Red Velvet Cake
This Red Velvet Cake is soft, moist, and deeply flavored, with a subtle cocoa base and a light cream cheese frosting that isn’t overly sweet. Made with coconut oil and coffee for extra richness, it’s a reliable, foolproof cake that looks impressive without being complicated. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, birthdays, or anytime you want a classic cake that actually delivers.
Servings: 10
Calories: 721kcal
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar granulated
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder unsweetened
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup coffee hot
- 1 tablespoon red gel food coloring
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1½ cups whipping cream
- 16 ounce cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups icing sugar same as powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Prepare the baking pans: Prepare 2 8 inch cake pans. Cut out 2 parchment paper circles that will fit inside each pan and spray them with some cooking spray. Make sure to spray some cooking spray up the sides of the pans too.
- Make the cake batter: In the bowl of your mixer, add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda and using the paddle attachment mix everything together until well combined, on low speed.
- In a large bowl mix together the buttermilk, coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk in the coffee and food coloring.
- Add the wet ingredients to the mixer bowl and mix everything over medium speed for about 2 minutes, until everything is well combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula and mix as needed. Add more red food coloring as needed to get to the desired color. Pour the batter into the 2 prepared pans, equally.
- Bake: Place the cake pans in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. To test if the cake is done, insert a toothpick in the middle of the cake and if it comes out clean, it's done. Let the cake cool in the pans for about 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack or a cutting board and cool completely.
- Prepare the cream cheese frosting: In the bowl of your mixer whip the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Remove from mixer bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
- In the bowl of your mixer, beat the cream cheese together with the vanilla extract and icing sugar, until smooth. Fold in the whipping cream gradually until well combined.
- Assemble the cake: Cut the top part of the cake first and crumbled it up in a bowl, we'll use this for decoration after.
- Cut each cake into 2 pieces. Start by placing 1 cake layer onto your serving cake platter, then spread some of the cream cheese frosting, about 1/4, evenly over the cake layer. Repeat with remaining cake layers. Using a spatula, spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the top of the cake and up the sides. Decorate the cake with the remaining cake crumbs if desired.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- Coffee enhances the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee. If needed, hot water can be used instead, but coffee gives the best result.
- Coconut oil keeps the cake extra moist and gives it a softer crumb than butter. There is no coconut flavor once baked.
- Gel food coloring works best for achieving a deep red color without using a large amount of dye.
- This frosting contains no butter, which keeps it light, tangy, and balanced instead of overly rich.
- The cake can be made as a 2 layer, 3 layer, or 4 layer cake. Adjust pan sizes and baking time as needed.
- Because of the cream cheese frosting, store the cake in the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 721kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 27g | Cholesterol: 138mg | Sodium: 685mg | Potassium: 232mg | Sugar: 60g | Vitamin A: 1230IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 1.6mg
