Red Velvet Layer Cake

red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting on marble cake stand.

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My red velvet layer cake consists of two sponges with a velvety, melt-in-your-mouth texture, subtle cocoa flavor, and eye-catching bright red color all enrobed in a tangy cream cheese frosting. This iconic cake is perfect for celebrating Valentine's Day or any other special occasion!

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1 30

Servings16 slices

Coursecake

CuisineAmerican

AuthorSloane

Equipment

Ingredients

For the red velvet cake layers:

240 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
21 g (¼ cup) dutch process cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
113 g (8 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temp
266 g (1 ⅓ cup) granulated sugar
2 eggs, separated
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
113 g (½ cup) buttermilk, room temp
113 g (½ cup) plain whole milk greek yogurt, room temp
100 g (½ cup) neutral oil
2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon red food gel

For the cream cheese frosting:

340 g (24 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temp
18 oz (2 ¼ blocks) cream cheese, cold
508 g (4 ½ cups) powdered sugar, sifted

Instructions

For the red velvet cake layers:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and line two 9" cake pans with parchment paper.
Soak two cake strips in ice water.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Mix in the egg yolks and vanilla until well combined.
Add half of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until mostly combined. Then, mix in the buttermilk, yogurt, oil, vinegar, and red food gel, followed by the remaining dry ingredients.
In a separate small bowl, add the egg whites and use an electric hand mixer to beat until soft peaks form.
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped egg whites into the cake batter until fully combined.
Divide the cake batter between the prepared cake pans. Wrap the cake strips around the outsides of the pans.
Bake the cakes for about 30-35 minutes or until the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Immediately turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cool, wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and freeze until ready to decorate. (Frozen cake layers will be much easier to frost!)

For the cream cheese frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on high speed until smooth. Slowly add the sifted powdered sugar and mix on low speed until fully combined. Once all of the powdered sugar is added, continue beating on low speed until no more lumps or pockets of air remain and the frosting is smooth.

For assembly:

Secure the first cake layer on the cake stand with a small amount of frosting on the bottom. Using an offset spatula, spread on an even layer of frosting, then place the second cake layer on top.
Spread an even layer (or crumb coat) of frosting along the top and outside of the cake, then place in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes.
Take the cake out of the fridge and spread a thicker layer of frosting on the cake. Use the remaining frosting to pipe along the top and bottom of the cake, if desired.
Allow the cake to sit at room temperature for a few hours before serving.

Notes

Use cake strips to create flat cake layers. Soak these wilton cake strips in ice water before starting the cake batter. Just before baking, wrap the cake strips around the pan. The cold temperature on the outside of the cake will prevent the edges from baking faster than the center, resulting in an evenly baked flat cake.

Freeze the cake layers before decorating. Since this is such a moist cake, I highly recommend freezing the cake layers for at least two hours before decorating.

Use cold cream cheese & room temperature butter. In order to create a sturdy, pipeable cream cheese frosting, pay close attention to the temperature of the ingredients. Cold cream cheese will ensure it's thick enough, while room temperature butter will ensure all of the ingredients cream together properly.

Sift the powdered sugar. I know it can be a pain, but trust me, sifting your powdered sugar before adding it to the frosting is so worth it! If you don't sift it, you'll need to mix the frosting on low speed for a long time to smooth it out. This also runs the risk of agitating the milk solids, creating a grainy frosting.

Nutrition Facts

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