Red velvet cake isn’t simply a cake tinted with red food colouring. It is a chocolate cake with a small amount of cocoa powder. The chocolate flavour is quite light, yet the flavours are exquisitely rich. The acidic ingredients, vinegar and buttermilk react with the chocolate, keeping the cake moist and fluffy.
In this red velvet cake, butter, eggs, vanilla, red gel food colouring, chocolate, buttermilk, and other ingredients are used. It looks and tastes fantastic. This red velvet recipe will give you a delicious and moist cake-like you have never had before.
In reality, the buttermilk and vinegar in the original red velvet cake naturally bring out the red undertones in the cocoa powder, giving the cake a reddish colour. Buttermilk and vinegar also help to break down gluten in the flour, making the cake more tender, which is perhaps why it’s called red velvet.
Why you should try this Red velvet cake ?
- Super delicious
- Extremely appetising
- Made with cream cheese
- Super soft and moist
- Easily available ingredients
Useful Tips for making Red velvet cake
- Always use good colouring from a trustworthy brand.
- It is preferred to use gel food colouring.
- Adding gel based colour will not affect the consistency of the batter.
- Adding vinegar into the batter as the last step increases the softness of the cake.
- Cut a thin layer of red velvet cake from the top of the cake to make the surface even. Break it into small pieces and crush for few seconds in a mixer. We can use this cake powder for red velvet cake decoration.
- To make the cake even more prettier, fry the cake pieces in a pan for few minutes until they become crisp and then powder it in a mixer. This powdered cake can be used for decoration and will give a very attractive velvet look.
How to make Red velvet cake
Red velvet cake preparation involves following steps.
- Red velvet cake preparation
- Prepare dry ingredients
- Prepare wet ingredients
- Prepare cake batter
- Sugar syrup preparation
- Cream cheese frosting preparation
- Red velvet cake Decoration
1. Red velvet Cake Preparation Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Grease a 7 inch/8 inch cake tin using oil/butter.
- Grease all the sides and then place a parchment paper/butter paper at the bottom of the cake tin.
2. Preparing Dry Ingredients:
- Mix all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
- Sieve and mix the above ingredients at least 3 times. This step helps to soften our cake.
3. Preparing Wet Ingredients:
- Take a large bowl and beat butter until it is fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar in 3 intervals and beat until the mixture becomes creamy.
- To this mix add 4 eggs and vanilla extract and beat nicely.
- Add oil and buttermilk and beat for a few seconds until all the ingredients are mixed evenly.
- Add food colour and beat for around 20 seconds. You can see the beautiful red colour now.
4. Preparing the cake batter:
- To the above wet mix, add dry ingredients in 3 – 4 intervals. Mix the ingredients slowly using a spatula in a cut and fold method.
- Add vinegar to the batter just before pouring the batter into the cake tin. Mix the batter nicely after adding vinegar.
- Pour the final mix into the greased cake tin/pan.
- Tap the cake tin 5-10 times, to remove any trapped air bubbles.
- Place the tin in the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
- After 40 minutes, insert a toothpick/skewer into the cake and check if it is ready. If the skewer comes out clean, then our cake is ready.
5. Sugar syrup preparation Steps:
- Boil the water in a bowl.
- Add sugar, a pinch of salt and allow to boil for 2-3 minutes.
- Take out the bowl and cool down the syrup to room temperature.
6. Cream cheese frosting preparation steps:
- Take a bowl and beat the cream cheese until it becomes soft and fluffy.
- To the above mix, add butter and beat until it’s soft.
- Add powdered sugar at regular intervals and beat to get a creamy mix.
- Add 1 teaspoon vanilla essence and beat nicely. set this mixture aside.
- Take the whipping cream in a bowl and beat until stiff peaks are formed.
- Add the above cream cheese butter mix to this whipped cream and fold nicely using a spatula.
- Cream cheese frosting is now ready.
7. Red velvet cake Decoration:
- Level the cake top with a knife. Do not throw away these cut pieces of cake as they can be used for cake decoration.
- Cut the cake into 3 equal layers using a large knife or cake leveller.
- Using a brush or spoon, spray/pour the sugar syrup onto these 3 cake pieces.
- Place the first piece on a cake stand or plate and apply an even layer of cream cheese frosting.
- Place the second and third layers simultaneously on top and apply frosting in between the layers.
- Finally, frost the top and sides of the cake.
- Fill a piping bag with the cream cheese frosting and make the desired designs using suitable nozzles.

Red Velvet Cake Recipe – Easy Recipe to Make Red Velvet Cake at Home
Ingredients
For the red velvet cake
- 1 ½ cup All-purpose flour or Maida
- 1 tsp Unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ cup Unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 ½ cup Powdered sugar
- 4 numbers Eggs
- 6 tbsp Vegetable oil
- ½ tsp Red food colour
- 1 ½ tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp White vinegar
- 2 tbsp Thick buttermilk at room temperature
For the cream cheese frosting
- 150 grams Cream cheese
- ¼ cup Unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 cups Powdered sugar/Icing sugar
- 1 ½ cup Whipping cream
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
For the Sugar Syrup
- ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup Water
- 1 pinch Salt
Instructions
Red velvet Cake Preparation Steps
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius
- Grease a 7 inch/8 inch cake tin using oil/butter
- Grease all the sides and then place a parchment paper/butter paper at the bottom of the cake tin.
