This cake, though typically intimidating with that vivid crimson shade, is less complicated to make than it appears, and even simpler with our sheet cake model. You get all the pieces you like about this beautiful and scrumptious cake however in a simple, fool-proof recipe that also provides you moist cake served straight from the pan.
Love crimson velvet cake as a lot as we do? Strive our unique Most Amazing Red Velvet Cake or our dye-free, Naturally Red Velvet Cake.
Why Our Recipe
- A straightforward sheet cake model of a basic crimson velvet cake that feeds a crowd.
- One-bowl cake batter retains all the pieces easy and at all times scrumptious.
- Our recipe is tried-and-true, making a moist and fluffy cake each time.
The cocoa powder imparts a refined chocolatey trace with out making it as wealthy as a full-blown chocolate cake. In the meantime, the buttermilk and vinegar introduce a faint tanginess, balancing out the sweetness. This cake’s delicate dance of flavors, complemented by the creamy tang of cream cheese frosting, renders it unmistakably distinctive. It’s neither overtly chocolate nor purely vanilla, however moderately a scrumptious in-between.
Ingredient Notes

- All-Function Flour: The principle structural part. It offers the cake’s texture and physique.
- Cornstarch: We use cornstarch on this recipe to imitate cake flour. Truffles with cocoa powder can’t fairly maintain up when utilizing precise cake flour (it doesn’t give it sufficient construction) so we mimic it by including in cornstarch.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Imparts a slight chocolate taste, giving depth to the cake’s style. It additionally performs a job within the cake’s shade. Dutch-processed cocoa can be utilized. Scale back quantity of cocoa to 1/4 cup for a brighter crimson hue.
- Baking Soda and Powder: You’ll want each. Be sure you verify the expiration date to keep away from a flat cake.
- Eggs: Normal Grade AA massive eggs will work completely.
- Buttermilk: Provides acidity, tanginess, and moisture. Reacts with baking soda to assist the cake rise.
- Salted Butter: You can too use unsalted butter and add a pinch of salt.
- Distilled White Vinegar: Only a contact of vinegar introduces this cake’s iconic tang.
- Purple Meals Coloring: Normal crimson meals dye provides this recipe its signature shade. When you’d like a pure dye possibility, you can also make your personal from beets or you’ll find all kinds of natural food dyes on Amazon.
- Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract provides one of the best taste, however imitation vanilla additionally works.
- Cream Cheese: Softened and full-fat works greatest for this creamy frosting.
- Powdered Sugar: Add it in half a cup at a time. Extra powdered sugar makes for a thicker frosting. How thick you make it’s a matter of private desire.
Frosting Choices
Purple velvet cake pairs fantastically with quite a lot of frostings, although I simply can’t think about crimson velvet cake with out cream cheese frosting. Listed below are a couple of scrumptious frosting choices to select from:
Buttercream Frosting: For many who desire a silky easy and candy possibility, buttercream frosting is right. It’s versatile sufficient to be flavored or coloured and offers a basic, elegant end to the cake.
Cream Cheese Frosting: The basic alternative for crimson velvet cake, cream cheese frosting provides a wealthy, tangy complement to the cake’s refined cocoa taste. Its creamy texture and decadent style make it a perennial favourite.
Ermine Frosting: Also referred to as boiled milk frosting, Ermine frosting offers a lighter different with a fluffy texture and a refined sweetness. It’s a standard alternative that pairs splendidly with the cake’s trace of chocolate.

Chocolate Cake vs. Purple Velvet Cake:
It is a standard false impression that crimson velvet cake is simply chocolate cake with crimson meals coloring. Purple velvet cake does have some chocolate taste to it, however it is usually barely acidic and tangy, because of the buttermilk, vinegar, and both cream cheese or ermine frosting. On this recipe, we embody the directions for an ermine frosting that we love as an amazing steadiness to the tangy taste of crimson velvet, however you too can use cream cheese frosting.
Presentation Concepts
Serve straight from the pan when you’re pressed for time, or you possibly can simply use cookie cutters to chop the sheet cake into good rounds and even hearts for an important day.
For holidays, prime with festive sprinkles going with no matter colours go together with the vacation. For Valentine’s day, crimson coronary heart candies are the right decide.
Cake crumbs are a standard path to sprinkle on prime to offer distinction between the white frosting and the attractive, crimson shade of the cake. Simply skim off slightly from the highest or sneak some from a chunk and fill it in with frosting. We received’t inform.
Recent fruit can even work. For summer season, cherries give a daring, fairly look. For winter, sugared cranberries and sprigs of rosemary provides a surprising look.
Storage Directions
Retailer leftovers in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as 5 days.
Freeze particular person slices separated on a baking sheet. As soon as frozen strong, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and retailer in an hermetic container for as much as 3 months. Let thaw at room temperature.
Extra scrumptious cake recipes…
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