Category: Red Velvet Cake

Good luck making just one.

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 3 Tbsp. milk
• 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 12 drops red food coloring
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

For the FROSTING

• 2 Tbsp. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 Tbsp. powdered sugar
• Dash of vanilla extract

Directions

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• 1. 1For the cake: Combine the milk and vinegar in a 12-ounce microwave-safe mug. Stir in the food coloring with a fork until blended, then stir in the vegetable oil and vanilla. Add the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Stir until smooth, making sure there are no lumps of flour of cocoa in the bottom of the mug. 
  2. 2Microwave on high for 1 minute 15 seconds to 1 minute 30 seconds, or until a toothpick inserted into the center come out clean. (Make sure you don’t overcook the cake or it will be dry.) Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. 3Meanwhile, make the frosting: Combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla in a small bowl. Mix with a spoon until smooth. Dollop on the cake.

If you love red velvet cake, here is a new spin on it. I love cheesecake and thought that this would be a great combo. This recipe can easily be halved, but if you are having a party is is just as easy to make two as one. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

555	Calories
32g	Fat
59g	Carbs
9g	Protein

Ingredients

1x2x4x

Original recipe (1X) yields 16 servings

Cake Layer:

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring
• 2 tablespoons water

Cheesecake Layer:

• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 ⅔ cups white sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ¾ cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray 2, 9-inch springform pans with cooking spray.
2. Sift flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder into a large bowl. Whisk in oil, 2 eggs, vanilla extract, vinegar, white sugar, and buttermilk. When well blended, whisk in food coloring and water. Pour half of the batter into each prepared pan.
3. Bake cakes in preheated oven until cake toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; about 30 minutes.
4. While the cake is cooling, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Mix in the sugar and cornstarch; beat until creamy. Add the 2 remaining eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in vanilla. Use a hand whisk to mix in the heavy cream until well blended. Pour half of the batter over each cake layer.
5. Bake cheesecakes in preheated oven until set and beginning to brown, 30 to 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate until completely cool, about 1 additional hour.

Cook’s Tips

Garnish the cheesecakes with melted dark chocolate, if desired.

Store leftover cake in the refrigerator.

After reading about the history of the popular red velvet cake, I wanted to try the version with beets. It has a beautiful color and tastes divine with or without frosting. This recipe makes one sheet cake, a 2-layer cake, cupcakes, or even cake pops.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

386	Calories
13g	Fat
63g	Carbs
6g	Protein

Ingredients

1x2x4x

Original recipe (1X) yields 10 servings

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup pureed cooked beets
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 9×13-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
2. Sift flour and baking powder together in a large bowl.
3. Whisk sugar, buttermilk, beets, oil, eggs, cocoa powder, red food coloring, vanilla extract, vinegar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Add flour mixture gradually to the bowl, stirring after each addition just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan. Tap pan firmly to settle the batter and remove large bubbles.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.

These beautiful red velvet cheesecake brownies are moist and delicious with a swirl of decadent cheesecake batter! Perfect for red velvet cake lovers; adds a different twist to the traditional cake. A great dessert for Valentine’s Day and can be made ahead.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

265	Calories
16g	Fat
28g	Carbs
4g	Protein

Ingredients

1x2x4x

Original recipe (1X) yields 12 servings

Red Velvet Brownies:

• 1 cup white sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ounce red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour

Cheesecake Filling:

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese at room temperature
• ¼ cup white sugar
• 1 large egg
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan.
2. For the red velvet brownies: Whisk 1 cup sugar and melted butter in a large mixing bowl; stir in cocoa, red food coloring, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, vinegar, and salt, one at a time, mixing well after each addition to avoid lumps. Mix in 2 eggs until thoroughly combined.
3. Stir flour into cocoa mixture just until combined; set aside 1/4 cup batter. Pour remaining batter into the prepared baking dish.
4. For the cheesecake filling: Beat cream cheese in a bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract; continue to beat until well blended and only small lumps remain, 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Spoon cream cheese mixture in dollops over the batter in pan; gently smooth tops of dollops even with batter using a knife or offset spatula. Do not overmix. Drizzle reserved 1/4 cup of batter over the dollops of cream cheese mixture. Drag a knife or skewer through the batter and cream cheese mixture to create swirls.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until top is dry and edges have started to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into bars; store covered in refrigerator.

