Description
Ina Garten’s red velvet cake brings Southern charm to classic dessert traditions. Layers of crimson sponge and tangy cream cheese frosting create a delightful balance you’ll savor with each indulgent bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ¾ cups (350 g) white sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 ½ tbsps (37 ml) red food coloring
- 2 tsps (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 2 tsps (10 ml) white vinegar
- 2 ⅔ cups (340 g) cake flour
- 2 tbsps (10 g) cocoa powder
- 1 tsp (5 g) baking soda
- ¼ tsp (1 g) salt
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp (1 g) salt
- 1–2 tbsps (15–30 ml) cream, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat Preparation: Calibrate oven to 350°F (175°C), establishing optimal thermal conditions for red velvet cake baking.
- Pan Conditioning: Meticulously grease 9×13 inch baking pan with butter and dust with flour to ensure seamless cake release.
- Dry Ingredient Integration: Sift and combine cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, whisking to create a homogeneous dry mixture.
- Base Mixture Creation: Cream butter and white sugar using electric mixer until achieving a light, voluminous consistency, developing a smooth foundation.
- Liquid Component Infusion: Incorporate vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and red food coloring into butter mixture, blending until perfectly harmonized.
- Batter Development: Gradually fold dry ingredients and buttermilk into wet mixture, alternating additions to create a silky, well-integrated batter, ensuring thorough incorporation without overmixing.
- Acidic Enhancement: Introduce white vinegar, which contributes to the cake’s distinctive tender texture and subtle tangy undertone.
- Baking Process: Distribute batter evenly in prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, confirming doneness by inserting a toothpick that emerges clean.
- Cooling and Frosting Preparation: Allow cake to cool completely on wire rack while preparing cream cheese frosting by whipping softened butter until smooth.
- Frosting Composition: Blend cream cheese into butter, incorporating vanilla extract and salt, then gradually add sifted powdered sugar to achieve a luxurious, spreadable consistency.
- Final Assembly: Once cake has cooled entirely, lavishly spread cream cheese frosting across surface, optionally embellishing with decorative elements for visual appeal.
Notes
- Achieve Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure butter, eggs, and cream cheese are at room temperature for smooth blending and better cake texture.
- Master Color Intensity: Add red food coloring gradually to control the vibrant red hue without affecting cake’s moisture.
- Prevent Overmixing: Stir batter just until ingredients combine to maintain a tender, soft crumb and avoid dense cake.
- Control Frosting Consistency: Add powdered sugar incrementally and adjust with cream to create a spreadable, luxurious cream cheese frosting.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 11
- Calories: 560
- Sugar: 66 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 19 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 61 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 105 mg