classic red velvet layer cake
Chemical cake is my favorite cake.
Yeah, that sounds bad, but I really do think half the appeal of a traditional red velvet cake is the inexplicable flavor the red dye adds to the batter. Combined with the touch of cocoa powder…pure magic.
Whenever a red velvet thing is offered on a dessert menu, I tend to reach for it before any other crosses my mind. Especially on the rare occasion a red velvet ice cream pops up at a shop. Oh man, the things I’d do for red velvet ice cream. When I used to go to Cheesecake Factory (shit, it’s been years) I’d always get the red velvet cheesecake.
I’m not sure my lactose intolerant ass could handle that – nor could I deal with the insane sugar level, really – nowadays, but hey, it’s a fond memory set.
In honor of Mother’s Day, here we have a gorgeous layer cake in all its divine, bloodred glory. The cake itself is soft and light, and the frosting a rich cream cheese buttercream slathered thickly all over. No bells or whistles, just a damn delicious treat to share whether you’re baking for your mom, for a gathering, or for the hell of it. Bonus points?
The crumbles extracted from leveling the layers make for a pretty garnish. And, I mean, it’s extract cake. Nothing bad about that.
Smooth as Velvet
I’d imagine the name red velvet stems from the silky, airy texture of the crumb. I, of course, could Google that shit to confirm it, but I’m lazy and have enough tabs open right now. Best leave the rabbit hole to ya’ll if you’re curious.
One aspect that contributes to this texture is the addition of vinegar. My recipe calls for apple cider, but I’ve seen white wine vinegar used as well, so if you have the latter, feel free to swap it out.
Alright, let’s go. Cream butter with sugar, then whip in a few eggs, vanilla, the vinegar, red food dye, and plain Greek yogurt. For the food dye, I just bought regular-ass dye, but you can try out a “natural” dye or gel food dye. Apparently, gel makes the cake an even more potent red.
Add in your flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. You’ll see it’s a very small amount of cocoa – this adds a nice richness without turning the whole shebang into a true chocolate cake. With the mixer running, stream in the buttermilk until mostly combined (lumps in the cake batter is encouraged). Fold in your floury blueberries with a rubber spatula.
Grease two 9-inch cake pans (or three 6-inch) with butter or oil. Divide the batter amongst, smooth out the tops, then tap your pans against the counter a couple times to release any air bubbles.
Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Test with a toothpick after 30, and once it emerges with just a few moist crumbs (my fucking motto with baking, I guess), you’re good to go. Let the cakes cool about 10 minutes in the pans, then run a knife around the edges of your layers and flip onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
Don’t Cream Yourself
Instead, cream cheese your cake, you sicko.
Cream cheese frosting is traditional on a red velvet cake, so we keep it classy (San Diego) in this here recipe. No thrills, no chills.
Well, I guess some chills because you want to use cold cream cheese. This ensures the frosting stabilizes and doesn’t turn into a gooey melted blob of bullshit faster than you can say cake.
Beat the cream cheese with butter and vanilla, then add your powdered sugar. Start with 4 cups. Turn the mixer to high and whip it real good until the frosting is soft, fluffy, and spreadable. If needed, add another 1/4-1/2 cup of sugar if the frosting seems too thin, or 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream if it’s too stiff. Be sure to turn your mixer down after these additions to prevent an explosion all over your counter.
Nothing like finding powdered sugar in crevices you didn’t know existed days after your frosting-creation escapade.
Plop one of your layers on a cake stand or flat plate. Frost a generous layer atop, then add your second cake. Frost-frost-frost until nicely covered with swirly buttercream. If you do the whole fancy decorating thang, go for it if you have extra frosting. Otherwise, embrace your lack of prowess and just leave the cake as is.
I do, as I said, like to sprinkle extra cake crumbles on top. An easy low-effort way to add some pizzazz.
If mom’s a red velvet fan, bake this shit up for her, and enjoy the fruits of your labor with a big slice yourself. Storing for later? Be sure to put the cake in the fridge, covered. Cream cheese frosting is not the best to keep at room temperature. Trust me, I’ve fucked up cakes before that way. Not great.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
I heart cake:
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classic red velvet layer cake
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp red food dye
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
cream cheese frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, cold
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 4 – 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp heavy cream, to thin as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 9 inch cake pans with butter or oil.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Whip in the vanilla, vinegar, dye, and Greek yogurt. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer running, slowly stream in the buttermilk, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans. Bake 30-35 minutes until the center is set and an inserted toothpick emerges with just a few moist crumbs. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges to release the layers and flip onto a wire rack. Cool completely.
- When the cakes are cooled, make the frosting. In a bowl, whip the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla on low speed until combined. Add in 4 cups of powdered sugar and mix to combine, then increase the speed to medium high and whip until very light and fluffy. If needed, pour in more sugar 1/4 cup at a time until the frosting is soft and spreadable.
- Place one cake layer on a flat plate or cake stand. Frost the top generously, then add the second layer. Frost all the way around the cake until completely covered. If you have extra frosting, feel free to pipe little decorations onto the cake. Finish with red velvet cake crumbles, as desired.
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