How to Make Blue Velvet Cake
Updated: Nov. 27, 2023
Create this fun, vibrant spin on a red velvet cake from scratch. Here's how to make a beautiful blue velvet cake.
Looking for a showstopping cake? This blue velvet cake is sure to draw a crowd! The recipe is inspired by a classic red velvet cake, with its velvety smooth texture and delicious flavor. It’s generously topped with homemade cream cheese frosting, too!
What is blue velvet cake?
This layer cake has a striking blue color, putting on an impressive show when you cut into it. The cake is soft and moist with just a touch of both cocoa and vanilla flavors. The blue food coloring works with the small addition of cocoa powder to create a bold color.
Blue velvet vs. red velvet
Red velvet cake has been a popular classic for decades for good reason. Its soft, moist crumb makes for a beautiful texture, and the red color is awe-inspiring. This cake recipe pulls inspiration from a traditional red velvet cake, creating the same texture and tangy flavor. Instead of red food coloring, blue food coloring is used to create a stunning blue hue.
Love the idea of switching up the color? Try pink velvet cupcakes for a birthday party or Valentine’s Day.
Blue Velvet Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons royal blue food coloring
- 1-2 drops violet food coloring
- 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1-1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/3 cups buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
Frosting:
- 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In another small bowl, combine the buttermilk and vinegar and set aside. Grease two 8-in. round cake pans. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about five minutes. Mix in the eggs and mix in the vanilla extract.
Step 2: Add the food coloring
Mix in the blue food coloring, along with the violet food coloring. Mix thoroughly to incorporate the color, and adjust as needed.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients
In a small bowl, whisk the dry ingredients to combine. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Mix until just combined. Add additional food coloring if necessary.
Step 4: Bake the cakes
Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake the cakes for 24 to 26 minutes until they’re set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Once baked, remove the cakes from the oven and set them aside to fully cool.
Step 5: Make the cream cheese frosting
In a mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Mix in two cups of powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract. Gradually mix in the remaining powdered sugar until the mixture comes together. Turn the speed up on the mixer to whip the frosting until smooth.
Step 6: Assemble the cake
Place one cake layer on a cake stand. Top the layer with a generous amount of frosting, and place the second cake layer on top. Frost the exterior of the cake using a piping bag or offset spatula.
Tips for Making Blue Velvet Cake
Why is my blue velvet cake green?
It’s possible that your batter with have a green tint to it, and that’s all because of the reaction with the yellow from the egg yolks. The key to offsetting that green-turquoise color is to add a drop or two of violet food coloring to balance it out.
What makes it a velvet cake?
The term “velvet cake” is all about texture. The addition of cocoa powder plays a role in that texture when it’s introduced to acidic ingredients such as vinegar, buttermilk and baking soda. This blue velvet cake recipe uses all three of those acidic ingredients to produce a smooth, velvet-like texture.
Do I have to use ermine frosting?
Ermine frosting is an old-fashioned option that utilizes a base of cooked and thickened milk, flour, sugar and salt. That base is then beaten with butter to create a stiff frosting. Red velvet cakes used to be topped with this type of frosting, but cream cheese frosting has become a more popular choice due to its sweet, yet tangy, flavor. You can certainly choose to top this cake with ermine frosting, or stick with cream cheese frosting.
Want more ideas for toppings? Find the perfect homemade frosting recipe for you.
Originally Published: August 01, 2023
