Cake flour red velvet cake uses both butter and oil for two tender layers, finished with cream cheese frosting. Its small amount of natural cocoa supplies a mild chocolate note, while buttermilk and vinegar support the baking soda. Use two nine-inch round pans at least two inches deep and let the cakes cool completely before decorating.
Measure the cake flour lightly or use the listed 320-gram equivalent for the full batch. Cake flour is the intended ingredient here, so a direct volume swap with all-purpose flour changes the crumb. The finished cake yields about twelve slices.
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Why This Recipe Works
Butter supplies flavor and oil keeps the crumb soft after chilling. Cake flour red velvet cake benefits from gentle mixing once the dry ingredients go in. Beating persistently at that stage can make the layers tougher even if the batter looks especially smooth.
Alternating flour with the buttermilk mixture gives the wet ingredients a chance to incorporate without one large flood of liquid. Baking both pans on the same rack when there is enough air space helps their layers finish together. Check each pan independently if your oven colors one side faster.
Ingredients for Cake Flour Red Velvet Cake
Use softened unsalted butter, room-temperature eggs and buttermilk, natural cocoa powder, and the measured baking soda. The coloring quantity is for gel, which is more concentrated than ordinary liquid food color. Color intensity varies by product; do not replace a teaspoon measure with the same large volume of another form automatically.
For cake flour red velvet cake frosting, choose full-fat brick cream cheese and softened butter that is not oily or melted. Sift powdered sugar to remove lumps. The optional cream is added by the tablespoon only if the finished frosting needs loosening, not poured in at the start.
Cake
- 2⅔ cups cake flour (320 grams; spooned and leveled)
- 2 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2½ teaspoons red gel food coloring
- 1 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
Frosting
- 8 ounces full-fat brick cream cheese (softened)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1–2 tablespoons whipping cream (only as needed)
Pan Preparation
- as needed oil or butter (for greasing pans)
How to Make Cake Flour Red Velvet Cake
Prepare the pans with grease and parchment circles, and heat the oven to 350°F. Whisk the flour, cocoa, soda, and salt. Mix buttermilk, vanilla, gel coloring, and vinegar separately. Beat butter with sugar, then blend in oil and add eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl as needed.
Finish cake flour red velvet cake batter by alternating dry and liquid additions on low speed. Stop as soon as the flour is incorporated, and divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake about 25–35 minutes, until the tops spring back gently and a tester has no wet batter.
Cool ten minutes in the pans, turn onto racks, and allow about eighty minutes more or until fully cool. Beat butter smooth for the frosting, briefly combine cream cheese, then incorporate sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add cream only as needed. Spread a portion between the cold layers and use the remainder over the top and sides.
How to Serve
Slice cake flour red velvet cake with a clean knife, wiping it between cuts for tidier frosting edges. Twelve slices are a practical estimate rather than a fixed nutritional serving. Let refrigerated slices lose a little chill before eating if you prefer a softer crumb.
The frosting is already rich, so additional sauces or a separate filling are optional. A flat serving plate and fully cooled layers help the cake stay stable. If the layers have domed, a careful trim can make stacking easier, but do not handle them while warm.
Storage
Refrigerate frosted cake flour red velvet cake in a covered container and use within four days at 40°F or colder. Keep total time at room temperature within two hours, including decorating and serving, or one hour above 90°F.
For longer storage, freeze unfrosted cooled layers well wrapped for up to two months for quality. Thaw covered in the refrigerator, then frost. Cream cheese frosting can change texture after freezing, so separate storage gives a more predictable finish.
The cake-flour, butter-and-oil formula and gentle mixing technique draw on Fiona Dowling’s Easy Red Velvet Cake at Just so Tasty. This version retains its two-round-pan presentation.
The FDA safe food handling guidance explains prompt refrigeration and temperature checks for perishable foods.
Tips and Variations
Use a light hand with cake flour red velvet cake after the final flour addition. Scrape the bottom once with a spatula to catch hidden dry pockets rather than continuing to beat. Keep the layer pans no more than about two-thirds full and use an extra small baking dish if your pans are unusually shallow.
If the frosting becomes loose, chill it briefly before spreading instead of adding large extra quantities of sugar immediately. The cream cheese and butter should be softened for blending, but not warm enough to melt. Add no frosting until the center of each layer is cool.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does cake flour red velvet cake use butter and oil?
The formula combines butter flavor with the softer refrigerated texture associated with oil. Keep both measured amounts.
Can I frost warm cake flour red velvet cake layers?
No. Residual heat melts the butter and loosens the cream cheese frosting. Cool the layers completely first.
Is the coloring liquid or gel?
The 2½ teaspoons refers to gel coloring. Follow the product instructions if using another concentration.
Do both pans need the same time?
They may differ slightly if your oven heats unevenly. Test each layer and remove it when ready.
How much cream belongs in the frosting?
Only 1–2 tablespoons if needed, added gradually after the other ingredients are smooth.
More Recipes to Try
Red Velvet Cake with Cake Flour and Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cake
- 2⅔ cups cake flour 320 grams; spooned and leveled
- 2 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2½ teaspoons red gel food coloring
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
Frosting
- 8 ounces full-fat brick cream cheese softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1–2 tablespoons whipping cream only as needed
Pan Preparation
- as needed oil or butter for greasing pans
Instructions
- Heat to 350°F. Grease and line two 9-inch round pans at least 2 inches deep. Whisk cake flour, cocoa, baking soda, and cake salt. Combine buttermilk, cake vanilla, gel color, and vinegar in another bowl.
- Beat the ½ cup softened butter with granulated sugar. Blend in the cup of oil, then add the 3 eggs individually, scraping the bowl.
- On low speed, alternate the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture in 3 additions, stopping once combined. Divide batter evenly between pans; do not fill more than two-thirds deep.
- Bake for 25–35 minutes until tops are set and a tester comes out without raw batter. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then unmold onto racks and cool completely, about 80 minutes more or longer if still warm.
- For frosting, beat ½ cup butter smooth, add the cream cheese and briefly beat together. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla, and frosting salt. Add whipping cream 1 tablespoon at a time only if needed, up to 2 tablespoons.
- Place one cold layer on a plate, spread frosting between layers, then cover the top and sides with the remainder. Refrigerate until serving; cut into approximately 12 slices.
