Red Velvet Cake
This cake is a North American treat, a humble Aussie attempt. The best thing is the gorgeous color. Double the recipe for 4 layers (or 1.5 for 3). Originally, the red was subtle, from a reaction between acidic vinegar and buttermilk. For best color, use an acidic batter and Organic Unsweetened Cocoa, not Dutch Pressed Cocoa. Use Cake Flour rather than plain flour. Traditionally iced with French Roux Frosting, but cream cheese is great.
This cake is a North American treat, a humble Aussie attempt. The best thing is the gorgeous color. Double the recipe for 4 layers (or 1.5 for 3). Originally, the red was subtle, from a reaction between acidic vinegar and buttermilk. For best color, use an acidic batter and Organic Unsweetened Cocoa, not Dutch Pressed Cocoa. Use Cake Flour rather than plain flour. Traditionally iced with French Roux Frosting, but cream cheese is great.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs room temperature
- pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- icing
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour sifted
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
- 2 tablespoons red food coloring
- 125 grams unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups caster sugar
- 1 tea vanilla extract
- 450 grams cream cheese room temperature
- 125 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups icing sugar
- Carbohydrate 116.38941307655 g
- Cholesterol 89.1280000007804 mg
- Fat 24.1006373421683 g
- Fiber 1.87646769413682 g
- Protein 9.51072662597622 g
- Saturated Fat 14.0722027963938 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (218g)
- Sodium 4414.09407069931 mg
- Sugar 114.512945382413 g
- Trans Fat 2.59216393970852 g
- Calories 711 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat oven to 175 degree Celsius, 165 if fan forced. Grease and flour 2 x 20cm cake tins.
- Into a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder & salt.
- In a little bowl, mix food colouring and cocoa to make a thin paste (or mix cocoa).
- Using a big bowl, cream the butter and sugar (blend with electric beater til light colour and fluffy).
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time and then add the cocoa mixture and vanilla extract. Beat slowly at first to avoid splattering your kitchen with red!
- Add a third of the flour mix to the batter and beat well then add in half the buttermilk and beat again. Repeat with another third of the flour, then the other half of the butter milk, finishing with the last third of flour - beat well after each addition.
- The next bit you need to do pretty quickly & get cakes straight in the oven so have your prepared pans close by.
- Mix the vinegar and baking soda in a little bowl - it should fizz.
- Pour it into the batter and mix through quickly with a spatula. Divide the batter evenly between the tins , bang them against the bench a couple of times to avoid air bubbles and pop them in the oven.
- Mine were ready in 25 minutes - insert a skewer - will come out completely clean when cooked.
- Let them cool in their tins for 10 mins before removing and cooling completely on a wire rack.
- For your icing - blend butter and cream cheese til smooth. Add in the remaining ingredients and blend til light and fluffy.
- Sandwich the two layers together with some icing. Use a knife to slice any irregularities from the top of the cake so you have a nice flat top surface. I then crumbled the removed bits and used them to decorate the top.
- To prevent crumbs of red through your icing - give the cake a light coating with the icing and then pop it in the fridge to set for a bit (an undercoat if you like!) then smooth the rest of the icing over with a spatula or palette knife.
- To decorate I piped on a few swirls of icing and dusted the top with some of the red velvet crumbs.
- This is a dense cake not a sponge - its consistency reminds me of a mud cake type texture. Definitely one to be enjoyed with a good cup of coffee!
Operating within strict limits on leavening timing requires having 20cm cake tins greased and floured before the batter touches the bowl. Historical versions of this confection relied exclusively on the chemical reaction between acidic buttermilk, vinegar, and natural anthocyanins in unalkalized cocoa powder to produce a reddish hue without heavy artificial dyes. Selecting non-alkalized organic unsweetened cocoa ensures that the natural acidity remains preserved, interacting properly with the added lemon juice and vinegar to build both the iconic pigmentation and a characteristic tight, dense crumb that behaves more like a mud cake than a delicate sponge. Creaming butter and sugar until the mixture turns pale yellow incorporates enough air to support the heavy flour without relying on excessive chemical agents.
Substitutions demand precision regarding chemical balance because Dutch-processed cocoa undergoes alkalinization that neutralizes the vital acids needed to trigger the baking soda reaction. Swapping standard all-purpose flour for finely milled cake flour reduces protein development, yielding a tender crumb that absorbs moisture evenly from the buttermilk and eggs. Whisking the food coloring and cocoa into a smooth paste prior to incorporating it prevents streaks and ensures even distribution throughout the batter without requiring over-mixing. Slow initial speeds on the electric mixer keep the crimson splatter contained within the mixing bowl while the fats emulsify with the dairy.
Timing dictates success during the final stages of mixing when the baking soda and white vinegar combine to create an immediate carbon dioxide fizz. Folding this foaming mixture into the batter rapidly and transferring the 20cm tins to a 175 degree Celsius oven—or 165 degrees for fan-forced appliances—captures those rising bubbles before they dissipate. Baking takes approximately 25 minutes, ending the moment a wooden skewer inserted into the center emerges completely clean. Allowing the layers to rest inside their pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack prevents structural collapse while cooling.
Applying a thin crumb coat of cream cheese frosting traps stray red particles before the final layer goes on smoothly with a palette knife. Pairing a slice of this rich dessert with a bitter beverage like black coffee balances the intense sweetness of the sugar and cream cheese blend. Reserved cake trimmings crumbled over the top provide a rustic finish that masks minor surface irregularities without requiring complex piping skills. Keeping the assembled dessert chilled helps firm the roux-based or cream cheese butter mixture for clean slicing.
