Blue Velvet Cake

This showstopping 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. A generous topping of homemade cream cheese frosting casts a striking contrast against the blue cake.

Cake recipes made from scratch are about as homey as it gets. Try this blue red velvet cake recipe as a new baking project, make it for a baby shower or simply dig into a slice after Thursday night’s dinner.

What is blue velvet cake?

A sibling of red velvet cake, blue velvet cake puts on an impressive show with its striking blue color, tender crumb and sweet flavor. The cake is soft and moist with just a touch of cocoa and vanilla flavors. The blue food coloring works with the small addition of cocoa powder to create a bold color, but blue velvet cake and chocolate cake are different. Blue velvet isn’t as robustly flavored as a typical chocolate cake; the chocolate is much more subtle.

Blue velvet vs. red velvet cake

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 blue velvet cake recipe pulls inspiration from a traditional red velvet cake, creating the same texture and tangy flavor, only with blue food coloring instead of red to create a stunning blue hue. Otherwise, the two taste similar.

The term “velvet cake” is all about the texture. Cocoa powder plays a role in that texture when introduced to acidic ingredients such as vinegar, buttermilk and baking soda, producing a smooth, velvet-like texture.

Blue Velvet Cake Ingredients

• Butter: Choosing the best butter, preferably unsalted butter, is essential for cakes and most other baking projects. We use butter in the cake batter and the frosting.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar plays a role in developing texture and adding a touch of sweetness.
• Eggs: Eggs are crucial to help a cake rise while baking. Use room-temperature eggs for baking so they blend into the batter better.
• Vanilla extract: A small amount of vanilla extract balances out the flavor of this cake.
• Royal blue and violet food coloring: This combination gives blue velvet cake a vibrant blue color. We use liquid food coloring for this blue velvet cake recipe.
• All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour provides enough structure for the cake; there is no need to use cake flour here.
• Baking soda and baking powder: Baking soda and baking powder help make the cake rise. We use both because using only baking soda would neutralize the buttermilk’s acid and tangy flavor. To retain that flavor, a hallmark of any good velvet cake, and add extra fluffiness, we also use baking powder.
• Baking cocoa: Unsweetened cocoa powder gives this cake a hint of chocolate flavor and helps create a velvety texture.
• Salt: A touch of salt balances out the flavor of the cake.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk adds a tangy flavor and velvety texture to the cake. Making homemade buttermilk is easy if you don’t have any on hand. As with eggs, it’s best to use room-temperature buttermilk.
• White vinegar: Some types of vinegar are useful for more than vinaigrette. A small amount of white vinegar introduces additional acid to the cake’s texture.
• Cream cheese: Full-fat cream cheese makes a better-tasting cream cheese frosting. Leave the cream cheese out for at least 30 minutes so it will blend more easily with the other ingredients.
• Milk: You need just a splash of 2% or whole milk for the frosting.
• Confectioners’ sugar: Confectioners’ sugar sweetens the cream cheese frosting.

Directions

Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar

ELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until soft and fluffy, for three to four minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla extract. Beat until fluffy, one to two minutes.

Editor’s Tip: Creaming butter with sugar is essential to the overall structure of the cake. The sugar should dissolve, resulting in a light and fluffy texture and pale yellow color.

ELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

Beat in the food colorings until evenly incorporated.

Step 2: Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk

ELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and vinegar.

ELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

Add half the flour mixture and half the buttermilk mixture to the stand mixer. Beat at low speed until incorporated. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, beating until incorporated.

ELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

Transfer the batter to two greased 8-inch round cake pans.

Step 3: Bake the cakes

ELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

Bake the cakes for 24 to 26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

Editor’s Tip: Let the cakes cool in the pans for about five minutes before removing them and placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 4: Make the cream cheese frosting

ELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until soft and fluffy, three to four minutes. Beat in the milk and vanilla extract. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and beat the frosting until smooth.

Editor’s Tip: If the confectioners’ sugar creates a cloud around the mixer, drape a kitchen towel over the machine and bowl while mixing the frosting on low. Then, turn up the mixer speed to whip the frosting until it is smooth.

Step 5: Assemble the cake

ELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Top the layer with a generous amount of frosting, and stack the second cake layer on top.

ELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

Frost the top and side to make a two-layer cake.

Editor’s Tip: Frost the cake’s exterior using a piping bag or offset spatula.

ELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

Blue Velvet Cake Variations

• Swap the frosting: Prefer to skip the cream cheese frosting? Ermine frosting is an old-fashioned option with a base of cooked and thickened milk, flour, sugar and salt. That base is then beaten with butter to create a stiff frosting. This type of frosting traditionally covered red velvet cakes, but cream cheese frosting has become popular due to its sweet yet tangy flavor.
• Make cupcakes: You can easily make blue velvet cupcakes with this recipe. Divide the batter among lined or greased cupcake pans. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, and frost once cooled.
• Try a sheet cake: For quick and easy serving, bake this cake in a 13×9-inch cake pan instead. Once cooled, frost the top of the cake with cream cheese frosting.

How to Store Blue Velvet Cake

Because this blue red velvet cake has cream cheese frosting, it must be stored in the refrigerator. Store cake by the slice in airtight containers or tightly wrap a whole cake. Blue velvet cake will last up to three days in the fridge. Enjoy it cold or let the cake sit out at room temperature for 20 minutes before digging in.

Can you freeze blue velvet cake?

You can absolutely freeze blue velvet cake, whether the whole cake or leftover slices. Chill the cake in the refrigerator to allow the frosting to firm up, then wrap the cake in storage wrap and a layer of aluminum foil or pop it in a freezer bag. Store the cake for up to three months and thaw it in the fridge overnight before serving.

Can you make blue velvet cake ahead of time?

You can bake and assemble the cake one day ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. If you want to have the cake layers prepped further in advance, bake, cool and wrap them. Store the layers in the freezer for up to three months, and transfer them to the fridge to thaw one day before you want to frost and serve the cake.

Blue Velvet Cake Tips

ELLIE CROWLEY FOR TASTE OF HOME

Why is my blue velvet cake green?

Your batter may have a green tint because of the reaction with the yellow from the egg yolks. The key to offsetting that green-turquoise color is adding a drop or two of violet food coloring for balance.

What can you serve with blue velvet cake?

A slice of blue velvet cake can stand alone as a dessert. You can gild the lily with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of chocolate or raspberry sauce.