightforward recipe helps you nail this recipe the right way.
Ingredients you’ll need to make authentic red velvet cake
- Flour and Cocoa Powder: All-purpose flour provide the cake structure, while just a touch of cocoa powder brings in that signature red velvet chocolate vibe ya dig?
- Sugar: Granulated sugar helps sweeten the package while balancing out the tanginess from the buttermilk and vinegar.
- Leavening and Vinegar: Baking soda teams up with apple cider vinegar for the perfect rise, giving you that fluffy texture and light rise.
- Oil and Buttermilk: Vegetable oil is neutral so the rest of the ingredients shine but it keeps the cake super moist while the buttermilk adds richness and a slight tang to the batter.
- Eggs: These are the ultimate binders bringing everything together as well as good ole fashioned richness.
- Coffee: We deepen that cocoa flavor with a bit of strong coffee. But don’t worry, you won’t taste the coffee boos.
- Vanilla: Just a little brings warmth and aromatic essence to the cake batter and cake frosting.
- Red Food Coloring: Can’t have red velvet without the bold, vibrant hue. Feel free to use liquid, gel or even some bomb natural versions in the market.
- Butter and Cream Cheese: Unsalted butter and cream cheese are the ultimate combo for creating a rich, creamy, and perfectly tangy frosting.
- Confectioner’s Sugar: This sweetens and stiffens up the frosting giving that silky-smooth finish.
- Salt: Just a pinch balances out the sweetness and enhances all those flavors in the mix
How to make Red Velvet Cake
What to serve with Moist Red Velvet Cake
- Dollop or Scoop it Up: Lighten up the flavors with a little fresh homemade whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Drink it Up: Serving a slice with some warm French hot chocolate, wassail and homemade eggnog.
- Classic Southern Supper: Fry up some fried chicken gizzards, make some chitlins, black-eyed peas and fried okra and definitely save room for dessert.
Recipe Substitutions
- All-Purpose Flour: While this cake is super duper tender, you can change the texture to be even softer with a homemade cake flour.
- Vegetable Oil: You can use another neutral oil like canola. You just don’t want a super strong oil like olive oil used here.
- Buttermilk: You can make your own if you ran out. Just add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk and let sit for 5-10 minutes until ready to go!
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Replace with white vinegar.
- Confectioner’s Sugar: If you ran out, you can make your own with homemade powdered sugar with granulated sugar and a blender.
Recipe Variations and Additions
- Vegan: You can swap out the butter, buttermilk and cream cheese with your fave plant-based milk options. For the eggs, flax eggs or unsweetened applesauce work well.
- Gluten-Free: Replace the flour with your fave 1:1 ratio gluten-free baking flour. The texture may change slightly but it will still taste so bomb y’all.
- Go Nutty: Add chopped pecans into the frosting for some nice crunchy texture.
- Spice it Up: Add some warm spice to the batter with some cinnamon or nutmeg.
Expert Tips and Tricks for making the best red velvet chocolate cake
- Go Room Temp: Make sure the buttermilk, eggs, butter and cream cheese are brought to room temperature before using so your batter is consistent and your frosting is smooth.
- Don’t Overmix: Once you mix your batter, don’t overwork it or the cake will end up tough and dense from over-activating the gluten.
- Chill the Layers: These cake layers are super tender so they can be very soft to work with when frosting your cake. I like to stiffen them by popping them in the freezer to get a little hard before frosting the cake.
- Use Gel: If you want that super nice vibrant hue, go with gel food coloring versus liquid. Also beet juice is a nice option if you want a natural color that isn’t as bold but still gives some color.
How to store red velvet cake
Because we are using cream cheese frosting, this cake definitely needs to be refrigerated. Just keep it covered or add to a cake dome and pop in the fridge.
How long will Southern red velvet cake last in the fridge?
It should last in the fridge for up to to 3-4 days.
Can I freeze this red velvet cake recipe?
Absolutely boos! I love to freeze individual slices by adding them to a baking sheet to freeze initially for about an hour. Then I wrap them tightly in plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil. When you’re ready to get into it again, let a slice thaw in the fridge overnight and bring it to room temp before serving.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely boos! You can make this ahead and pop in the fridge the day before you serve. Just bring it back to room temp before serving. You can also make the layers and keep in the freezer for about a month before you need.
If your frosting is too soft, the cream cheese or butter could be the culprit because it started out too soft. You can add more powdered sugar to it to stiffen it up or pop in the fridge to let it get firmer.
Of course, you can leave it out and it will just have a light ting of cocoa color.
Y’all this red velvet cake recipe is straight up Southern authenticity. It has all of the flavors you know and love in this classic. The subtle chocolate flavor with the mix of buttermilk and vinegar creates the ultimate texture. And that cream cheese frosting is absolutely perfect with this cake. Boos, this is the one you have been waiting for.
More Southern layer cake recipes
Red Velvet Cake
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Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/4 cup coffee strong and hot
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 ounce liquid red food coloring
For the Cream Cheese Whipped Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 32 oz cream cheese somewhat softened but still a little stiff
- 7 cups confectioner's sugar to stiffen more, go up another cup
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Liberally prepare 3 9-inch round cake pans with the nonstick method of your choice. (I recommend the parchment method described on p. 17.)
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and mix on low speed. Slowly add the oil and buttermilk.
- Increase the speed to medium-low and add the eggs 1 at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Slowly add the coffee, vanilla extract, vinegar, and food coloring. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix the batter until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Evenly pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 20 to 27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a layer comes out clean. Do not overbake.
- Let the layers cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto wire racks. Let cool to room temperature. Lightly cover the cakes with foil or plastic wrap so they do not dry out.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Add butter and cream cheese to the bowl of your mixer and beat on high speed until it begins to thicken and fluff.
- Next slow down mixer and carefully add in confectioner’s sugar. Once all sugar has incorporated, turn mixer back to high to continue whipping.
- Add salt and vanilla extract and continue whipping until it is smooth.
To Assemble:
- Before you start: The cake layers can be quite tender, so feel free to refrigerate them (20 to 30 minutes should do it) to firm them up and make them easier to work with when frosting.
- Once the layers are completely cooled, place 1 layer on a serving plate.
- Spread just the top with 1/3 of the frosting. Add the second layer and spread with another 1/3 of the frosting.
- Add the final layer, bottom-side up, and top with the remaining frosting. Only frost the sides if you wish. Serve at room temperature. Store in the refrigerator or freezer.
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May I use two bottles of food coloring. Our children (adult!) will be traumatized if the cake doesn’t have the deep red color.
Absolutely do you boo!
What to replace the coffee with if you don’t have any?
You can just use hot water.