Red Velvet Cake

A tender, tangy crimson cake — subtle cocoa, buttermilk crumb — under a properly smooth cream cheese frosting.

By Serena KimPublished May 16, 20264 min read

Slice of red velvet layer cake with white cream cheese frosting

Red velvet is not chocolate cake in costume — it's its own thing: a fine, tender crumb from buttermilk and a little vinegar, just enough cocoa to round out the flavor, and that unmistakable tang of cream cheese frosting. The frosting here uses cold cream cheese and softened butter, which is the trick to a frosting that spreads smooth and doesn't slump.

Cream cheese behaves differently depending on temperature and brand — our cream cheese guide explains what to buy and why block (never tub) matters for frosting.

Recipe

Red Velvet Cake

Tender crimson buttermilk cake with subtle cocoa, finished with a stable cream cheese frosting.

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Prep: 30 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 1 hr
Servings: 12
Yield: one 2-layer 9-inch cake
Difficulty: Intermediate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Cake

2 1/2 cups cake flour (spooned and leveled)
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp fine salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup neutral oil
3 large eggs (room temperature)
1 tbsp red gel food coloring
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp white vinegar

Cream cheese frosting

12 oz block cream cheese (cold)
3/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Equipment

Two 9-inch round cake pans
Stand or hand mixer
Offset spatula

Instructions

Cake

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C); grease and line two 9-inch pans.
Whisk the cake flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda.
Beat the butter, sugar and oil 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, then the food coloring and vanilla.
Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk in three additions, starting and ending with flour. Stir in the vinegar.
Bake 28–32 minutes; cool 15 minutes in the pans, then completely on a rack.

Frosting

Beat the softened butter until pale. Add the cold cream cheese and beat just until smooth.
Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt on low speed; finish on medium just until fluffy. Fill and frost the cooled layers.

Storage

Refrigerate (cream cheese frosting) up to 4 days; serve at room temperature.

Freezing

Un-frosted layers freeze up to 2 months, well wrapped.

Reheating

Let refrigerated slices sit out 30 minutes before serving.

Substitutions

Buttermilk: 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon vinegar, rested 5 minutes.

Common mistakes

Using tub cream cheese for frosting — Tubs are whipped with water and never firm up — use cold blocks.

Nutrition (per serving)

Estimated nutrition per serving
Fat (g)	24
Sugar (g)	46
Sodium (mg)	340
Protein (g)	5
Calories	480
Saturated fat (g)	13
Carbs (g)	62

Nutrition information is an estimate calculated from the listed ingredients.

From our test kitchen

Gel color gave the truest red with the least added liquid; liquid coloring needed twice as much.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I skip the food coloring?

Yes — you'll get a lovely mahogany 'velvet cake.' Beet powder (2 tablespoons) gives a natural muted red if you prefer.

Why did my cream cheese frosting turn runny?

Warm cream cheese or overbeating after adding it. Use cold cream cheese, beat just until smooth, and chill the frosting 15 minutes if needed.

Serena Kim

Serena started Serenity Sweets from her home kitchen, where she has baked and photographed every kind of dessert for over a decade. She develops most of the recipes on the site and tests each one at least twice before it's published.