The Real Red Velvet Cake Recipes

THE BEST RED VELVET CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds and lightly coat the paper with nonstick spray.
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. Whisk together the buttermilk, food coloring and vanilla in a second medium bowl.
• Beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar and butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl if using an electric hand mixer) on medium-high speed until very light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer still running, slowly add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Reduce the speed to low. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients; mix until smooth. Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
• Bake until the cakes are slightly puffed, and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the centers, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the cakes cool in their pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto the rack to cool completely.
• For the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on high speed (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer) until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and gradually mix in the confectioners' sugar. Once all the sugar has been added, increase the speed to high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• To assemble the cake: Place one cake, domed-side down, on a platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the frosting evenly over the top. Place the remaining cake, domed-side up, on top. Spread the top with 1 1/2 cups of the frosting. Frost the sides of the cake with another 1 1/2 cups frosting and smooth out completely to make an even crumb coat. (It's ok if some of the cake shows through. This is just a base layer.) Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the frosting set.
• Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake, swirling decoratively. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

GRANDMA'S RED VELVET CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar, until light and fluffy. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, make a paste out of the red food coloring, cocoa and salt. Remove bowl from stand mixer and mix in paste by hand to the creamed butter. In a measuring cup, stir eggs with buttermilk and add to batter. Mix in vinegar and vanilla, and then add flour and baking soda. Mix until combined but do not over mix.
• Butter a sheet pan. Lay parchment on top. Butter the parchment. Pour batter into pan and smooth the top to even the batter out, using an offset spatula. Bake cake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Heat all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Whisk until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before using.
• Invert cake onto a cutting board and slice into quarters from the longer side. To assemble cake, spread 1 of the quarters with some of the frosting to cover. Sprinkle with a quarter of the pecans. Add another layer of cake and repeat. Continue until last layer is added. Frost the top of that and sprinkle with remaining pecans.

THE REAL RED VELVET CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (163 degrees C). Line the bottoms of three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Spray the sides with cooking spray.
• Sift all-purpose flour, cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
• Microwave buttermilk just until warm, about 30 seconds. Stir in vanilla extract.
• Beat brown sugar and butter together in a bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly before each addition. Blend in the flour mixture and buttermilk in 3 additions until fully combined. Let mixer run on low for 5 minutes. Distribute the cake batter between the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center the cakes comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Let cool for 15 minutes in the pans. Turn cakes out and let cool completely on a wire rack, at least 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Meanwhile, whisk sugar, milk, flour, and salt together in a medium saucepan for the frosting. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and begins to simmer, about 10 minutes. Pour into a medium bowl and chill for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Beat butter until smooth, about 5 minutes. Slowly add the milk and flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, beating in between each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Mix in the vanilla extract.
• Level the cake layers before assembling the cake. Scoop about 2/3 cup of frosting onto the first layer and spread into an even layer. Repeat with the second and third cake layers. Frost the outsides of the cake with thin layer of frosting to catch any crumbs and chill for 20 minutes.
• Finish frosting the cake with remaining frosting. Cut and serve.

GRANDMA'S RED VELVET CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in food coloring, vinegar and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition., Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool layers 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , For frosting, combine water and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until thickened and opaque, 2-3 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Beat butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in cornstarch mixture. Gradually add confectioners' sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake.

THE ORIGINAL RED VELVET CAKE

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar, add cocoa and food coloring, mix thoroughly.
• Add eggs.
• Alternate adding the buttermilk with the cake flour.
• Add salt and vanilla.
• Put 1t soda into 1T white vinegar and fold this mixture into the batter.
• Bake in two 9 inch pans @ 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool and split layers.
• ICING.
• Blend flour into milk in the mixer. Cook until very stiff, first over a medium heat, but you can increase the heat as it gets thicker. Cool this mixture until it is room temperature. Do not attempt to mix in the rest of the ingredients unless the first mixture is truly room temperature. Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat the two mixtures together (I add the flour/milk mixture a little at a time to the butter/sugar/vanilla mixture, until it is the consistency of whipped cream.
• Ice each later and assemble a "torte" looking cake. Enjoy!

CLASSIC RED VELVET CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms and sides of 3 (8- or 9-inch) round pans with shortening; lightly flour.
• In large bowl, beat all cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pans.
• Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In medium saucepan, mix 1/2 cup flour and 1 1/2 cups milk with whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat until mixture is very thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes. In large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups sugar and the butter with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour mixture by tablespoonfuls; beat on high speed until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Fill and frost cake, using 1 cup frosting between layers. Store covered in refrigerator.

THE CAKE DOCTOR'S RED VELVET CAKE

Steps:

• Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350°F Lightly grease the bottoms of three 9-inch round cake pans with shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out excess flour and set the pans aside. An easier method: place cake pan on a piece of wax paper. Trace the bottom and cut with sizzors to fit into bottom of pan. Repeat for remaining cake pans. No need to grease. I promise the cake will fall out after running a knife around the sides.
• Place the cake mix, cocoa powder, buttermilk, food coloring, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, baking soda and vinegar in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until ingredients are incorporated, 1 minute. Stop machine and scrape down side of bowl with rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes longer, scraping the side of the bowl again if needed. The batter should look well-blended. Divide batter evenly among three prepared pans, about 1 ½ cups batter per pan, smoothing the tops with rubber spatula. Place pans in the oven. If your oven is not large enough to hold three pans on center rack, place two on that rack and one in the center of the rack above.
• Bake cake layers until they just start to pull away from the sides of the pans and the tops spring back when lightly pressed with a finger, 17 to 21 minutes. The layer on the higher rack may bake faster so test it for doneness first.
• Transfer cake pans to wire racks and cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and give the pans a good shake to loosen cakes. Invert each layer onto a wire rack. At this point if you've used wax paper, remove the paper and discard then invert it again onto another rack so the cakes are right side up. Let the layers cool completely. Make frosting.
• To assemble the cake, transfer one cake layer, right side up, to a serving platter. Spread the top with some of the frosting. Place a second cake layer, right side up, on top of the first and frost the top. Repeat this process with the third layer. Frost the side of the cake with a thin coat just to set the crumbs. Use the remaining frosting to go back over this and liberally frost the side, working with smooth, clean strokes. To make slicing easier, place uncovered cake in the refrigerator until frosting sets, 20 minutes.
• Cream Cheese Frosting:.
• Place cream cheese and room-temperature butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Stop machine and scrape down side of bowl with rubber spatula. Add vanilla extract and 4 cups sifted powdered sugar; beat on medium speed until well combined. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat the frosting for 1 minute longer.