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.
I have never baked a Red Velvet Cake from scratch in my life! This recipe was so easy to follow and my cake turned out perfect! I used 3/4 cups of oil instead of 1 cup, greased two 9 inch pans with wax paper, and used only 1 oz coloring. Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely delish!!! I used this cake recipe to make a “Red Velvet White Chocolate Cheesecake Cake” for Thanksgiving, this recipe was super easy and the best Red Velvet Cake ever!!! It got rave reviews from everyone, it is my go to red velvet. My babygirl will be making this recipe today, her first time making a cake from scratch. I think she will be able to pull it off because you made this so easy!!! Thanks DIVA!
I used this cake recipe to make a Red Velvet White Chocolate Cheesecake Cake for Thanksgiving, it was super easy and the best Red Velvet Cake ever!!! It got rave reviews from everyone, it is my go to red velvet. My babygirl will be making this recipe today, her first time making a cake from scratch. I think she will be able to pull it off because you made this so easy!!! Thanks DIVA!
Rhonda, I wanted to try this for a cheesecake as well, did you find that the cake was to moist to go under the cheesecake layer? I really want to try this recipe because of the rave reviews and I love moist cake but not sure how it will hold up as a red velvet cheesecake??
Hey Rhonda,
I was wondering if the red velvet layers are dense enough to hold up the white cheesecake layers. I found a recipe on Southern Living and the reviews said the cheesecake was good but the red velvet was nasty. I hoping to use this cake recipe
That combination sounds AMAZING! Would you mind sharing the recipe for that too?
Monique, I’ve mad several other recipes on your site and I am now the gal they call when anyone has parties! I’ve spread your site to everyone who asks and even the most inexperienced have made miracles with your guidance!! I’m going to try this red velvet cake for Fourth of July, and then experiment with your yellow cake and some strawberries to make a strawberry shortcake cupcake. Wish me luck! And thank you so much for sharing your obvious joy and passion with us!!
I’m about to make the Red Velvet White Chocolate Cheesecake cake too. It calls for 3-8″ cake pans for the red velvet layers. Did you do that?
I just made this red velvet cake and the cream cheese frosting a few moments ago. The assembled cake is chilling in the refrigerator right now. Can’t wait to taste it later. The crumbs and the frosting I ate while assembling were phenomenal so I know an actual slice will make my day. Thanks for the excellent recipe. I will be back on your blog to try several others!
This recipe is GREAT! I have tried many red velvet recipes and this one hands down is THE BEST. I used 2 one ounce bottles of red food color to give it a deeper red tone. This cake is super moist and simply divine.
This recipe was delicious, yes… but the cook time was wildly inaccurate. I had to make this recipe TWICE to get a successful cake. I ended up having to bake this cake about double the time (around 60-70 minutes) to get it completely cooked through the inside. This has NEVER happened to me while making a cake before.
Maybe check your oven bc I’ve been baking this cake forever and I usually take mine out a little before the suggested time. Did you happen to double or triple the batter? I’ve used multiple types of pans as well and I’ve never had that issue at all. If I baked mine even 40 minutes it would be dry and mostly burnt.
this may be due to your levener being non functioning. over time baking soda and powder will degrade. they are made from organic matter, sodium bicarbonate (seashells have this) but i digress. they can go bad, to test them drop a tablespoon of the soda or powder in a cup of water. if you see bubbles, its good, if nothing happens, then your soda/powder has aged too far to be a functional levener. this will produce a starch layer to dense to bake in a short time. just my guess
You might want to check your oven…it may have been off….