This Red Velvet Cake recipe is a Southern classic made completely from scratch with real butter, tangy buttermilk, and a touch of cocoa powder for that rich, velvety crumb. Topped with smooth cream cheese frosting, it’s the perfect cake for any time you want an elegant, homemade dessert that never goes out of style.
This is the best Red Velvet Cake recipe I’ve ever made. So moist, tangy and perfect! I make one every year and each year try a different recipe, but I found this is the keeper.
Red velvet cake has roots in the early 1900s, where it first appeared in Southern kitchens and became famous for its soft texture and subtle cocoa flavor. The original recipe used natural cocoa powder, which reacted with vinegar and buttermilk to create a faint red hue long before food coloring was added. Over time, this elegant cake became a bakery favorite, celebrated for its light chocolate notes, creamy frosting, and classic red color that still feels timeless today.
I tested so many versions of this recipe before landing on the one that finally hit all the right notes: soft, tangy, and perfectly balanced with that hint of cocoa that makes red velvet so special. It’s been a reader favorite ever since!
For more of that irresistable red velvet flavor, check out my Red Velvet Cupcakes, Red Velvet Kiss Cookies, Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies, Red Velvet Whoopie Pies, and my Red Velvet Earthquake Cake.
If you want to learn how to make more cakes from scratch rather than use a boxed mix, try my Homemade German Chocolate Cake, Homemade Funfetti Cake, and Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting!
Why you’ll love this reader favorite recipe!
- The mix of butter and oil gives this cake the perfect texture – soft, moist, and rich without feeling heavy.
- Using a generous amount of cocoa powder adds depth and richness while still keeping that signature red velvet flavor instead of full chocolate.
- The vibrant red color and creamy frosting make it a showstopper for holidays like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or any special celebration.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Cake Flour – This is what gives red velvet cake its signature crumb. Cake flour has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, which helps the cake stay light and tender.
- Cocoa Powder – I use 3 tablespoons for a slightly more noticeable chocolate taste, but 2 is more standard. Either natural or Dutch-process cocoa works perfectly here.
- Butter and Vegetable Oil – Butter adds rich flavor while the oil keeps the cake moist for days. Using both gives you the best combination of taste and texture.
- Granulated Sugar – Sweetens the cake and helps create a soft, even crumb.
- Eggs – Add richness and structure so the layers hold together beautifully once frosted.
- Buttermilk – Essential for that subtle tang and the moist, tender texture that red velvet is known for.
- Baking Soda and White Vinegar – These two react together to help the cake rise evenly with the perfect crumb. They also enhance the red color when mixed with cocoa powder.
- Red Food Coloring – What gives this cake its bold, classic hue. Gel food coloring (affiliate link) is easiest to find and gives that deep red color red velvet is famous for.
- Vanilla Extract – Adds warmth and rounds out the flavors beautifully.
- Cream Cheese – The heart of the frosting, adding a creamy, tangy contrast to the sweet cake layers.
- Powdered Sugar – Sweetens and thickens the frosting while keeping it smooth and spreadable.
- Cream or Milk – Softens the frosting to your preferred consistency for easy spreading.
How to Make Red Velvet Cake
- Prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans with parchment circles, then lightly grease the bottoms and sides with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt, and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar. Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together for 3 to 4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the vegetable oil and beat again, scraping down the sides of the bowl. The mixture may look slightly curdled, which is completely normal.
- Add eggs and color. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then mix in the vanilla extract. Stir in the vinegar and red food coloring (affiliate link) until the batter is evenly tinted. Alternate adding one-third of the dry ingredients with one-third of the buttermilk, mixing on low speed just until combined each time. Scrape the bowl as needed and repeat until everything is incorporated.
- Pour and bake. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes for 9-inch pans or 38 to 43 minutes for 8-inch pans, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached. Do not overbake—the cake should stay soft and tender.
