This red velvet cake is a two-layer, oil-based cake with a mild cocoa flavor, a genuinely moist crumb, and a tangy cream cheese frosting. It takes about an hour start to finish and uses ingredients most home bakers already have. If you want a reliable cake that looks impressive without requiring any special equipment or techniques, this is it.
Why this recipe works
Two things make this cake work. First, the batter uses oil instead of butter. Oil stays liquid at room temperature, which keeps every slice moist even the next day — butter-based cakes can dry out faster once cut. Second, the combination of buttermilk and white vinegar does double duty: it activates the baking soda for a good rise and adds a faint tang that stops the cake from tasting cloyingly sweet. Those two elements together are why the texture and flavor hold up so well, even if you bake it the night before.
About the ingredients
- Red food coloring: Gel food coloring gives a deeper, more consistent red than liquid with less volume — if you use gel, start with about 1 teaspoon and adjust. Liquid works fine at the full 2 tablespoons called for.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have it, stir 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup of whole milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. It behaves the same way in the batter.
- Cocoa powder: The recipe calls for Dutch-processed. Natural cocoa will also work, but the color reads slightly darker and the flavor is a touch more bitter — either is fine.
- Cream cheese for the frosting: Use full-fat block cream cheese, not the spreadable kind in a tub. Tub cream cheese has more water in it and the frosting can turn runny.
Mistakes to avoid
- Frosting a warm cake: Even slightly warm layers will melt cream cheese frosting on contact. The cakes need to be fully cool — not just cool to the touch on the outside. Give them at least 45 minutes on the wire rack, or refrigerate the layers for 20 minutes to speed things up.
- Uneven layers: If one cake domes significantly in the oven, level it with a serrated knife before stacking. Skipping this makes the finished cake lean and the frosting layer between the tiers uneven.
- Overfilling the pans: Divide the batter as evenly as possible — a kitchen scale helps here. An overfilled pan can overflow or bake unevenly, and you lose the clean layers that make this cake look good when sliced.
- Cold cream cheese or butter in the frosting: Both need to be genuinely soft before you beat them together. Cold cream cheese leaves lumps that don’t beat out. Pull them from the fridge at least an hour before you start the frosting — skip the microwave shortcut, which makes the edges melt unevenly.
- Adding powdered sugar all at once: Add it gradually while mixing on low. Dumping it in at once creates a cloud of sugar and can make the frosting grainy. A few additions of a cup at a time is all it takes.
Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This Red Velvet Cake is a modern twist on a classic Southern dessert, renowned for its strikingly vivid color and unique, slightly tangy flavor profile. The cake’s velvety texture combined with a creamy cream cheese frosting makes it a truly decadent treat perfect for celebrations and gatherings.
Equipment
- Two 9-inch round cake pans
- Wire cooling rack
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Offset spatula
- Fine-mesh sieve (for sifting flour and powdered sugar)
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 312g, sifted
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar 300g
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt preferably kosher or sea salt
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder not Dutch-processed — natural cocoa is acidic and reacts with the baking soda for proper rise
- 1 ½ cups vegetable oil 355ml
- 1 cup buttermilk 240ml, room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract pure vanilla extract for best flavor
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons red food coloring liquid or gel
For the Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese 225g, softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter 113g / 1 stick, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar 480g, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F / 175°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease two 9-inch (23cm) round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pans, tapping out the excess.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- In another bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract, vinegar, and red food coloring until well combined.1 1/2 cups vegetable oil, 1 cup buttermilk, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons white vinegar, 2 tablespoons red food coloring
- Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Avoid over-mixing to preserve the cake’s tenderness.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt, beating until light and fluffy.8 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 4 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Once the cakes are completely cooled, place one layer on a serving plate or cake board. Spread about one-third of the frosting evenly over the top. Place the second layer on top and apply a thin crumb coat over the top and sides. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, then apply the remaining frosting in an even layer over the top and sides using an offset spatula.
Notes
Storage: Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Unfrosted layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 3 months. Make-Ahead: Bake the layers a day ahead, wrap tightly once cooled, and frost the next day for the best texture and easiest assembly. Substitutions: Replace up to half the vegetable oil with unsweetened applesauce for a lighter cake. Swap buttermilk with whole milk plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice if needed. Pro Tip: Weigh your flour (312g for 2½ cups) instead of using cup measures — scooping can pack in extra flour and make the cake dense. Frosting Fix: If your cream cheese frosting is too soft, refrigerate it for 15–20 minutes and re-beat. Add powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time if it still won’t hold.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 751kcalCarbohydrates: 87gProtein: 6gFat: 43gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 17gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 404mgPotassium: 109mgFiber: 1gSugar: 66gVitamin A: 568IUCalcium: 54mgIron: 2mg
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Common questions
Can I make this cake a day ahead?
Yes — this cake actually holds up well overnight. Frost it, cover it loosely, and refrigerate it; bring it to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving so the frosting softens back up.
Can I bake this as a 9×13 sheet cake instead of two round layers?
You can. Pour all the batter into a greased and floured 9×13 pan and bake at the same temperature, checking at 30 minutes. Frost it directly in the pan once fully cooled — one less thing to wash.
My frosting is too soft to spread without sliding off. What do I do?
Refrigerate the frosting for 15 to 20 minutes until it firms up, then try again. If it’s still too loose, beat in a little more sifted powdered sugar, a quarter cup at a time, until it holds its shape.
Try these next
- Chocolate brownies
- Strawberry cake with fresh berries and whipped cream
- Classic soft sugar cookies
- Giant chocolate chip cookie cake
