Red Velvet Cake - VeryVera

Red Velvet Cake

Christmas in the South wouldn’t be the same without Red Velvet Cake. You could describe it as a slight vanilla flavor combined with a hint of chocolate. I’ll never forget the lady calling VeryVera from San Francisco and asking for me. All she wanted to say was, “How in the world is this transplanted Southerner sitting on her porch in San Francisco eating a Red Velvet Cake that looks like it just left your bakery?” It’s magic!

Originally Published on July 10, 2019

  • Prep Time: 45m
  • Cook Time: 30m
  • Total Time: 1h 15m
  • Serves: 24 slices
  • Category:

Ingredients

Red Velvet Layers

  • Floured baking spray
  • 1 1/2 c Wesson® vegetable oil
  • 3 c granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 oz red food coloring
  • 5 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 4 1/2 c cake flour
  • 4 1/2 tbsp. Hershey’s® cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 1/2 c buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 tsp. white distilled vinegar
  • 1 recipe Cream Cheese Icing

Cream Cheese Icing

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 16 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 2 lb confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

Cake Layers

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour three 9-inch pans lined with parchment paper.
  2. Beat the oil, sugar, and red food coloring in the bowl of a stand mixer on low speed for 5 minutes.
  3. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition
  5. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and stir with a wire whisk to mix.
  6. Combine the buttermilk, vanilla, and vinegar in a large liquid measuring cup.
  7. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk mixture to the mixing bowl, starting and ending with the dry ingredients, beating until well blended.
  8. Scrape the sides of the bowl and incorporate any unmixed batter if necessary.
  9. Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared pans. Tap the pans on the counter to ensure there are no air bubbles.
  10. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes. Test doneness by touching a cake top. If it springs back, it is done. If the indentation stays, it needs 2 to 3 minutes longer.
  11. Cool the cakes for at least 10 minutes on a cooling rack before removing from the pans.
  12. Prepare the cream cheese icing and ice the cooled layers.
  13. Cream the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer for 3 minutes. At the end of the 3 minutes, scrape the bowl extremely well.

Icing

  1. Add the vanilla extract and beat for 1 to 2 minutes.
  2. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar, beating on low to ensure the sugar does not fly out of the mixing bowl.
  3. After each addition of confectioners’ sugar, scrape the bowl extremely well.
  4. Once all the confectioners’ sugar is incorporated, beat on low speed for 3 minutes.
  5. Spread icing between the cake layers and then on the top and sides of the stacked layers.
Source: The VeryVera Cookbook