Make Cream Cheese Frosting
- Make frosting base. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together using a handheld or stand mixer until smooth and creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add sweetness. Add the powdered sugar and cream (or milk) on low speed until combined, then increase to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and salt until smooth.
- Cool cakes. Allow the cakes to cool completely before removing them from the pans. Level the tops if needed to create even layers.
- Frost. Spread cream cheese frosting between the cake layers and over the top and sides. Ermine frosting also works beautifully if you prefer something a little lighter and less sweet.
Recipe FAQs
Cream Cheese Frosting is my go-to because that tangy flavor balances the cake perfectly. If you prefer something lighter and less sweet, Ermine Frosting (the original pairing) is wonderful too (I use it on my Black Forest Cake). Swiss Meringue Buttercream would work well without being too sweet.
Not really. There’s a little cocoa powder for flavor, but it’s not meant to taste like a full chocolate cake. The flavor is softer, buttery, and just slightly tangy with that hint of cocoa that makes red velvet so special.
Because of the cream cheese frosting, red velvet cake should be stored in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for about 5 days, but I like to let it sit out for 1-2 hours before serving so it comes to room temperature and the texture softens again.
Yes! You can freeze the cake whole or as individual slices. I recommend freezing it bare for about an hour first until the frosting is firm, then wrap it in a couple of layers of plastic wrap. Thaw in the fridge or on the counter before serving. You can also bake the cake layers ahead of time and freeze them for up to 2-3 months, then thaw and frost with fresh cream cheese frosting when you’re ready to serve.
Tips for Success
- For even layers, use a kitchen scale to divide the batter between the pans so both bake evenly. I like using 8-inch pans for thicker, taller layers, but 9-inch pans work great too, just adjust the baking time to 30-35 minutes for 9-inch or 38-43 minutes for 8-inch.
- Don’t overbake! The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Overbaking will dry it out and take away that soft, velvety texture.
- Make sure the cakes are completely cool before frosting. If they’re even slightly warm, the cream cheese frosting can start to melt and slide.
- For clean, neat slices, chill the cake for about 30 minutes before cutting. It helps the frosting firm up and gives you picture-perfect layers.
How to Decorate Red Velvet Cake
I like to keep decoration simple so the beauty of the cake itself shines through. Try using the extra cake crumbs from leveling your layers to sprinkle over the top, just like I do with my Carrot Cake. It gives a timeless finish and hints at the flavors inside.
For a more playful touch, you can add frosting swirls around the edges or decorate with small candies or cookies like in my Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake. If you want something elegant for a special occasion, top each mound of frosting with red or white flowers, similar to the look of my Vintage Cherry Chip Layer Cake.
More Cake Recipes
- Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting
- Raspberry Chocolate Cake
- Oreo Cookies & Cream Cake
- Best Carrot Cake
- Coca Cola Cake
- 3-Layer S’mores Cake
- Homemade Funfetti Cake
Classic Red Velvet Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 cups cake flour scooped & leveled (354g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (22g)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup salted butter softened (113g)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
- 1 cup vegetable oil (224g)
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons red liquid food coloring (affiliate link) (or 1 Tablespoon gel food coloring (affiliate link))
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature (240g)
Frosting
- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese softened
- ½ cup salted butter softened (113g)
- 4 cups powdered sugar (520g)
- 2-3 Tablespoons cream or milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 9-inch or 8-inch cake pans with circles of parchment paper in the bottoms and spray the sides. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.3 cups cake flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Beat the butter and sugar together on high speed for 3-4 minutes in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until light and creamy. Add the oil and mix again, scraping the sides of the bowl.½ cup salted butter, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup vegetable oil
- Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla, beating on medium-high speed between each addition until combined. Add vinegar and food coloring (affiliate link), using as much food coloring (affiliate link) as needed to get the desired color.3 large eggs, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 Tablespoon distilled white vinegar, 2 Tablespoons red liquid food coloring (affiliate link)
- Turn mixer to low speed and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk in 2-3 additions, mixing just until combined between each addition and scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.1 cup buttermilk
- Transfer batter to the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes (for 9-inch pans) or 38-43 minutes (for 8-inch pans) until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few crumbs. Do not overbake. Remove from oven and cool completely.
