Butter Red Velvet Cake with Sour Cream
Two butter-based cocoa and buttermilk cake layers, with a small sour cream addition and an optional measured cream cheese frosting finish.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ tablespoons white vinegar
- 1–2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring to desired color; not the same amount of gel
Optional Finish and Pan Preparation
- 3 cups prepared cream cheese frosting optional; 1 cup between layers, 2 cups outside
- as needed butter for greasing pans
Instructions
- Preheat to 350°F. Grease and line two 9-inch pans at least 2 inches deep. Stir buttermilk and vinegar together. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into a second bowl.
- Beat softened butter with sugar until light. Add eggs individually, mixing and scraping after each addition, then incorporate sour cream and vanilla.
- On low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk mixture. Mix in 1–2 tablespoons liquid red coloring as desired, stopping when the batter is evenly combined.
- Divide between pans, filling no more than two-thirds deep. Bake for 25–35 minutes until a tester from the center has no wet batter.
- Cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then transfer to racks and cool fully, approximately 80 minutes more. Serve plain, or spread 1 cup of prepared frosting between layers and the remaining 2 cups over the top and sides. Refrigerate a cream-cheese-frosted cake.
Notes
Twelve slices from two 9-inch layers. Optional prepared frosting is measured separately; making it from scratch adds preparation time.