Knowing how to bake a cake gives you a chance to surprise your family and friends every time there is any celebration. There are dozens of cakes that are known around the world, but a red velvet cake definitely takes a special place among them.
The best red velvet cake is a luscious combination of bright red velvet sponge and the traditional creamy velvet cake frosting made from cream cheese. Find out how to cook a red velvet cake recipe from scratch right now!
Shop red velvet cake from top Nigerian bakers!
1. Red velvet cake ingredients
Many cake fans are wondering: is red velvet cake chocolate? The truth is that it’s not exclusively a chocolate cake, although the sponge does contain a bit of cocoa powder for that delicate chocolate flavour.
The original red velvet cake recipe dates back to mid-20th century, but it may seem too complicated for the modern busy bakers. Luckily, as we all know, the best red velvet cake recipe is the easy red velvet cake recipe. Here is what you’ll need for a simple red velvet cake recipe.
1. For the sponge
- Flour – 2,5 cup
- Buttermilk – 1 cup
- Vegetable oil – 1,5 cup
- Caster sugar – 1,5 cup
- 2 eggs
- Red food colouring – 2tbsp
- Cocoa powder – 2tbsp
- Vanilla extract – 1tsp
- Baking soda – 1tsp
- Vinegar – 1tsp
- Salt – 0,5tsp
2. For the frosting
- Cream cheese – 225g
- Soft butter – 110g
- Icing sugar – 450g
- Vanilla extract – 1tsp
Note:
- The red velvet cake recipe with oil is considered to be the standard these days, but many bakers prefer to use softened butter instead for a creamier texture.
- If you can’t find buttermilk, you can make your own: simply take whole milk and add a bit of lemon juice for the milk to slightly curdle and thicken.
- In this red velvet cake recipe cream cheese frosting can be substituted for another traditional red velvet cake icing – buttercream.
2. How to bake red velvet cake
Follow these steps to prepare the sponge for your cake. Remember that all of your red velvet cake ingredients should be room temperature for the velvet cake recipe to work.
- Take your buttermilk and mix it with the food colouring and the vanilla flavour.
- In a separate bowl combine oil with sugar and whisk together with a mixer until the oil becomes fluffier. Add the eggs and mix again. Finally, add the coloured buttermilk and give the batter another good whisk.
- In another bowl mix the dry ingredients: sifted flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients in small portions to the batter, whisking it thoroughly every time.
- Combine the vinegar with the baking soda, and, as the mixture starts bubbling, add it to the batter and mix together well.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Take a cake tin. Grease and lightly flour the tin. Pour your batter made according to the red velvet recipe into the tin and bake for 45 minutes or up to 1 hour, until the sponge is firm to the touch.
- Gently take the sponge out of the tin and leave it to cool on a wire rack. Then slice the sponge horizontally into two or three parts.
Here is a How To Make Red Velvet Cake video that will explain the process of making the cake even better!
Red Velvet Cake Recipe
Red Velvet Cake – soft and moist interior with a great flavor combination coming from vanilla, cocoa powder and buttermilk. This cake has a wonderful red color crumb and frosted with a white cream cheese frosting which makes it perfect for winter holidays.
3. How to assemble red velvet cake
Now that you know how to make red velvet cake sponge, time to find out how to make velvet cake look and taste good.
Combine the frosting ingredients in a large bowl and whisk with a mixer until the icing sugar dissolves and the frosting has a creamy texture and taste. Spread the frosting on top of each sponge piece and cover with the top part. Spread the frosting on the top and the sides of the cake.
There are several ways to decorate a red velvet cake. You can cut the upper layer of the cake and crush it, sprinkling the crumbles over the frosting. Moreover, you can use chopped and toasted nuts, piping different-coloured frosting, or any other decoration you like.
4. Red velvet cake designs
Here are some of the best-looking red velvet cakes and red velvet cupcakes for your inspiration.
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