Rich and Moist Red Velvet Cake

There’s just something about a classic red velvet cake.

Soft, velvety, with a hint of cocoa and that perfect tang - it’s one of those cakes that never goes out of style and is usually a very popular choice among family. This recipe gives you a super moist crumb, rich flavor, and that signature red velvet texture that pairs perfectly with cream cheese or vanilla buttercream.

Whether you’re baking for a birthday, Valentine’s Day, or just because… this is one you’ll want to save for future reference.

Developing The Recipe

A red velvet cake is one of those timeless classics that’s always in demand and always worth having a go-to recipe for. This scratch recipe creates a soft, velvety crumb with just a hint of cocoa and the perfect balance of both buttermilk and sour cream for extra moisture, along with a touch of vinegar to enhance that signature red velvet texture.

Using buttermilk with vinegar and sour cream adds a super rich and moist texture to your cake, however, you may use regular milk if that is all you have, but if you can get some, I would highly recommend it! You may also try making your own, which I have a step-by-step blog on how to do so, here.

What is Red Velvet Cake?

Red velvet cake stands apart from classic vanilla or chocolate cakes with its unique combination of ingredients that create its signature flavor and texture. Originally, Red Velvet cake had it's signature color from a simple chemical reaction between Dutch cocoa powder and vinega, giving the cake a deep red-brown shade. Of course, now, modern recipes rely mainly on red food coloring to achieve the bright, crimson color we know today; whether all-natural or artificial. It’s a popular choice not just for its flavor, but because it pairs beautifully with a variety of frostings, especially a classic cream cheese buttercream.

Commonly Asked Questions

Why sour cream?

It is the same reason as buttermilk! Sour cream similar to buttermilk adds a boost of moisture and acidity, without affecting the vanilla, but it also adds more richness. Sour cream has a higher fat content, giving that ultimate rich flavor and a nice and tender texture. Trust me, no one will know that there is sour cream in it...well unless you tell them.

What if I only have salted butter?

You may absolutely use salted butter! Just opt out of salt from your dry ingredients. Between you and me, I just use whatever butter I have on hand, salted, unsalted...it's up to you. Just don't forget to add the salt in if needed.

Cake I bake this cake ahead of time?

Absolutely! Once your cakes have cooled enough that you can handle the pan, flip your cake onto plastic wrap, wrapping firmly to seal the cake. Place into your freezer. If you are baking weeks in advance, I'd recommend and put your wrapped cakes in a sealed container.

Recipe Tips

• Be sure to check your expiration dates on your baking powder and baking soda. If you end up with dense layers that did not seem to fluff up at all, expired or over-mixed batter is usually the culprit.

• Use parchment paper or my personal favorite "cake goop" for easy cake removal. By cutting a circle to fit the bottom of your cake pan, and then a strip around the inner-side before pouring in your batter; you can always ensure a super clean and easy removal with zero sticking.

• Scrape the sides! During the batter mixing process, be sure to do these steps slowly and scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl 1-2 times to ensure there are no ingredients that do not get mixed in properly. Skipping this can result in chunks of butter, flour, etc. ending up in the middle of your cake.

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 3, 8" Round Cakes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter - room temperature

• 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs - room temperature

• 1 egg yolk - room temperature

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 3 tablespoons sour cream - room temperature

• 1 cup buttermilk - room temperature

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder

• 1-2 tablespoons red food coloring - all-natural or artificial

Directions

Cake Batter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line your cake or cupcake tins accordingly

2. In a bowl, whisk together your sour cream and buttermilk until smooth and fully combined. Then add in the vegetable oil, eggs, egg yolk, vinegar, and vanilla. Set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, combine your flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.

4. In your mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in your eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides as needed. Then mix in your red food coloring.

5. With the mixer on low, slowly add in your dry ingredients. The mixture will look slightly sandy, that’s exactly what you want.

6. Gradually pour in your buttermilk mixture and mix until just combined.

7. Bake for about 25 minutes, adding additional time as needed, until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs and the cake has no jiggle in the center.

Recipe Notes

Freezing Your Cakes

Have you tried this recipe? Tag me on Social Media!

Use #wildflourbakehouse and mention @wildflourbakehousellc on Instagram and TikTok.