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Authentic Red Velvet Cake Recipe Alternate Text Southern United States, United States of America

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We strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though

Introduction & history

The red velvet cake became the pinnacle of festive desserts in America thanks to its vibrant red color, subtle yet tangy chocolate flavor, and a refreshing French-style ermine icing. The sponge is prepared by first creaming the sugar, eggs, and shortening, to which a paste out of cocoa and food dye is added. Subsequently, salt, flour, buttermilk, and vanilla are added to the mix, alongside soda-induced vinegar. Finally, the batter is poured into several cake pans (3 or 4) and baked. Although the ermine frosting takes a bit of time to prepare, it gives the cake its authentic taste and creaminess. The ermine frosting is made by slowly adding milk to the flour and then cooking it until thickens, stirring the mixture throughout. Sugar, vanilla, and buttercream are added to the cooked mixture that is then beaten until it starts to resemble whipped cream. Newer adaptations of the recipe replaced the ermine frosting with cream cheese frosting because it is less time-consuming to prepare and ... Read more

Cooking tips

  • ermine icing

    To ensure your ermine icing’s perfect texture, make sure to stir the mixture of flour and milk constantly as it cooks. Oftentimes, the lack of stirring creates lumps in the mixture, and you want to avoid that.
  • cream cheese frosting

    While mixing the ingredients, occasionally turn the mixer off and scrape down the bowl’s sides to ensure that all ingredients are well incorporated. Before spreading the frosting over the cake’s layers, keep it in the refrigerator until it stiffens up a bit.
  • texture

    Red Velvet Cake has a very authentic texture. It is moist, fluffy, and splendidly buttery. The key ingredient for achieving the traditional Red Velvet Cake texture is buttermilk. It is an ingredient that the Red Velvet Cake cannot do without. If you do not have buttermilk, combine one and a half teaspoons of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar with enough whole milk to fill a liquid measuring cup, ... Read more
  • decoration

    In its nature, the Red Velvet Cake is a very simple concoction. Therefore, the best way to decorate it is to use leftover cake crumbs and sprinkle them both on the top and the sides of the cake. This way, you will add more vibrance to the cake’s look, as well as a more rustic feel.
  • serving

    To ensure the best possible texture and taste of the cake, leave it in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours. Then, before serving it, take it out of the fridge and leave it at room temperature for ten minutes.

Recipe variations

Adams "Original" Red Velvet Cake

PREP 15min

COOK 25min

RESTING 1h

READY IN 1h 40min

3.9

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The Adams "Original" Red Velvet Cake recipe significantly contributed to the cake’s increase in popularity during the twentieth century. Its main ingredient is, of course, the Adams Red Food Color. If you cannot get your hands on Adams Extract Company’s products, any other brand will do. 

Ingredients

12 Servings

Adams “Original” Red Velvet Cake

SPONGE

1 tsp soda

1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk

1 tbsp vinegar

1/2 cup (95g) shortening

1 1/2 cups (300g) sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp "Adams Best" Vanilla

1 tsp Adams Butter Flavor

1 oz (30 ml) Adams Red Color

3 tbsp cocoa

2 1/2 cups (300g) sifted flour

1 tsp salt

ICING

1 lb (450g) sifted confectioners’ sugar

½ cup (95g) cup shortening

1 tbsp "Adams Best" Vanilla

1/4 tsp Adams Butter Flavor

1/2 tsp salt

5 tbsp milk

Preparation

1

Adams “Original” Red Velvet Cake

Step 1/11

Preheat the oven at 350°F/180°C.

Step 2/11

Start working on the batter by creaming the shortening and the sugar.

Step 3/11

One at a time, add the two eggs to the creamed mixture and keep beating it until the eggs are well incorporated.

Step 4/11

Next, add the vanilla and butter flavors to the mixture.

Step 5/11

In a separate bowl, make a paste out of cocoa and food coloring and blend it into the shortening mixture.

Step 6/11

Sift the dry ingredients together and alternately with half of the buttermilk, add them to the mixture.

Step 7/11

Then, add the vinegar and the remaining half of the buttermilk to the batter.

Step 8/11

Lastly, pour the mixture into three 9 or 10-inch (23-25 cm) greased and floured pans and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Step 9/11

Before covering the layers with frosting, let them cool for at least ten minutes.

Step 10/11

For the icing, sift the confectioners’ sugar and blend half of it with the two flavors, salt, and shortening.

Step 11/11

Then, alternately, add the rest of the sugar and milk to the mixture until a smooth spreading icing is formed.

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