Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is my way of celebrating fun occasions at home ?
From the time I first ate this cake to this day, Red velvet has been one of my favorite flavors. (just so you know, chocolate tops this list ?)
You May also like: Apple Maple Cake
The Amazing blend of flavors!
One thing that I like about this cake, is its flavor combination. Mild chocolate, buttermilk, generous amount of vanilla and of course butter. ?? These work so well together and gives you the magical flavor.
The second best thing is when you slather it with cream cheese frosting! This frosting is delicately sweet and very creamy. Perfect to go on a dense and moist cake.
How about other frosting?
You can use other frosting like ermine, chocolate and vanilla but cream cheese frosting pairs the best with the flavor of red velvet.
Why Buttermilk?
Buttermilk helps activate the baking soda and leaven the cake while it’s baking. It’s vital for the flavor and texture of this cake! If you don’t have buttermilk at hand, you can always make it in a few minutes.
For homemade buttermilk, you need fresh lemon juice/ vinegar and regular milk. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice/ vinegar to a measuring cup and add milk to make 1 cup. Stir it and let it sit for 5 minutes. Your buttermilk for this recipe is ready!
I tried addressing a few basic questions that frequently arise for this recipe. Now let’s get started with this fun classical cake!
Note: This recipe is for an 8 inch single layer cake.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 1/4 cup All purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (if you don't have unsalted butter, use regular butter)
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup butter milk
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp red food color adjust the amount accordingly, until you reach the desired red color.
- 1/2 tsp Vinegar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (if you don't have unsalted butter, use regular butter)
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar or powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp milk
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray/ brush an 8-inch round cake pan with non stick cooking spray or butter, set aside. (If you are using silicone you can skip this step)
- Sift the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together fairly well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Add the oil and beat on high for 2 minutes.
- Add egg and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- Beat in the vinegar and the food coloring, until you reach your desired color. I used 2 Tablespoons.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix each addition just until incorporated. Your cake batter is ready!
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar and milk. Beat for 2 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract and beat for 2 minutes.
- Your frosting is ready! You can add a pinch of salt if it's too sweet.
Assembling
- Once the cake cools and is at room temperature, place the cake on the cake stand or serving plate.
- Now evenly spread the frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with your choice of sprinkles or nuts.
- Slice and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- If using regular butter, you can add a pinch of salt while making the cake batter. Regular butter already has salt and that will be sufficient for the cake as well.
- Frosted red velvet cake stays good for 7 days, if refrigerated. Bring it to room temperature before serving.
- The frosting and cake can be stored separately. In this case, freeze the cake and refrigerate the frosting. When frozen, red velvet cake stays good for up to 2 months. Before serving, thaw the cake in refrigerator overnight and bring it to room temperature before serving.
Leave a Reply