Life in Flavor

The Classic Red Velvet Cake Recipe

by Ashley Austin
pickingpok/Shutterstock

We all remember Grandma's red velvet cake. One slice was enough to brighten your day and warm your heart. Now, you can make your own slice of happiness by following our recipe for classic red velvet cake.

What You'll Need

For the Cake:

  • 2 sticks of room temperature butter
  • 1 1/2 cups of sugar
  • 2 ounces of red food coloring
  • 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar

For Icing:

  • 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 sticks butter
Flickr / Yortw

Directions

How to Make the Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease two 9-inch baking pans.
  • In a mixer, cream butter and sugar until it is fluffy.
  • In a separate bowl, make a paste with the cocoa powder, red food coloring, and salt. Add the paste to the cream mixture and stir.
  • Then, in a measuring cup, mix eggs and buttermilk and add to mixture.
  • Combine flour, vinegar, vanilla, and baking soda without overmixing.
  • Pour cake batter into baking pans, smoothing out the top with a spatula.
  • Bake for about 30 minutes. Another way to check if your cake is done baking is if you insert a toothpick or butter knife in the middle of the cake and it comes out clean.

How to Make the Icing:

  • While the cake is baking, combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat. Whisk until the mixture thickens. Then, let cool before using.
  • Make sure cake is cool before frosting. To frost the cake, using a small spatula add a coat of frosting to the top of one layer, then, place the other cake layer on top. Lastly, spread frosting around the entire cake.
  • Feel free to add white chocolate shavings or chopped pecans.
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