Red Velvet Cake / Theresaunfried / CC BY, RED VELVET CAKE / STEVEN LABINSKI / CC BY
Soft, moist, and delicious, this red velvet cake is TO DIE FOR! For Valentine’s Day, birthday parties, holidays, and get togethers, this gorgeous red beauty is the perfect choice of cake for any occasion! Filled with a sweet chocolate ganache and cream cheese frosting, you really can’t get any better than this. Red velvet is a huge hit down in the south, with it being one of the most favorite cakes to date. I was never a huge fan of it myself, until I made it at home – store bought red velvet cakes can’t compare!
* The original photo of this cake that goes along with the recipe used milk chocolate ganache. This one in the photo above uses white chocolate ganache. So whichever you prefer you can use for your recipe.
The Most Delicious, Moist, Red Velvet Cake
Red Velvet Cake:
– 2 cups plain flour
– 1 tsp baking powder
– 1 tsp baking soda
– 1 tsp salt
– 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
– 2 cups sugar
– 1 cup vegetable oil
– 2 eggs
– 1 cup buttermilk
– 2 tsp vanilla extract
– 1-2 oz. red food colouring
– 1 tsp white vinegar
– 1/2 cup prepared plain hot coffee
Chocolate Ganache:
– 1/2 cup double cream
– 50 grams chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
Cream Cheese Frosting
– 300 ml. whipping cream
– 1 1/2 cup cream cheese
– 1 cup confectioners sugar
- Preheat oven to 325F. Grease two 9″ cake pans and line with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt.
- In a separate bowl, combine sugar and vegetable oil. Mix in eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and food colouring until well combined. Stir in coffee and vinegar.
- In a separate mixing bowl, put 1/4 of the dry ingredients and gradually add wet ingredients, altering with the dry and wet ingredients until combined.
- Equally divide the batter between two prepared pans. Bake for about 30-40 mins or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove cake from oven, and transfer to cooling rack still in the pan. Allow 10 mins to cool and run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake. Peel off parchement paper and let it cool completely.
- In a medium sauce pan, heat the double cream just before it comes to a boil. Remove from heat, add chocolate and stir until smooth.
- Place ganache in fridge to cool and thicken or just until it becomes spreadable.
- Flip cake layers upside down and spread half of the ganache on each layer. Place in fridge to set.
- Whip the whipping cream until thick and add in cream cheese and confectioners sugar. Whisk unti combined.
- Place one cake layer on a plate and frost with 1/2 cup of frosting. Place second layer on top and frost with another 1/2 cup. Use the rest of frosting to frost the whole cake.
- To decorate, sprinkle shaved white chocolate over the top.
This is my second time making this cake and it tastes amazing!
For some reason I always have trouble with the ganache. I can’t find double cream anywhere, so I use heavy whipping cream instead. I follow all the steps and have even chilled overnight. I can never seem to get it to thicken up enough to be noticable in the cake. I use Ghiradelli white chocolate bars (half) both times. Should I use more chocolate? Any feedback I’d appreciate it (ganache is chilling as I type this)
Hi Nicole,
There are a few ways you can thicken the ganache:
1. Let it cool – it will thicken as it cools. Place it in the fridge and stir frequently. It’s best to spread before it has completely hardened.
2. Add more chocolate – use a higher proportion of chocolate which should make it stiffer and harder. Even a small proportion of cream can prevent the chocolate hardening.
3. Thicken by whipping – Use a hand-held beater until it turns to a pale, fluffy buttercream-like mixture with a moussey texture. BUT – make sure not to overwhip or it can turn dry and separate. Keep scraping down the sides of the bowl to prevent a streaky mixture.
I hope this helps!
I just made this cake! I used my own frosting recipe, however. But this was an amazing cake! The results were awesome in that it was very moist and yielded a beautiful crumb finish! It was the first time I’d ever used a ganache on this cake but I used milk chocolate and it was sooooooooooo goooooood. I had to guess at how much 50 grams was US. Nonetheless, I just kept adding chips until it looked right. I’ve made ganache before and therefore have an eye for its proper consistency. Worked perfectly! Very, very nice! This will be one of my go-to cake recipes. 🙂 #thankyou
Hi Nikita,
WOW I am so happy for you that it turned out this good!!!
All the best in baking!
Suzy
Just wanna know how many layer will the recipe make if its 7 inch pan? Thank you!
Hi Kristah,
You may be able to divide it up into 3 – 7″ pans. If not, just make the layers a little thicker!
Would I be able to use the same recipe for cupcakes? What would the baking time be for cupcakes?
Hi Christine,
Yes you can! Make sure to bake the cupcakes at the same temperature called for in the cake recipe, but reduce the baking time by one-third to one-half (cupcakes usually bake for 15-20 minutes).
What happens if i leave the coffee out?
