Red Velvet Cake
This is not just a chocolate cake dyed red. The specific acidity provided by the buttermilk and vinegar is essential to creating the fine, tight crumb that gives the cake its signature texture.
Temperature is your primary tool
Ensure your butter, eggs, and buttermilk are at room temperature before you start. Cold ingredients will break your emulsion and lead to a dense, greasy crumb.
- two 9-inch round cake pans
- stand mixer or hand mixer
- rubber spatula
- fine-mesh sieve
- parchment paper
What goes in.
- 2 1/2 cupscake flour
- 1/2 cupunsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
- 1 tspbaking soda
- 1/2 tspfine sea salt
- 1/2 cupunsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cupsgranulated sugar
- 2large eggs
- 1 cupbuttermilk
- 1 tbspwhite vinegar
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- 1 ozred food coloring
Maintaining the crumb structure
Adding the vinegar at the end of the mixing process triggers the leavening agents immediately. Work quickly once the batter is mixed to ensure the cake rises evenly in the oven.
The method.
Prep the pans
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter your pans and line the bottoms with parchment circles, then dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
Sift dry ingredients
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Cocoa powder often hides lumps that won't dissolve in the batter otherwise.
Cream the base
Beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale and airy, about 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl often.
Emulsify
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix the food coloring into the buttermilk.
Combine
Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk mixture in two parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Activate
Stir in the vinegar by hand. Pour into prepared pans immediately.
Bake
Bake for 30–35 minutes. The edges should pull slightly away from the pan and the top should spring back when touched.
Other turns to take.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Pair with a simple whipped mixture of 16oz cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter, and 2 cups powdered sugar.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use natural cocoa powder rather than Dutch-processed; the acidity of natural cocoa reacts with the baking soda to help the rise.
Do not overbake. Red velvet dries out very quickly once the moisture leaves the crumb.
Chill the cake layers completely before frosting to prevent the cream cheese icing from sliding.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I omit the food coloring?
Yes, but the color will be a muted, brownish-red. The cake will taste identical.
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