For the frosting
- Beat the cream cheese and butter together in a large bowl using a handheld mixer until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and cream or milk and mix on low speed until incorporated, then increase speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add vanilla and salt and beat again.2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, ½ cup salted butter, 4 cups powdered sugar, 2-3 Tablespoons cream or milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, Pinch of salt
Assembly
- Level the cakes (if needed) so the tops are flat. Save scraps to crumble and use for decorating. Frost with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle the top of the cake with the reserved crumbs. Slice and serve.
Video
Notes
- Cake Flour Substitute: If you don’t have cake flour, use 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour with ⅓ cup cornstarch instead.
- Cupcakes: Fill cupcake liners ½ to ⅔ of the way full. Bake for 19-21 minutes until the tops spring back at a touch or a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.
- Cake Pans: This recipe can be made with either two 8-inch or 9-inch baking pans to create two layers. I like using my 8-inch pans for nice, thick layers like you see in these photos. The baking time is 30-35 minutes for 9-inch pans and 38-43 minutes for 8-inch pans.
Storage & Make Ahead
- Store: Keep covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
- Freeze: Freeze whole or sliced for up to 2 months. Wrap well and thaw in the fridge or at room temp.
- Make Ahead: Bake cake layers up to 2-3 months ahead and freeze. Thaw and frost when ready to serve.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in January, 2019. The photos and content were updated in January, 2022.
This is one of my favorite cakes of all time. I’ve had good red velvet cakes but this looks so delicious! What an awesome recipe and I can’t wait to try it.
I am always on the hunt for delicious red velvet cake! I love how smooth the frosting is on this cake, which is tough when it comes to cream cheese frosting. A delicious classic recipe for sure!
Hi. To put the crumbs on the cake, do you make an additional layer to crumble? Or what?
I just use the crumbs made from leveling off the tops of the cakes.
The Red Velvet Cake is one of the favorite cake. it looks very attractive. The cake is so moist, fluffy.
First red velvet cake for me was received with rave reviews. Followed the recipe with the following two modifications; I added one extra tablespoon of cocoa and replaced some of the oil with a single portion container of unsweetened applesauce.
Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipe!
My frosting is too soft, almost liquid… what’s the secret? Do you use 2 8 ounces or totally 8 ounces of cream cheese?
It’s definitely a soft frosting, but it shouldn’t be liquid. Yes, it’s 2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese for a total of 16 ounces. I would suggest completely omitting the cream or milk and increasing the powdered sugar by 1/2 cup increments if you are having difficulty with the frosting being too soft and see how that does. That said, I’ve made it this way many times and haven’t had problems with it.
Thanks Amy, this is a great recipe! I used it for the bottom tier of a wedding cake, and it worked brilliantly. I found that one batch of the recipe was perfect for a single 10 inch cake, which came out at a little over 2 inches. These larger cakes took 65-70 minutes. I used two cakes, sandwiched and crumb coated with buttercream (I love cream cheese frosting but I’ve found it can be too soft to hold up to the weight of fondant). The only change I made to the cake was to use caster sugar instead of granulated sugar.
You are welcome, Matt! I’m so glad it worked out so well for the wedding cake. And thank you for the additional info on the bake time for the larger cakes!
Hi Amy, could you please help to covert the ingredients in grams?
Would love to try this amazing recipe.
Hi Cynthia! Okay, I just added measurements in grams as well! I hope that helps!
Hello! I’m currently using your recipe to make an anatomy project for class! If you were to make one 9inch on instead of two, would you still heat it to 350 degrees?
