Red Velvet Cake from Scratch
We love this moist and delicious classic red velvet cake recipe! We love to pair it with cream cheese frosting!
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract (12g)
- 2 Tablespoons red liquid food coloring (24g)
- 1 cup sour cream (full fat) (242g)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (54g)
- ⅓ cup milk (73g)
- 2 ½ cups cake flour (285g)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
- 4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (19g)
- ½ teaspoon salt (3g)
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder (15g)
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened (170 g) It should dent when pressed but still hold its shape.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened (total weight 452g) We used two 8 oz packages, full fat.
- 2 teaspoons 8 g vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt (2g)
- 6 to 6 ½ cups 690g to 747g powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8 x 2 inch pans.
- In a separate bowl, combine eggs, vanilla, red food coloring, sour cream, veg. oil, and milk. Whisk to blend and set bowl aside.
- Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and blend with the mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds until the dry ingredients are well blended.
- Slowly add the slices of butter a few at a time while the mixer is on medium speed. Mix until the dry ingredients are moistened by the butter. It will look like coarse sand, and all the dry ingredients will be moistened by the butter. If you pinch some of the mixture between your fingers, it will stick together. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- With the mixer on low speed SLOWLY add approximately ½ of the egg mixture increasing the speed to medium and mixing for 1 ½ minutes - the batter will be thick and fluffy. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl. Add the remaining egg mixture in 2 pourings, scraping the bowl and beating for 20 seconds after each addition .
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pans 10 minutes then turn out.
- Makes 7 cups cake batter
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the softened butter to the bowl of your mixer. Beat on low to medium speed until the butter is smooth.
- Cut the softened cream cheese into pieces and add to the butter, beating at low to medium speed until incorporated. If you are using a hand mixer you may need to soften the cream cheese a bit more.
- Add the vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar beating on low speed until blended. Cover the bowl with a towel to keep down the cloud of powdered sugar.
- Increase mixing speed and beat until fluffy. Don't over beat or it will become too soft. If it becomes too soft, just refrigerate a short while to firm it up a bit.
- This frosting will pipe best if used while still chilled. You can make it in advance, refrigerate and when ready to use let it soften slightly (do not microwave) and remix.
- Will frost a 3 layer 8 or 9 inch cake.