The Best Red Velvet Cake Made From Scratch
Equipment
- Hand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups & spoons
- 2 x 9" cake pans
Ingredients
Cake ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups oil
- 2.5 cups flour
- 1.5 cups sugar
- 2 tsp cocoa
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup buttermilk** (see substitute option below)
- 1.25 cup red food coloring (2 oz)
Frosting Ingredients
- 1 cube margarine or butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup chopped pecans (approx.)
Instructions
Preheat and prepare:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Grease and flour two 9” cake pans
Mix the cake batter:
- Blend 2 eggs and 2 cups oil with a hand mixer
- In a separate bowl, mix the following ingredients:- 2 ½ cups flour- 1 ½ cups sugar- 2 tsp cocoa- 1 tsp each of soda and salt
- Add the dry mixture to the eggs and oil, then mix with the hand mixer. The mixture will look slightly lumpy.
- Once ingredients are fully mixed, add the following ingredients and mix again until combined: - 1 tsp vinegar- 1 tsp vanilla- 1 cup buttermilk OR 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp vinegar
- Add half the red food coloring and mix SLOWLY to avoid splattering the food coloring. Once that’s combined, add the rest of the food coloring and mix slowly until well blended.
- Pour half the batter into each pan. (Try to make them as even as possible – I use a measuring cup to make it even.)
Bake and cool:
- Bake for 30 minutes – do not overcook! Cakes are finished when a toothpick is inserted into the middle and comes out almost clean.
- Put cake pans directly on a cooling rack. Go around the edges with a knife.
- Let them sit in the pans for about 5-10 mins, then carefully remove the cakes by flipping the pans over onto the cooking racks and gently lifting the pan up
While cakes are cooling, make the frosting:
- Using a spoon or rubber spatula, mix all frosting ingredients together (except for pecans). DO NOT use the hand mixer to mix the frosting. It will take a little while to get all the ingredients mixed together and for the consistency to be right, but just keep folding it over onto itself using a spoon.
- Once the frosting ingredients are fully combined, add in the chopped pecans. Mix together until well combined.
- Spread onto the cooled cake.