Hi Aaliya! Yes, you will want to keep the temperature at 350 degrees. I’m not clear on whether you are attempting to make one larger cake (in which case it will take longer to cook through) or if you are just doing a half batch (and maybe using the rest for cupcakes or something?). If you have more questions that I can help you with, let me know!
The cake came out dense even though I followed the recipe to the T. I used both butter and oil. I used the freshest eggs from a local farmer. The cake also developed quite a hard crust as it was cooling. It tasted nice but was not 100% happy with the outcome.
What could have gone wrong?
I’m not sure why you would end up with a hard crust – that sounds like possibly an oven issue to me because I haven’t had that happen with this recipe. If it was dense, my guess is that the batter got mixed too much when adding the flour and liquid.
Was trying some different recipes to see what I liked better for an upcoming wedding. Yours are the Cats Pajamas, Girl!!! Thank you so much. Such a tender cake with a beautiful flavor.
🙂 I haven’t heard that phrase in such a long time but I love it! Thank you!
Simply awesome. As this one is my favorite cake, so I loved this. Yummy and delicious
Thank you for sharing such a great recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
It help a lot if you list the ingredients first rather than the directions. Way too much to scroll through just to find the ingredients list.
Can this recipe work the same for cupcakes as well?
Absolutely! Just fill them about 2/3 full and bake for 18-20 minutes!
Thanks! I love Red velvet cake so much and this recipe is wonderful. I tried it and every one loves it.
I made this cake yesterday for Christmas. Excellent! Definitely a recipe keeper!!
How many eggs are in the recipe? They are not listed.
You must have just missed it – there are 3 eggs listed in the recipe ingredients.
Hi, in the article you say you are using 3 tablespoons of cocoa but in the recipe it is only 2 ?! Is it important? I made the cake today and the frosting was very runny and on top of it it was at least a1/3 too much and I discover the cake very thickly.what did I do wrong….confused in Germany
Eek! Sorry about that typo in the ingredient list! I’ve fixed it to say 3 tablespoons, which is the correct amount, although as mentioned in the article it’s very typical for red velvet cakes to only use 2 tablespoons. If your cake is thick, there could be a few issues. One is that I would make sure to start with room temperature ingredients and be sure to cream the butter and sugar very well so it’s light and fluffy. If the frosting is runny, either reduce the amount of cream cheese or increase the amount of powdered sugar, although this is definitely a much softer frosting that you won’t be able to pipe onto the cake. I hope this is helpful!
I don’t have any type of vinegar on hand. I saw online that you can use lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar. Can I do that?
Yes! You can usually substitute lemon juice for vinegar.
Great post! So informative and perfectly described each step. Thank you for sharing!
Baked this cake for my birthday and it was an absolute hit! So moist and tasty. Thank you for doing what you do
Do you use salted or unsalted butter
I use salted butter.
It made too much, this was enough for 4 cakes
This looks fantastic! How do you think ermine frosting will pipe? I’m thinking of doing cupcakes. Also, do you think the crumbs will dry out too much? Or is that the point to have more of a crunch? I’ve never done this before 🙂 excited to try new things! Also, I love the story about your aunt Becky and the Black Forest cake!
Ermine frosting is excellent for piping! The crumbs dry out a bit, but not to the point of being crunchy.
This Red Velvet cake is one of the best delectable cakes I have ever tasted. The taste is so unique and delicious I just loved to have it again and again. Thanks for sharing !!!
Your recipe sounds very nice and I want to use it for making a tall 7″ cake with maybe 4 layers. What quantities should I use if I want to make enough for 1 x 7″ cake pan at a time? Also, what size are the eggs? Large or medium? UK or US sizes?
Thanks very much.
I’m using large eggs in U.S. sizes. I’m not familiar with 7-inch cake pans as I only have 8- and 9-inch pans, but I think you might need to double the amount and just plan on making cupcakes with the extra batter.
Why I love this red velvet is it’s yummy looks and the tasty velvety layering. Can we also change it into a rainbow cake by giving different color layering.
Love this recipe!