Preparing Dry Ingredients
- Mix all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl
- Sieve and mix the above ingredients at least 3 times. This step helps to soften our cake.
Preparing Wet Ingredients
- Take a large bowl and beat butter until it is fluffy
- Add powdered sugar in 3 intervals and beat until the mixture becomes creamy
- To this mix add 4 eggs and vanilla extract and beat nicely
- Add oil and buttermilk and beat for a few seconds until all the ingredients are mixed evenly
- Add food colour and beat for around 20 seconds. You can see the beautiful red colour now
Preparing the cake batter
- To the above wet mix, add dry ingredients in 3 – 4 intervals
- Mix the ingredients slowly using a spatula in a cut and fold method
- Add vinegar to the batter just before pouring the batter into the cake tin
- Mix the batter nicely after adding vinegar
- Pour the final mix into the greased cake tin/pan
- Tap the cake tin 5-10 times, to remove any trapped air bubbles
- Place the tin in the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius
- After 40 minutes, insert a toothpick/skewer into the cake and check if it is ready. If the skewer comes out clean, then our cake is ready.
Sugar syrup preparation Steps
- Boil the water in a bowl
- Add sugar, a pinch of salt and allow to boil for 2-3 minutes
- Take out the bowl and cool down the syrup to room temperature
Cream cheese frosting preparation steps
- Take a bowl and beat the cream cheese until it becomes soft and fluffy
- To the above mix, add butter and beat until it’s soft
- Add powdered sugar at regular intervals and beat to get a creamy mix
- Add 1 teaspoon vanilla essence and beat nicely. set this mixture aside
- Take the whipping cream in a bowl and beat until stiff peaks are formed
- Add the above cream cheese butter mix to this whipped cream and fold nicely using a spatula
- Cream cheese frosting is now ready
Red velvet cake Decoration
- Level the cake top with a knife. Do not throw away these cut pieces of cake as they can be used for cake decoration
- Cut the cake into 3 equal layers using a large knife or cake leveller
- Using a brush or spoon, spray/pour the sugar syrup onto these 3 cake pieces
- Place the first piece on a cake stand or plate and apply an even layer of cream cheese frosting
- Place the second and third layers simultaneously on top and apply frosting in between the layers
- Finally, frost the top and sides of the cake
- Fill a piping bag with the cream cheese frosting and make the desired designs using suitable nozzles
Notes
- Always use good colouring from a trustworthy brand.
- It is preferred to use gel food colouring.
- Adding gel colour will not affect the consistency of the batter.
- Adding vinegar into the batter as the last step increases the softness of the cake.
- Cut a thin layer of red velvet cake from the top of the cake to make the surface even. Break it into small pieces and grind for few seconds in a mixer. We can use this cake powder for red velvet cake decoration.
- To make the cake even more prettier, fry the cake pieces for few minutes until they become crisp and then powder it in a mixer. This powdered cake can be used for decoration and will give an attractive velvet look.
What makes red velvet cake different?
Red velvet cake is more than just the use of food colouring. Cocoa powder, vinegar, and buttermilk are used to make red velvet cake. The chemical interaction between these ingredients contributes to the cake’s deep crimson colour, which is often heightened with additional food colouring.
What is the Flavour of red velvet cake?
Because it contains so little cocoa powder, red velvet cake has a very weak chocolate flavour. The cream cheese icing provides the primary flavour note. You receive bits of fluffy, delicious cake with a wonderfully creamy, delicate frozen tongue sensation.
How do you make a red velvet cake moister?
When you have creamed the butter and sugar together, you beat two eggs until you blend them properly. Then add some oil, red food colour, vanilla essence and distilled white vinegar to the remaining wet ingredients. The oil helps to keep the cake very moist, thus I use a butter and oil mixture in this cake.
Why is red velvet cake so expensive?
While the frosts usually include cream cheese, which can make it cheaper to frost, the cake is thus more expensive. Most of the red velvet cake is merely the red, cream-frosting chocolate cake.
Can you make a red velvet cake without red food colouring?
This no-dye red velvet cake recipe is created for a damp, sweet layer cake with a colouration that allows the natural rottenness of cacao to show out.
How do you make a red velvet cake moister?
When you have creamed the butter and sugar together, you beat two eggs until you blend them properly. Then add some oil, red food colour, vanilla essence and distilled white vinegar to the remaining wet ingredients. The oil helps make the cake unbelievably moist, so I use a butter and oil combo.
What is natural red food Colouring?
In fruit and vegetables, anthocyanins are a highly common natural food colouring. Red chocolate, red wine and various berries are examples of sources.