“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 lightly chocolatey sweet taste mellow with a tad bit of tang from the buttermilk.
Whatever it is, I’m totally present for all this RED VELVET!!!
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, 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. 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!
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 a 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.
Helpful Red Velvet Cake Supplies
LOOKING FOR RED VELVET CUPCAKES? Check them out here!
The cream cheese frosting that goes with this red velvet cake is….how can I say this…. THE BOMB!!! It’s silky smooth, light, and sweet but not so sweet that it overpowers the cake like some cream cheese frosting tend to do, you know what I’m saying?
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!
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
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 <g class="gr_ gr_118 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="118" data-gr-id="118">and</g> 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 center comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it. Do not over bake 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.
Notes
~TIPS~
Be sure to not overbake! Check the cake at 30 minutes as some ovens run really hot.
Cakes are really moist and 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.
Love this recipe!
I have been making this cake recipe for years. It is so moist and delicious. My daughters all time favorite cake! Follow recipe exactly as it says and do not over bake! You will not be disappointed!
Monique, I need an answer quickly. If I only had your phone number . Just kidding! Any who…. Do you think I can use your red velvet cake recipe for a 2 or 3 tier wedding cake? It is my go to red velvet cake recipe, and the bride wants red velvet cake. The cake is so soft and I do not want it to collapse. The bride and I would both be devastated.
I’m sooooo looking forward to trying this recipe. Can you substitute the buttermilk? If so, with what?
Can this recipe be baked in a bundt pan?
Do you know the recipe of a perfect and moist gluten free red velvet Cake ? Thank you
I’ll definitely get to posting that one soon!
Hi Monique
This cake is great always a hit. Can I use this recipe to make Blue Velvet Cake? Just change this food coloring. Thanks for your recipes
Can I use this receipe for Blue Velvet Cake just change food coloring
Sure can!
Omgosh! This cake is HITTIN!!! The cake is unbelievably moist while the crumb is fluffy and soft just the way I like it. And the flavor is so rich just like a red velvet cake should be. Thank you so much for this recipe. I can’t wait to try making the Pound Cake and Brownie versions of this!!