My version of Red Velvet Cake came about after testing many recipes. What I really like about this recipe is that it’s very light, and the mild chocolate works perfectly with a frosting made with whipped cream and mascarpone instead of cream cheese. The frosting pipes beautifully and is the perfect foil for the cake and fresh seasonal berries.
Editor’s Note:
Red Velvet Cake traces its roots back to the late 19th century, likely emerging from Victorian-era cakes that combined cocoa powder with vinegar to produce a reddish hue. Its rise to prominence in the U.S. is linked to the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York during the 1920s or 1930s, but the cake’s true origins are debated, and it’s in the South where it became a mainstay. The texture is key, and this version satisfies the debates over whether the cake should lean more towards a velvety smooth, light crumb or something a bit denser.
You can learn more about Ayesha Said and her beautiful creations in our interview with the cake artist in our Featured Forum Contributors column.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- •Oil or nonstick spray for baking pans
- •248 grams (2 cups) cake flour
- •1 teaspoon fine salt
- •2 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- •60 ml (1/4 cup) gel red food color
- •250 ml (1 cup) buttermilk, at room temperature
- •113 grams (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- •300 grams (1 1/2 cups) granulated sugar
- •2 large eggs room temperature
- •1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- •1 teaspoon baking soda
- •1 teaspoon vinegar
For the frosting:
- •227 grams (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese
- •2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- •120 grams (1 cup) confectioners sugar, plus additional for dusting
- •237 ml (1 cup) cold heavy cream
- •Mixed berries, washed and thoroughly dried, for garnish
Preparation
For the cake: Preheat oven to 177°C (350°F). Oil or spray two 23-cm (9-inch) baking pans then put oiled parchment paper at the bottom for easy release.
Into a mixing bowl, sift the cake flour, salt and cocoa powder; set aside. In a separate bowl, add the red food color to the buttermilk and stir until combined; set aside. Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time until combined.
Switch to low speed and add a third of the flour mixture into the batter, then half of the buttermilk, then another third of the flour, the last of the buttermilk, then finally putting in the rest of the flour making sure each addition is fully combined before adding in the next. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. Add vanilla and stir until you see no more streaks of flour in the batter.
Remove the bowl from the mixer. In a small bowl, mix the baking soda with the vinegar. Once the mixture foams and bubbles, quickly fold it into the cake batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pans. Bake until the cakes start to pull away from the sides of the pans and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 24-30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a rack until the pans are cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Remove the cakes from pans, remove the parchment paper, and let cool completely on the racks before frosting.
For the frosting: Place a mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the fridge or freezer for about 15 – 20 minutes before making the frosting recipe.
In an electric mixer on low speed, whisk the mascarpone until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and confectioners sugar until well combined. Once all the sugar has been added, mix in the heavy cream slowly on low speed. Once all the heavy cream has been added, increase the mixer speed to medium until the frosting is light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Transfer the frosting to a covered storage container.
To assemble the cake: After the layers are completely cool, frost the bottom layer of the cake using piping tip 2D. Place the second layer on top, and frost with the same piping tip. Decorate it with mixed berries and dust with confectioners sugar.