Grandma’s Red Velvet Cake
In our family no one thinks it’s Christmas without this Red Velvet Cake recipe. I baked the first one for Christmas in 1963 when I found the recipe in the newspaper and my Mother kept the tradition going into the ’80s. It’s different than other Red Velvet Cakes I’ve tasted over the years, since this one tastes only mildly chocolate and the icing is as light as snow. —Kathryn H. Davison, Charlotte, North Carolina
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 bottles (1 ounce each) red food coloring
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-1/4 cups cake flour
- 2 tablespoons baking cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- FROSTING:
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 2 cups butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
Reviews
My grandmother always made this cake for birthdays and holidays. If you look at the “original “ recipe it calls for the frosting made with milk and flour. Cream cheese frosting is not the original. The “proper” name for the cake is Waldorf Astoria Red Cake.
My grandmother passed her recipe to my mom, who passed it to me. This is my favorite cake, and has been my birthday cake for 59 years. I'm with Jane (Oct 16,2019), this is the icing always used on our Christmas cakes and my birthday cakes. Frosting: 1 cup milk ¼ cup flour 1 ½ cups granulated sugar 3/4 cup butter, (1 1/2 sticks room temperature) 1 tsp vanilla Over medium low heat cook milk and flour until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, set aside; let cool. Cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and blend in well. Add cooled Milk sauce; beat until stiff. Frost cooled cake Good stuff! :)
Karila, when there's acid, as in buttermilk, use baking soda. I always stir my soda into my buttermilk....that's the way my grandmother taught me.
I’m 80 and was making the red velvet cake when I was in my 20’s. I thought I had the original recipe. The frosting wasn’t like the one here but possibly had the same results. It was one cup of milk and one-third cup of flour cooked until thick and then cooled completely. The sugar was granulated sugar beaten with the butter until fluffy. I think the butter is two sticks, not two cups, and then the cooled milk flour mixture and one teaspoon vanilla was added and beaten until it became very fluffy and silky. Takes quite a bit of beating.
The cake recipe part is fine, but it's not a true red velvet cake if it's frosted with buttercream frosting. A true red velvet cake will always have a cream cheese frosting!
I wish there was a picture anywhere of how this case is supposed to turn out. This recipe calls for baking soda, but now I’m thinking maybe baking powder may have caused a little bit of a better rise? Am I wrong?
Love this recipe! It is just like my grandma use to make! I will definitely use this again!
I'm nearly 54 yrs. old
Really yummy! I used Hershey's special dark cocoa and did throw a little extra in because I love chocolate. I will use the frosting recipe as my go to frosting from now on.
After made, is it safe to leave on the counter for 3-4 days or does it need to be refrigerated? Im hopeful it can since there’s no cream cheese and no “sweet” milk. I’m looking forward to making this today!