Red Velvet Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Red velvet layer cake recipe makes a tender homemade red velvet layer cake topped with smooth cream cheese frosting—ready in about an hour and perfect for celebrations.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 772kcal

Author Kate @ I Heart Eating

Ingredients

Red velvet cake

2 cups all purpose flour
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup water
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 large eggs
½ cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons 1 ounce red food coloring

Cream cheese frosting

2-8 ounce packages plain cream cheese at room temperature
¼ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup buttermilk
Couple pinches of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans by greasing with nonstick spray and lining with parchment paper. Set aside.
Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
2 cups all purpose flour, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
In a medium saucepan over low heat, add butter, water, and cocoa powder. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup water, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Remove from heat. Let cool for about 5 minutes.
Stir in eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and red food coloring until well combined.
2 large eggs, ½ cup buttermilk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons 1 ounce red food coloring
Pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
Divide batter evenly between the two prepared baking pans.
Bake for about 23-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pans completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until well combined.
2-8 ounce packages plain cream cheese, ¼ cup unsalted butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Add powdered sugar, buttermilk, and salt. Beat again until smooth.
10 cups powdered sugar, ¼ cup buttermilk, Couple pinches of salt
Level cooled cakes (reserve cake scraps from leveling the cakes to use as decoration) then add frosting on top of one of the cakes.
Top with the other cake. Frost the outside and decorate as you’d like.

Notes

Kosher salt: If you don't have kosher salt or sea salt, use half the amount of table salt.
Buttermilk: You can make a homemade buttermilk substitute if you don't have buttermilk.
Cream cheese: I recommend using full-fat cream cheese or 1/3-less fat. I don't recommend using fat-free cream cheese as it isn't very creamy and doesn't mix well.
Butter: You can use salted butter and omit the salt.
Buttermilk in the frosting: The buttermilk adds a slight extra tang to the cake. If you prefer less tangy frosting, use heavy cream instead.
Other frostings: For classic red velvet flavor, use ermine frosting in place of the cream cheese frosting.
Nutrition values are estimates.

Nutrition