Its really the best red velvet cake recipe.
Wow, this is an excellent cake recipe. Thanks!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Thank you for this informative recipe dear , i prepare this cake on my anniversary party by own and everyone in the party like that alot.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I did it!!! Thank you for this recipe. My mom and my 2 year old son loves it!!!
I’m so happy to hear that!
Thanks for sharing!
Hi,
Thank you for sharing this recipe. This recipe is very delicious and also very easy to make. I make this recipe very easily. Such a nice recipe.
hi thanks for the recipe. really a delicious recipe. I Made it and my family loves this red velvet cake very much. you are doing such a great thing.
Wow, Amazing cake recipe. Thanks a lot for sharing this
Delicious cake. LOVE IT.
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing red velvet cake recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!
Oh my, I love red velvet cake! One can never go wrong with this cake! Now I will have to make it this weekend!
Can this recipe be made in a 9 X 13 cake pan, and if so what would the baking time be???
Sure! I would bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Would the ingredient amounts need adjusted if I wanted to make a three tier cake?
If you want to make a three layer cake, no you don’t need to adjust the ingredient amounts. You could just divide the batter evenly between three 8-inch pans (it would be 2 cups of batter per pan since the recipe makes 6 cups of batter) and bake for about 5-8 minutes less. The layers will be slightly thinner than what you see here, but still a good size. If you want the exact same thickness of layers but three instead of two, then you would need to make 1.5x the recipe. If you are talking about a three tier cake like a wedding cake, then yes, you could need to double or triple the recipe depending on the size of the cake you are wanting to make (but I don’t think that’s what you were asking). Sorry if that explanation is too long or detailed!
I made this today and the cakes sunk in the middle. Any suggestions on how to make sure this doesn’t happen next time.
Sorry to hear that, Julie! If your cakes sunk in the middle, it’s usually because the ingredients were cold instead of room temperature, the batter was mixed at a high speed after adding the flour, or something happened while the cakes were in the oven (if I get antsy and open the oven door to check the cakes too often or if the oven wasn’t fully preheated before baking they will sometimes sink). I hope this helps!
I made this and it is lovely. I wanted to double the recipe but realised that I had only 5 eggs, so IInadjusted the ingredients to fit 5 eggs and used 3 pans and baked for 40 mins. Yummy! The kids could not let the cakes cool. We started on them while they were still warm.
Can I use a big sheet cake pan for this recipe, doubling it?
What kind of cream or milk do you use for the frosting, also would Almond milk be fine?
I think almond milk would be just fine.
I am making this recipe for the first time and am excited,all the reviews are so great. However, I did notice your comment on the cream cheese frpsting being too soft to pipe. Is there another recipe for this cake which would be more sturdy and good for piping or could I just adjust the amount of sugar or could I add a stabilizer such as gelatin? I am sorry but I a. Going to need a sturdy frosting for this birthday cake.
Thanks so much,
Patty R
Hi Patty! Sorry for my delayed response. If you need a pipeable frosting that is sturdier but pairs well with red velvet cake, I would use ermine frosting. It’s the same one in my black forest cake and was actually the original frosting used for red velvet cake before cream cheese frosting became popular.
Do I add anything extra for High Altitude?
I’m not a high altitude baker, so I can’t speak from experience here, but I think it would still turn out fine. King Arthur’s Flour has a great high-altitude baking guide though that you might want to check out.
Haven’t made it yet. Was wondering why it doesn’t call for baking powder? Thanks
This is the best Red Velvet cake I’ve ever had! I made it gluten and dairy free. I halved the recipe as I have made 5 different ones this week. It freezes beautifully too! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe.
I’m so happy to hear that, Sandra! Thank you for sharing your experiences!
I made this cake a few days ago (but I made Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting instead of the Cream Cheese Frosting). It was a hit! My only suggestion would be to separate the batter into three pans because there was quite a bit of batter left over.
I will definitely make it again!