Red Velvet Cake

Recipe from Elisa Strauss

Adapted by Florence Fabricant

Updated June 4, 2024

Red Velvet Cake
Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Rating
5(1,393)
Comments
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This is a cake to stop traffic. The layers are an improbable red that can vary from a fluorescent pink to a dark ruddy mahogany. The color, often enhanced by a full bottle of food coloring, becomes even more eye-catching set against clouds of snowy cream cheese-mascarpone frosting or ermine (also known as boiled-milk) frosting, like a slash of glossy lipstick framed by platinum blond curls. Even the name has a vampy allure: red velvet. These days this Southern favorite is found in just about every bakery, but perhaps for a special occasion (like the very red and white Valentine’s Day) you could try your hand at baking it. —Florence Fabricant

Featured in: So Naughty, So Nice

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Ingredients

Yield:One 3-layer cake
  • 1tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 3½cups cake flour
  • ½cup unsweetened cocoa (not Dutch process)
  • 1½teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
  • 2cups canola oil
  • 2¼cups granulated sugar
  • 3large eggs
  • 6tablespoons (3 ounces) red food coloring
  • 1½teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1¼cup buttermilk
  • 2teaspoons baking soda
  • 2½teaspoons white vinegar
  • Cream cheese-mascarpone frosting; or ermine, or boiled-milk, frosting
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

657 calories; 40 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 24 grams monounsaturated fat; 11 grams polyunsaturated fat; 72 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 39 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 386 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place teaspoon of butter in each of 3 round 9-inch layer cake pans and place pans in oven for a few minutes until butter melts. Remove pans from oven, brush interior bottom and sides of each with butter and line bottoms with parchment.

  2. Step 2

    Whisk cake flour, cocoa and salt in a bowl.

  3. Step 3

    Place oil and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium speed until well-blended. Beat in eggs one at a time. With machine on low, very slowly add red food coloring. (Take care: It may splash.) Add vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk in two batches. Scrape down bowl and beat just long enough to combine.

  4. Step 4

    Place baking soda in a small dish, stir in vinegar and add to batter with machine running. Beat for 10 seconds.

  5. Step 5

    Divide batter among pans, place in oven and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pans 20 minutes. Then remove from pans, flip layers over and peel off parchment. Cool completely before frosting.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,393 user ratings
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Comments

Casey

I've made this recipe before and it is delicious. However, the 3oz of red food coloring are WAY overcool. 1oz is already a ton of food coloring and turns the cake dark red. The extra two ounces are a waste of money...and will make you panic momentarily when you go to the bathroom the next day.

RexT

I know people love the cream cheese icing, but I have been making and enjoying RVC since I was a child, and the ONLY frosting that works for me, rarely seen, is this: Combine 1 C. milk ¼ C. flour, dash of salt. Cook over low heat until pudding stage. Set aside to cool thoroughly (best to cover surface with plastic wrap or waxed paper to prevent skin from forming). Cream ½ C. Crisco, 1 stick butter, 1 C. sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla. Add pudding mixture and beat until creamy smooth.

Emrie

I chose a classic cream cheese frosting instead. This flavor lacked a richness I've become accustomed to with red velvet and the cake itself was a little bit dense (though that might be chef error) Anyone have any tips?

Meg

My friend requested a red velvet cake for his birthday and I was dreading it, but honestly this recipe is TO DIE FOR. Even just the batter, delicious. I have been converted. 10/10 would recommend. I will say I went skimpy on the red food coloring (3oz I think would have stained every cake-eater's mouth for days) and still had a good red color.

Ellen

Cooking time is way off. Came out dry and over baked though I took it out early. Need to fix this recipe!

C.

Predominant flavour was the oil- very bland and unappealing flavour.

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Credits

Adapted from "The Confetti Cakes Cookbook" by Elisa Strauss (Little, Brown, to be published in May)

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