Best Southern Red Velvet Cake Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil (or canola oil)
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 1 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 oz red food coloring (1-2 oz depending on desired depth of color)
• 0.5 cup plain hot coffee (prepared; do not skip this ingredient)
• 1 tsp white distilled vinegar
• cream cheese frosting (prepared for frosting the cake)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C). Generously grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and set them aside.

2. 2

   In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Set this dry mixture aside.

3. 3

   In a large bowl, combine the 2 cups of granulated sugar and 1 cup of vegetable oil.

4. 4

   Mix in the 2 eggs, 1 cup of buttermilk, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, and the red food coloring until the mixture is well combined.

5. 5

   Stir in the 1/2 cup of hot coffee and 1 teaspoon of white distilled vinegar.

6. 6

   Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients a little at a time, mixing after each addition just until combined. Note that the batter will be quite thin.

7. 7

   Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans.

8. 8

   Bake on the middle rack for 30-40 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it. Do not overbake, as the cake will continue to set as it cools.

9. 9

   Let the pans cool on a wire cooling rack until they are warm to the touch.

10. 10

    Slide a knife or offset spatula around the inside edges of the pans to loosen the cakes.

11. 11

    Gently remove the cakes from the pans and let them finish cooling completely on the rack. Be careful, as the warm cake is very delicate.

12. 12

    Once the cakes have cooled completely, frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting.

Notes

For the best results, use room temperature buttermilk and eggs so they incorporate easily. The batter is supposed to be thin, so don't be alarmed. Because the cake is very tender, you can refrigerate the layers before frosting to make them firmer and easier to handle. If you prefer not to use food coloring, you can omit it; the cake will still be delicious but will lack the signature red color.

Nutrition per serving

• cake
• dessert
• Southern
• red velvet
• baked
• holiday
• cream cheese frosting