“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 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, 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 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.
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
LOOKING FOR RED VELVET CUPCAKES? Check them out here!
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!
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 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.
This red velvet cake and your cream cheese frosting is so good! So tasty!
I used your recipe, including the cream cheese frosting, to make red velvet cake in cups for my brother’s and sister-in-law’s birthday party. Everyone loved it.
I have made your red velvet cake many times. This last time I made it, it was bland. My coffee wasn’t as dark as it normally is. Would that affect the flavor?
Can I use butter instead of oil ?
I’m our of buttermilk and need to make cupcakes last minute. Can I use homemade buttermilk?
Hi Monique,
To make the coffee, what is the ratio between coffee powder and hot water?
How can I make plain coffee?
Please, give me an answer.
Thank you in advance!
By far one of the easiest and best tasting red velvet cakes I have ever tried.
Cake turned out moist and delicious! I made a few tweaks. I used gluten free “one for one” flour, subbed avocado oil for canola oil, and didn’t add in red food coloring (didn’t want the Red 40). Even with these changes the cake came out beautiful (light brown and moist!
Only problem was that a big chunk did stick to the bottom of both of my well-greased cake pans, but I was able to piece it together fine. I also probably made my coffee too strong as the coffee taste came through. But it was very tasty!
Made this one for my sons birthday. Absolutely delicious and very easy. Love this recipe and will make again.
My family hated Red Velvet Cake until I made this one. The said, this cake was hands down the best Red Velvet Cake they ever ate, it’s a keeper and the only one one I will make from now on. I followed the direction and the ingredients, no changes, came out perfect. thank you.