Classic Red Velvet Cake Recipe

Classic Red Velvet Cake Recipe
Photo by: Taste of Home
Rating

62% would make again

This ruby-red cake with it's lovely cream cheese frosting has become my "signature dessert." I can't go to any family function without it. The cake is very moist with a buttery chocolate taste.

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  • 12 Servings
  • Prep: 25 min. Bake: 20 min. + cooling

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 bottle (1 ounce) red food coloring
  • 3 teaspoons white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon butter flavoring
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2-1/2 cups cake flour
  • 1/4 cup baking cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • FROSTING:
  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

  • In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the food coloring, vinegar, butter flavoring and vanilla.
  • Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk.
  • Pour into three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
  • In a large bowl, combine frosting ingredients; beat until smooth and creamy. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake. Yield: 12 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 slice) equals 583 calories, 24 g fat (11 g saturated fat), 77 mg cholesterol, 468 mg sodium, 87 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 6 g protein.

Classic Red Velvet Cake published in Taste of Home April/May 2005, p33

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Reviews for Classic Red Velvet Cake (5)

Classic Red Velvet Cake Recipe

Classic Red Velvet Cake

Tell us what you think of this recipe.
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Reviewed on Nov. 02, 2009 by stephjamie2008

Not very tasty and very dry

Reviewed on May. 01, 2008 by lavenia17

I use one bottle of red food coloring and then fill the bottle with water and mix this with the cocoa. The paste is then added to the creamed mixter. The cake has the rich red color, but is so moist.

Also instead of mixing the vinegar and soda, I fold it into the batter.

Reviewed on Apr. 28, 2008 by phillipsdk

My red velvet cake calls for using only 1 tsp. of cocoa, made into a paste with the red food coloring. After everything else is mixed, add the vinegar to the baking soda, which will "fizz" then mix in. This comes out much lighter and moist. I also have a Red Velvet Icing that is lighter that my family prefers to the heavier tasting cream cheese. Make a white sauce, boiling 5 tsp. flour with 1 cup of milk & cool. Blend 1/2 cup Crisco, 1/2 cup margarine & gradually blend in 1 cup sugar and pinch of salt. Beat 10 minutes--no less. Add white sauce & 1 tsp vanilla. Fluffy & delicious! Requested for every family dinner.

Reviewed on Feb. 20, 2008 by abbeym06

This cake turned out great for me. I didn't use cake flour. I did some research and found that the equivalent of 1 cup cake flour is 1 cup all purpose flour, minus 2 tablespoons. So all together I took away 5 tablespoons from the 2 1/2 cups of flour in the recipe and the cake turned out wonderfully!

Reviewed on Dec. 19, 2007 by bellelaura

I made this cake and it did not have much of a taste. It was also real dry. I noticed the batter was real thick.. I used self rising and omitted the salt and soda. I wonder if it would of not been so dry if I had used cooking oil instead of shortening.

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