Description
This Red Velvet Cake recipe is made from scratch, moist, with a tender crumb that pairs wonderfully with tangy, sweet cream cheese & mascarpone frosting (not butter). This is my play on a classic cake recipe for a 6-layer red velvet cake that is quite possibly, in my opinion, the best red velvet cake recipe in the world.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cake
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (scooped & leveled)
- 1/4 cup of cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup salted butter (softened)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 eggs (at room temp)
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- 1 Tablespoons red liquid food coloring (or 2 teaspoons gel food coloring)
- 1 cup buttermilk (at room temp)
Frosting
- 12 ounces of cream cheese (at room temp)
- 3/4 cup Mascarpone (at room temp)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 4 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Baking the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 9-inch or 8-inch cake pans with circles of parchment paper in the bottoms and spray the sides. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Beat the butter and sugar together on high speed for 3-4 minutes in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until light and creamy. Add the mayonnaise and mix again, scraping the sides of the bowl.
- Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla, beating on medium-high speed between each addition until combined. Add vinegar and food coloring, using as much food coloring as needed to get the desired color.
- Turn mixer to low speed and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk in 2-3 additions, mixing just until combined between each addition and scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
- Transfer batter to the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes (for 9-inch pans) or 38-43 minutes (for 8-inch pans) until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few crumbs. Do not over-bake. Remove from oven and cool completely.
Now, Make the Frosting
- Beat the cream cheese and Mascarpone together in a large bowl using a handheld mixer until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and cream and mix on low speed until incorporated, then increase speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add vanilla and salt and beat again.
Assembling the cakes
- Level the cakes (if needed) so the tops are flat. Save scraps to crumble and use for decorating. Frost the cake (See notes for decorating).
- Sprinkle the top of the cake and surround the plat/platter with the reserved crumbs. Slice and serve.
Equipment
Cuisinart 9-Speed Handheld Mixer (HM-90S Power Advantage Plus)
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Mora Ceramics Large Mixing Bowls Set of 2 – 5.5 & 3.6 Qt (Earl Grey)
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Wilton Easy Layers 5-Piece Layer Cake Pan Set, 6-Inch, Steel
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Recipe Tips
- Storage: Red velvet cake should be stored in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese frosting. It will stay good for about 5 days.
- Freezing: You can freeze the assembled cake or individual slices. I recommend freezing them for 1-2 hours until the frosting on the outside is solid before wrapping them in a couple of layers of plastic wrap to protect the cake. Thaw on the counter or in the fridge before enjoying. But this is honestly… not my favorite option.
- Make-Ahead: You can make this red velvet cake in advance by baking the cake layers and freezing them for 2-3 months before thawing and assembling with freshly made frosting for my daughter’s birthday I actually made the cake the day before, and then assembled the next day.
- Cake Pans: I used six 6-inch layed cake pans, but you could also use either two 8-inch or 9-inch baking pans to create two layers instead. The baking time is 30-35 minutes for both the layer pans and the 9-inch pans and 38-43 minutes for 8-inch pans.
Decorating options:
- I did a rustic thin layer on the side, with decent amounts of frosting in the layers, and also used a piping bag and star tip to add a fun flat to the top.
- You could also do a crumb layer, then go back and add frosting to the outside and make it look really clean.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 of the 8 Slices
- Calories: 1154.97
- Sugar: 97.9
- Sodium: 761.39
- Fat: 62.68
- Saturated Fat: 28.11
- Carbohydrates: 137.31
- Fiber: 1.89
- Protein: 12.56
- Cholesterol: 179.45
