Red Velvet Cake

Red velvet cake is moist and delicious, with a hint of cocoa flavor, frosted with silky smooth cream cheese frosting.

📝 Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups (281 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 3 tbsp (15 g) Dutch process cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 10 tbsp (140 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated white sugar
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup whole milk kefir, at room temperature ((buttermilk can be substituted))
• 1 tbsp red gel food coloring
• 1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 8 oz. (228 g) cream cheese, cold
• 4 1/2 cups (585 g) powdered sugar

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- For the Red Velvet Cake ---
2. 2Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 6" cake pans with non-stick spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Set aside.
3. 3In a small bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then set aside.
4. 4To a large bowl add the softened, unsalted butter and granulated sugar. Cream together with an electric mixer until fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
5. 5Then add in the eggs and vanilla. Mix until pale in color and smooth, 1-2 minutes.
6. 6Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the kefir to the eggs/butter/sugar mixture until all is just combined and the batter is smooth. (Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.)
7. 7Lastly, fold in the red gel food coloring just until combined.
8. 8Divide the batter evenly among the cake pans.
9. 9Bake the cakes for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the centers.
10. 10Let the cakes cool in their pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to completely cool.
11. 11--- For the Cream Cheese Frosting ---
12. 12Add the softened, unsalted butter to a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until pale in color and fluffy, 5-10 minutes.
13. 13Then add in the cold cream cheese and mix until combined.
14. 14Sift in the powdered sugar a cup at a time and mix until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
15. 15--- Assembling the Cake ---
16. 16Place the first cake layer on a cake turntable.
17. 17Add a generous amount of frosting to your first cake layer and smooth it out with an offset spatula, turning the turntable as you go. Repeat with the next layer, then place the final layer on top.
18. 18Add some of the frosting to a piping bag and pipe frosting on the outside of the cake to fill in any "holes" between the layers. With a cake scrapper, scrape the icing so it is flush to the cake.
19. 19Add more frosting to the sides of the cake with an offset spatula and using your cake scrapper again, smooth the frosting out turning the cake turntable as you go.
20. 20Add frosting to the top of the cake and smooth out with an offset spatula.
21. 21At this point you'll have a semi-naked cake or a crumb coat. You can leave the cake semi-naked or place it in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up, then add a second layer of frosting to completely frost the outside of the cake.
22. 22Add decorative swirls on top of the cake and serve!