This is the first red velvet recipe I ever tried, and it’s a family favorite! It’s soft, moist, and lightly chocolatey. I like to pair it with Italian Meringue Buttercream Frosting, or (like the photo) Chocolate Italian Meringue Buttercream Frosting. Either way, it’s absolutely delicious, and I don’t think you’ll miss the cream cheese frosting. I was able to use a single batch of frosting to fill and cover the cake.
This recipe makes 2 – 9 inch cake layers, or a 13×9 inch pan. You’ll want to purchase Dutch process cocoa powder for this cake – I like Cacao Barry Cocoa Powder (I buy it through Amazon). They sell it in a 2.2 pound bag, which lasts for a long time, and I use it in lots of chocolate dessert recipes (cakes, brownies, cookies, etc.). In fact, just enter “cacao barry” into my search bar and loads of recipes will come up!
I also share one of my favorite ways to keep a cake moist without using sugar syrup.
Red Velvet Cake Adapted from Layered
3/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 Tablespoons Dutch processed cocoa powder (I use Cacao Barry Brute)
2 Tablespoons red liquid food coloring (I use McCormick’s 1 ounce bottle – the entire thing)
1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray pans (2 – 9 inch round baking pans or a single 13×9 inch pan) with nonstick baking spray. Line pans with parchment (cut to size) and spray again. Set aside.
Next, on a clean counter, set out two lightweight cutting boards (set apart enough that their plastic wrap won’t interfere with the other) and line the boards with 2 pieces of plastic wrap (about 3 feet long by 2 1/2 feet wide), placed in a cross shape (1 down the board, and 1 across). Essentially, you’ll need enough plastic wrap to wrap around each cake layer. The cutting board simply allows you the ability to transport the cake layers, while keeping them level (both in, and out, of the refrigerator).
In the bowl of a stand mixer (using the paddle attachment), add the canola oil, sugar, and salt. Beat on medium speed for about 1 minute – until combined. Add in the eggs, beating them in one at a time, until completely combined. Add in the vanilla, baking powder, cocoa powder, and red food coloring. Beat until incorporated.
Stop the machine, and scrap the bowl down. With the mixer on low, add the flour in three separate additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Make sure to begin, and end, with the flour. Once the batter is almost completely mixed, stop the mixer.
In a mini bowl, whisk together the baking soda and vinegar – it will bubble up immediately, so make sure you have a little room for the expansion. I like to use 3 inch mini bowls for this. Add this mixture immediately to the batter in the stand mixer, and mix on low to medium speed for about 30 seconds to make sure everything is incorporated. Mixing too long with result in a tough cake, so don’t over mix it.
Pour the batter into your pan/s, and bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. Check doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake.
Let cakes cool in pan/s for about 5 minutes. Then carefully loosen sides of the cake with a nylon scraper and turn them out onto the prepared cutting boards lined with plastic wrap – careful, cakes are very hot! Immediately, loosely cover the cake layers with the plastic wrap and place them in refrigerator. Make sure that the cakes aren’t stacked on each other and are sitting level. Let them cool in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before frosting. The condensation from the hot cakes wrapped in plastic wrap set inside the cold refrigerator will develop added moisture in your cake layers. When you’re ready to decorate, remove the plastic wrap from one layer at a time, and remove the parchment liner. Frost as you would normally.
The cake doesn’t require refrigeration, but I think it retains moisture better if it’s kept covered in the refrigerator; enjoy for up to 5 days.
Blondie and Brownies 