BEST Southern Red Velvet Cake Recipe
“Easy, moist red velvet cake recipe full of Southern charm with a secret ingredient! Frosted with Cream Cheese frosting!”
Watch me make this Easy, Moist Red Velvet Cake from start to finish!
There is something so elegant about a red velvet cake. Maybe it’s the name or that beautiful, bold red color. Or maybe it’s the delicate crumb and light chocolatey flavor with a tad bit of tang from the buttermilk.
Whatever it is, I’m totally present for all things RED VELVET!!! Red Velvet Pound Cake anyone??
I’ve been getting a lot of requests for red velvet cake. Being from the south my recipe options were endless. I swear everybody in my family has their way of making red velvet cake and to them, it is the best!!
Hooooowever, I still knew that the perfect red velvet cake was still out there somewhere.
I have been on the search for the best homemade red velvet cake recipe for a while now actually. I wanted one that was easy, Â super moist, melt-in-your-mouth soft with that signature light chocolatey buttermilk red velvet flavor.
I’ve tried a few recipes that were…OK. Â Nothing that really blew my heels off though. Until I played around with merging three recipes (God I love chemistry when it cooperates) and out came THE MASTERPIECE!!! Or at least we think so in my house!
What is red velvet cake?
Before we talk about what red velvet cake is, it’s important to establish what it’s NOT! Red velvet cake is not just a chocolate cake with red food coloring. Traditional red velvet cake started as a buttermilk chocolate cake that is has a signature reddish hue from the cocoa powder. The modern take on classic red velvet cake uses red food coloring to enhance the natural redness of this cake and turn it into bold red color.
What does red velvet cake taste like?
Red velvet cake tastes like a light chocolate cake with vanilla buttermilk notes. It’s a signature flavor that is well-loved in the south. Velvet cakes have a tender crumb and always consist of buttermilk and distilled vinegar. Check out this lemon velvet cake below for a different spin!
This red velvet cake recipe is SUPERB!!!! And it passes the stick to the back of the fork test like a champ!
Adding a bit of coffee to the batter isn’t “traditional” for red velvet cakes but it adds another layer of flavor and really hypes up the chocolatey taste to perfection. Not to mention the extra liquid makes this cake do doggone soft so don’t skip it!
Even if you have to run to Mickey D’s or the gas station to get a cup of coffee! I prefer flavored coffee. When I make this cake for people I always use vanilla biscotti or chocolate-flavored coffee. But plain will do just fine too.
Oh and don’t worry, you can’t taste the coffee.
Want cupcakes? Check out these red velvet cupcakes!
How To Make The BEST Red Velvet Cake
- Be sure to generously grease your pans (with shortening) and give them a light dusting of flour. This will ensure that the cake doesn’t stick to the pan.
- Use plain prepared coffee. Yep just brew up a cup of coffee. No need to add sugar or cream. I normally use a light or medium roast Alternatively, you can use hot water but…coffee is so much better.
Helpful Red Velvet Cake Supplies
What Cream Cheese Frosting should I use?
Originally I used THIS cream cheese frosting! It’s light, airy, simple, and delicious!
But then I switched to THIS cream cheese frosting and it’s my new favorite!
I love a tangy frosting so it’s packed with cream cheese and much thicker in texture. However, if you beat it like crazy it does fluff up quite nicely. If you aren’t a fan of this bold cream cheese-flavored frosting then go with the first recipe.
I hope that you guys enjoy this red velvet cake as much as I do. Lord knows I didn’t want to make this cake AGAIN this week…but I have to give my readers what they demand…..and now I have all this cake…. that I have to eat all by myself…..*sigh* oh well….life is tough like that sometimes. : )
Watch me make this Best Red Velvet Cake Recipe from start to finish!
Get the Recipe: The BEST Red Velvet Cake Recipe. Easy. Moist. Homemade
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons unsweetened, cocoa powder
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil or canola
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1-2 oz. red food coloring, more or less depending on how deep you want the color
- 1/2 cup plain hot coffee, prepared (don't skip this ingredient)
- 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
Cream Cheese Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F.
- Generously grease and flour (2) 9-inch round cake pans. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar and vegetable oil.
- Mix in the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and red food coloring until combined.
- Stir in the coffee and white vinegar.
- Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients a little at a time, mixing after each addition, just until combined. (Batter will be thin)
- Pour the batter evenly into each pan.
- Bake in the middle rack for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it. Do not overbake as the cake will continue to cook as it cools.
- Let pans cool on a cooling rack until the pans are warm to the touch.
- Slide a knife or offset spatula around the inside of the pans to loosen the cake from the pan.
- Gently remove the cakes from the pan and let them finish cooling. (The warm cake will be very delicate)
- Frost the cake with cream cheese frosting when the cakes have cooled completely.
Video
Notes
Be sure to not overbake! Check the cake at 30 minutes as some ovens run really hot.
The cakes are really moist and delicate. You may need to refrigerate them to firm them up before stacking and frosting.
To bake cupcakes, bake for 18-20 minutes, checking at the 18-minute mark.
Thank you!! My boyfriend doesn’t really like many sweets, but he LOVES red velvet cake, so I wanted to make it awesome. Some of our friends I were having a potluck and I (as usual) was in charge of dessert. I tried this recipe with your cream cheese frosting and was a total hit! Thank you!! 🙂
hello! i want use this recipe, but i have a dilemma, i’m not sure what kind of sugar you mean for the recipe. i have light brown sugar not white, and if white is the general sugar you use and what you mean in this recipe, would light brown sugar ruin the whole recipe? financial problems currently, so i’m curious. if not, i’ll try it out. thank you!!
p.s if you mean “sugar” as a general thing, meaning any type, then that’s great. :~)))
I havent tried this Recipe yet, but before i do – Has anyone tried this recipe and covered it in fondant? and then also stacked it? i need to make sure that it is not too moist for fondant.
please let me know
thanks
This truly is the very best , most very moist red velvet cake ever, i have made it around 10 times now and have made the very same recipe into cupcakes and its amazing after trying around a dozen different recipes i gave up i was like ‘Yuck’, red velvet is grose , to sweet to hard on top and dry inside not enough flavour ….but this one is perfect perfect perfect delicious and did i mention perfect!!
Girl you have done it again. I thought your Cream Cheese Pound Cake was the bomb but this one is even better. It literally has a smooth silky light taste and texture. This was my first time making a red Velvet cake. It turned out great; I ‘ve never used Vinegar or coffee in a cake recipe before. I didn’t purchase any special coffee I just used an old hotel package we had around the house. I baked my practice cake on a Tuesday and it was gobbled up that evening. So I baked another the following Saturday. The Minister was visiting and I gave him a big piece. Before he left he asked for another slice to take home. The next day after Church Service instead of saying his normal “God Bless You” as we left the church; he commented on how much he enjoyed the cake.
I enjoy making different types of cakes. And this one is now on the top of my list along with the Cream Cheese Pound Cake. The only reservation I have about this cake is the frosting. It is so light and delicate that it needs to remain cold to keep it from melting off. Most of my cakes have to travel; so I put it in the freezer for about 30 min to 1 hour to let it set. I also would recommend keeping this one in the refrigerator. But as tasty as it is; it’s not going to last very long.
Plz I will like to know how u made the plain hot coffee on the recipe? Dont know how to make it
I have made a few Red velvet cakes in my time but this one is my favorite one so far! I really don’t need to look further for another one as this recipe is perfect. I followed the directions and it was a big hit. I made the cream cheese frosting but omitted one cup of the sugar, it was tangier but perfect, i added no extra milk or liquid