If you used water in replacement of the coffee it should still turn out ok.
If I pour the batter in one pan, how long need to bake the cake?
I would ad an extra 10 minutes approximately since the layer will be thicker. But keep checking with a toothpick till it comes out clean!
Does the second cake layer have to be flipped over when assembling so that the 2 ganache layers meet together? Or is the ganache on the top layer of the cake as well? Am I making sense?
Hi,
Spread ganache on both layers then spread frosting on one cake layer ontop of the ganache. Flip over the other layer and place it ontop of the frosting. Then frost the top. Hope this helps!
Hello – I absolutely love red velvet cake and I’m looking forward to making yours. It sounds delicious. I have a question about the ganache layers. Are you saying that both ganache layers will meet in the middle of the cake separated by frosting or the middle ganache layer will be frosted and the second ganache layer will serve as the top cake layer and then frosting goes over that top ganache layer and the rest of the cake? Thank you for your time.
Hi,
Sorry for such a late response I wasn’t checking my comments. Let me know if you still have issues with this cake. Any way you make it, it will turn out delicious in the end!
First of all thanks for the recipie. I want to make this cake for a party on a Saturday and Im not sure how far in advance I can make it. What would you recommend?
Hi, you can make the cake layers a week in advance and freeze it. Day before you can whip up the icing and assemble it!
You’re indeed right! I’m not either a red velvet fan but when I bake this last night, it was superb, even without the frosting. Super moist and surprisingly delicious. My eldest son said that this is the best red velvet cake I have ever baked. This is my go cake from now on. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe….
Hi there,
I’m wanting to make this for mothers day, i was just wondering my cakes seem to always come out with a dome shape, do you just slice that off if that happens so its easier to assemble the layers?
Thank you! 🙂
Hi Michelle,
Yes you can take a really sharp thin knife and just slice off the top to level the cake. Most professionals do that in order to have all their layers super straight.
Hi Michelle
I use “even cake strips”. You can get them at a craft store like Joanns or Michael’s. You get them wet and put them on the cake pans. The cake bakes evenly without the hump.
Just wanted to say that this has got to be the best-est red velvet cake everrrr! So much so, that I can’t eat anyone else’s red velvet cake… There is simply no comparison!
How much coffee do we need to add to make plain coffee..
I was looking for a red velvet cake with coffee when I stumbled upon this recipe. I loved it. The ganache added an expected flavor + the whipped cream was the icing on the cake! Everyone who tasted it really liked it.
I tweeked a few of the ingredients. In the cake I used homemade kefir instead of buttermilk, raw cocao + strong coffee.
For the ganache I used heavy cream instead of double cream (I’ve never heard of double cream). I also added pure vanilla extract to the frosting and used 2 cups of cream cheese. Even with the extra cream cheese I refrigerated the frosting because it was a little loose. Next time I’ll cut back a little on the heavy cream.
To see my recipe, check out my blog @ http://blog.jlexillc.com/?p=458.
Would this recipe be good for a wedding cake
I think this recipe would be perfect! You can double it to make a multi-layer tower cake. That would be awesome! 🙂
This does say “chocolate” ganache right? I don’t see anything about white chocolate.
My apologies, the original photo had chocolate ganache on it.
Hi,
This looks so delicious….just wondering for the ganache do you use white chocolate or milk chocolate?
Awesome recipe! If you don’t have oil can you use butter instead?
Hi
Have you made this cake in a 1/2 sheet cake, if so do I need to 2x the ingredient for each layer
Hi Tricia,
Not sure what you mean by your comment?
Hi, your red velvet looks delicious and can’t wait till I make it! I was wondering what red food colouring do you use? Thanks Lavinia
this is my favorite cake but havent tried this one but would leave coffee out cuz i dont drink the stuck
This cake is delicious!! It is always my go to cake!! So moist!! I make it in 3 8inch layers and put 3 one ounce bottles of red food color in it! It is a gorgeous cake!!!
hi Sally this is my to go recipe all the time.however im just curious if this recipe is good to make a swiss roll cake.thanx!
Hi ,
This is my to go recipe always!just curious if this would work well in a sheet pan for a swiss roll cake.thanx!
I have never done this recipe in a roll cake but I don’t see why not!
Hello! This cake is truly amazing as everyone has stated. I’ve made it once as a cake and then cupcakes. A hit both times!! The only thing I’m having problems with is the frosting. I can’t figure out if I’m not beating the whipping cream long enough. My frosting comes out a little loose than I would like. I could go back to my old cream cheese frosting recipe but I like the light taste of this one. Any suggestions on what I can do to know when the whip cream I’m ready to incorporate the other ingredients. About how long should I whip it? Thank you for any support.
Hi Oga, whipping cream should be whipped for about 3-5 minutes until it thickens. Do not over whip or it can become runny.