Moist and tender with a tangy cream cheese frosting, this Red Velvet Cake is a classic dessert that everyone will love. It’s the perfect cake for any occasion.

Nutrition

Calories: 1504kcal | Carbohydrates: 212g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 66g | Saturated Fat: 41g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 238mg | Sodium: 1177mg | Potassium: 392mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 167g | Vitamin A: 2087IU | Calcium: 350mg | Iron: 3mg

Equipment

• ▢6-inch or 9-inch cake pans
• ▢Mixing Bowls
• ▢Electric hand or stand mixer
• ▢Wire cooling rack
• ▢Piping bag and tip

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• ▢2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (300g)
• ▢1 teaspoon salt
• ▢1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢½ cup unsalted butter room temperature (113g)
• ▢1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300g)
• ▢2 large eggs room temperature
• ▢2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• ▢1 cup buttermilk room temperature (240ml)
• ▢1 tablespoon white vinegar
• ▢1 to 2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• ▢2 8-ounce blocks cream cheese room temperature (454g)
• ▢1 ½ cups unsalted butter room temperature (340g)
• ▢1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢Pinch kosher salt
• ▢1 ½ pounds confectioners sugar sifted (5½ cups/675g)

Instructions

For the Cake:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour three 6-inch cake pans. (See notes about using two 9-inch cake pans.)
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
• In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed. Add in sugar and mix on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs in one at a time, beating each until well combined. Beat in the vanilla.
• Sift the cocoa powder into the butter mixture and beat just until combined. Scrape down the bowl.
• In a liquid measuring cup, mix together the buttermilk, vinegar, and red food coloring. (The more you use the brighter the color when baked.)
• With the mixer on low speed, add half of the flour mixture followed by half of the buttermilk mixture to the mixing bowl, beating just until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk. Stop and scrape down the bowl occasionally. Divide the batter among the prepared pans.
• Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the centers are springy to the touch. When done, let them cool in their pans for about 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Add the vanilla and salt and beat until combined.
• Sift the confectioner’s sugar into a large bowl.
• With the mixer on low speed, gradually the sugar into the butter mixture until combined. Stop and scrape down the bowl occasionally. Increase speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute. Place about a cup of frosting to a piping bag with a decorative tip.

For the Assembly:

• Place a cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread about ½ cup of frosting on top of the cake. Place another cake layer on top and repeat with the frosting. Top with the final cake layer and spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides of the cake.
• Use a bench scraper or offset spatula to smooth out the cake. Pipe a decorative border on top of the cake or as desired. Chill the cake for about 1 hour or until the frosting is set. Any leftover cake should be covered and can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Notes

• If the tops of your cake layers are domed, use a serrated knife to cut off the top of the domes so you can stack them evenly. Alternatively, use cake strips to help your cake layers come out evenly. Cake strips work by keeping the outside edge of the pan cooler to ensure that the entire cake rises at the same rate, preventing a dome from forming in the middle. If you don’t want to buy cake strips, I have a post on how to DIY cake strips.
• I highly recommend using a scale to measure your flour as it’s the most accurate method. If you don’t have a scale, fluff your flour with a spoon and spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife. This method prevents you from overpacking the measuring cup.
• If the ingredients were refrigerated, such as the eggs, milk, and cream cheese, it’s best to bring them to room temperature before using them so they mix effortlessly without overmixing.
• Be gentle when handling the layers during assembly, as the cake is very tender.
• The best way to let your butter come to room temperature is to bring it out of the fridge 1 to 2 hours beforehand and allow it to sit on your kitchen counter. Softening the butter in the microwave will carry the risk of it melting and making the cream cheese frosting runny. To speed up the process of the butter coming to room temperature, you can cube it instead of leaving the sticks whole.
• Make sure to sift the dry ingredients to remove any lumps. This will help to keep the cake’s crumb soft and light.
• For a large cake, divide the batter among two 9-inch round cake pans. The layers will be a bit thinner, so the bake time will decrease by about 5 minutes.
• If you do not have any buttermilk, see my post on how to make buttermilk with only two ingredients.