Red Velvet Cake & Cupcakes

Red Velvet Cake and Cupcakes

Red velvet cake is a rich flavor combination of chocolate, vanilla, and that rich tanginess that buttermilk provides. It's another one of my family's go-to flavors and pairs well with vanilla, chocolate, or cream cheese buttercream frostings as well as many others!
Make sure to read all important notes below.

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
1½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp + 1 tsp vanilla Greek yogurt

1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
⅛ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder, sifted
1½ tsp baking soda, sifted

1 cup buttermilk

1 Tbsp white vinegar
⅓ cup canola oil

20-30 drops red gel coloring (optional, or as much as desired)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or using a hand mixer with the whisk attachment and a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla extract and Greek yogurt and mix this all together.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, cocoa powder salt, sifted baking powder, and sifted baking soda.

Add dry ingredients and buttermilk into the butter/sugar/egg mixture, alternating adding the dry ingredients with the buttermilk.

Add the vinegar and canola oil and mix just until combined. Add the red gel coloring if desired. Do not overmix beyond this.

If you are making cake layers, spray your cake pans with canola spray and/or add a parchment circle to prevent sticking. Fill each cake pan approximately ½ to ⅔ full of batter.

If you are making cupcakes, add baking liners to cupcake pans and fill each approximately ½ to ⅔ full of batter. A cookie dough scoop or ice cream scoop is very helpful for filling cupcake pans.

Bake at 350° until a toothpick comes out cleanly from the center of the cake layers or cupcakes. Baking times will vary based on oven strength, altitude, cake layer size, and many other factors, so I do not give a specific baking time. I recommend just checking with a toothpick periodically.

Roughly, cupcakes bake in 12 to 18 minutes, and cake layers can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 45 minutes.

Allow cake layers to cool sitting in their pans on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pan to help release the layer. If planning to decorate on another day, while still warm, wrap the layer tightly in plastic wrap and place into airtight bag or container, then store in the freezer. If planning on decorating same day, allow to cool completely before decorating. My preference is to stack/assemble and frost frozen cake layers, as they are more solid to work with, and this preserves moisture.

Allow cupcakes to cool in their pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks just until warm (keep liners on). If planning to decorate on another day, place cupcakes into an airtight bag and then place into another airtight container or bag, then store in the freezer. If planning on decorating same day, allow to cool completely before decorating.

Yield

This recipe makes:

Three 6-inch cake layers
- OR -
Two 8-inch cake layers
- OR -
One 12-inch cake layer
- OR -
One quarter sheet cake layer
- OR -
Approximately 24 standard cupcakes plus extras
- OR -
Approximately 48 mini cupcakes plus extras

Important Notes

Once covered and decorated in buttercream frosting, cakes and cupcakes may be out on the counter at room temperature for a few hours, or stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep cupcakes and cut cake (with layers exposed) in an airtight container. Uncut cakes with buttercream intact does not need to be in an airtight container.

Cake flour can be made/substituted with a mixture of all-purpose flour and cornstarch in a 15:1 ratio. Mix these well. I make a large batch of this ahead of time and use it as needed. To make just a cup for this recipe, scoop out a cup of all-purpose flour, remove 1 tablespoon of this, and replace with a tablespoon of cornstarch.

Make sure to use a gel-based coloring so as not to water down the recipe. My recommendations for gel coloring are linked below. Although red velvet cake gets its name from its vibrant color, adding this is completely optional. It will turn out a light cocoa brown color. You could also make blue velvet, green velvet, or purple velvet!

This recipe (and any of my others) can be marbled together with vanilla or another flavor or color to create marble cake. Alternate adding scoops of this batter and vanilla/other batter into the same cake pan or cupcake liner and gently swirl together with a butter knife just until swirled, not mixed. Bake as directed above, until a toothpick comes out cleanly in the center.

Recipe outcomes are affected by oven performance, altitude, climate, brands/types of ingredients, and many other factors, so some variation in results may occur.

If intending to sell baked goods, be sure to verify approved recipes and ingredients with your state’s cottage foods governing entity.

Supplies, Materials, and Ingredients Links

Cake and cupcake pans, stand mixer, hand mixer, attachments, cookie scoops, and wire racks: Wilton, Fat Daddio’s, KitchenAid, Oxo, and various brands: Amazon Storefront
Parchment circles and cupcake liners: various brands: Amazon Storefront
Vanilla extract: Watkins: Amazon Storefront
Gel colorings: Chefmaster liqua-gels and Americolor gel-pastes: Amazon Storefront
Buttermilk: Kemps: Retailer Locator

Note: purchases made from links on this page may result in my earning a commission.