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

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)
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

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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.

Notes

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
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

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