Perfect Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 cup buttermilk

2 (1-ounce) bottles red food coloring

Frosting Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature

4 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Prep time: 45 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Servings: 10 to 12

Cake Instructions

Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans. In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, salt, cocoa powder and baking soda. Set aside.

Use a mixer to cream together the butter and sugar for about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the oil, vanilla and vinegar, mixing well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.

Add the flour and buttermilk alternately to the butter mixture, mixing well after each addition. Add the food coloring and mix on low until well combined. Divide batter between the two pans. Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until the cakes just start to pull away from the sides of the pans and a toothpick inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in the pans 5 to 10 minutes, then invert them out of the pans and place on wire racks to cool completely.

Frosting Instructions

Heat the oven to 350 F. Spread chopped pecans on a baking pan and toast 5 to 10 minutes or just until fragrant. Cool completely.

Use a mixer to whip the butter and cream cheese together completely. Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix well. 

When ready to frost the cake, you can mix the cooled pecans into the frosting or you can frost the cake and use the pecans to sprinkle on the outside. 

Stacey’s Recipe Notes

To make the 4-layered cake shown here and on the cover, I doubled both the cake and frosting recipes.