Red velvet cake is the queen of all layer cakes. The “I can’t quite put
my finger on the flavor” cake. It’s the sweet marriage of buttermilk and
vanilla with a little cocoa for good measure. She’s tall, dramatic, and
completely covered in silky cream cheese frosting. This is my best red
velvet cake.
Ingredients
3 cups (354g) cake flour (spoon & leveled)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 Tablespoons (10g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
1 cup (240ml) canola or vegetable oil
4 large eggs, room temperature and separated
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
liquid or gel red food coloring
1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease two 9-inch
cake pans, line with parchment paper, then grease the parchment
paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the
pans.
Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt
together in a large bowl. Set aside.
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment,
beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until
combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of
the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the oil, egg yolks,
vanilla extract, and vinegar and beat on high for 2 minutes. (Set
the egg whites aside.) Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of
the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 2-3
additions alternating with the buttermilk. Beat in your desired
amount of food coloring just until combined. I use 1-2 teaspoons gel
food coloring. Vigorously whisk or beat the 4 egg whites on high
speed until fluffy peaks form as pictured above, about 3 minutes.
Gently fold into cake batter. The batter will be silky and slightly
thick.
Divide batter between cake pans. Bake for 30-32 minutes or until the
tops of the cakes spring back when gently touched and a toothpick
inserted in the center comes out clean. If the cakes need a little
longer as determined by wet crumbs on the toothpick, bake for
longer. However, careful not to overbake as the cakes may dry out.
Remove cakes from the oven and cool completely in the pans set on a
wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and
assembling.
