Classic Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
The cake everyone recognises and almost no one gets the texture right on. The trick is the buttermilk-and-vinegar combo that reacts with the bicarbonate to create the signature soft, velvety crumb.
Plus 1h 30m cooling / chilling time
Method
- 1
Preheat the oven to 175°C (155°C fan / 350°F / Gas 4). Grease two 20cm (8-inch) round cake tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
- 2
Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt together in a medium bowl until completely uniform. Sift if your cocoa is lumpy — it must be evenly distributed.
- 3
In a separate jug, whisk the buttermilk, red food colour, vinegar, and vanilla together until evenly red. The buttermilk and vinegar will react with the bicarb in the dry mix once they meet — this is what gives red velvet its tender texture, so do not let the wet mix sit for long.
- 4
Beat the butter alone on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until creamy, then drizzle in the oil with the mixer running. Add the sugar and beat for a further 4 minutes, scraping down the bowl, until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
- 5
Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds between each. Add the extra yolk and beat until smooth. Scrape down thoroughly.
- 6
Add a third of the flour mixture and beat on low until just combined. Add half the buttermilk mixture and mix until the colour is even. Repeat with another third of flour, the rest of the buttermilk, and finally the last of the flour. Stop beating the moment the batter is uniform — you should still see a vivid red colour.
- 7
Divide the batter equally between the two tins (weigh after filling) and smooth the tops. Bake for 27–32 minutes, until the tops spring back to a light press and a skewer in the centre comes out clean. Do not overbake — red velvet is at its best when only just done.
Bake30:00 - 8
Cool in the tins for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely — at least 90 minutes. The cakes need to be fully cold before frosting or the cream cheese will slump.
Cool90:00 - 9
Make a 1.5x batch of cream cheese frosting (recipe on cakeytops.co.uk). Place the flatter sponge upside-down on a plate or stand. Spread roughly a third of the frosting evenly to the edges. Sandwich the second sponge on top, top-side up. Pile the remaining frosting on top and spread down the sides. For a classic naked-cake finish, leave the red showing through; for a fully-covered cake, give it a thicker outer coat.
- 10
Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set the frosting, then bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing.
Baker's Notes
- •Gel food colour is essential. Liquid colour requires far more (often 60ml or more) to reach the same vibrancy and will thin the batter. A small tube of red gel paste lasts forever and gives a deeper, more stable red. Look for "Christmas Red", "Super Red", or "No-Taste Red".
- •Buttermilk substitute: stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white wine vinegar into a measuring jug and top up with whole milk to 240ml. Leave for 5 minutes until slightly curdled. The acid is what activates the bicarbonate, so do not skip.
- •Why both butter and oil? Butter for flavour, oil for tenderness — the combination gives a cake that tastes rich but stays soft for days, even from the fridge. Skip the oil and you get a drier, more cakey crumb.
- •Cocoa powder amount is correct. Red velvet is famously not a chocolate cake — the cocoa is just enough to add depth and react with the buttermilk for the velvet texture. Increasing it dulls the red colour.
- •Storage: refrigerate, well-covered, for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving for the best texture. The unfrosted sponges freeze well for 3 months — wrap each layer individually.
- •Beetroot version: for a natural red without food colour, replace 100ml of the buttermilk with 100ml of cooked beetroot purée. The red will be earthier and slightly browner once baked, but no artificial colour.
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