You’ve found the Best Red Velvet Cake Recipe! Tender, moist layer cake with a lightly chocolatey crumb and paired with a smooth whiskey Cream Cheese Buttercream. Classic, rich, and tangy, this easy, elegant recipe will have you cutting a second slice in no time!
Preheat the oven to 350°F (standard) or 325°F (convection). Grease 3, 8 or 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift & set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and water until no lumps remain.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together until the mixture is light in color and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and food dye in with the last egg.
Reduce the mixer to low speed, and alternately add the flour mixture and sour cream mixture. I find that it is best to begin and end with the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. I did this in three additions. Stop mixing as soon as the last of the flour has incorporated.
Portion the cake batter between the three prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out with a few clinging crumbs. The center of the cake should spring back to the touch, and the edges will look set.
After 10 minutes in the pans, remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.
Make the buttercream & assemble:
Using a stand mixer or an electric mixer, cream together cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Add whiskey and vanilla extract. Mix to incorporate.
Place the first layer of the cake on your favorite cake stand. Mound about ½ cup of buttercream on top, spread smoothly with an offset spatula. Repeat with the second layer. Refrigerate before proceeding so your layers stay even. Place the remaining buttercream on top and spread evenly over the top and down the sides.
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Notes
Yield: 8 or 9 inch, 3-layer cakeOriginally Adapted from Southern Living.Presentation - For a thicker layer of frosting (and therefore more room to play), make a 1.5x recipe of buttercream. I used 1x this buttercream recipe for my ‘naked cake’ finish in the pictures!Technique - Be sure to allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes in their pans before turning out to cool completely, otherwise (even with properly prepared pans) the layers might not come out in one beautiful piece. Also consider popping the cake in the fridge between layers of frosting to get even layers.Storage - Store unfrosted red velvet cake well-wrapped at room temperature or in the freezer. Unfrosted cake will keep at room temperature for 3 days, in the fridge for a week or frozen for up to two months! Store unused frosting in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Once frosted, the cake can be kept at room temperature for up to three days.