Two Layer Red Velvet Cake

Two Layer Red Velvet Cake – This Red Velvet Cake is perfectly moist with hints of butter, chocolate and vanilla and paired with a tangy Cream Cheese Buttercream. 

With Valentine’s Day coming up, I am craving all things Red Velvet. It is somewhat a mystery flavour and can be hit or miss, but I love it. I took a poll on my Instagram stories a few weeks ago and a lot of people wanted recipes for smaller cakes. So, I thought a two layer 6 inch cake would be perfect. 

This recipe is based off of my grandma’s Red Velvet Cake. The first time I made it, I found it was a little dry and a little dense. Sorry, grandma! So I made some tweaks. 

1. Butter, vanilla and chocolate are key flavours in Red Velvet, so I had to keep some butter but reduced the amount and added some oil. This helped add some moisture.
2. I used a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar instead of just granulated.
3. I reduced the amount of cake flour which helped lighten it up a bit.
4. To give the cake some more moisture, I reduced the amount of buttermilk originally called for and added some sour cream.
5. I actually didn’t try the frosting recipe my grandma had in the book. It looked like a flour buttercream. I just used my own Cream Cheese Buttercream recipe because I am very particular about my buttercream!

The result, was the perfect Red Velvet Cake. Super moist with all of the amazing buttery, chocolatey, vanilla flavours paired with a smooth and tangy Cream Cheese Buttercream. 

What you will need

Here’s what you will need to make this Two Layer Red Velvet Cake:

Unsalted butter – Butter is a key flavour in Red Velvet so we need to use a little but in addition to oil.

Vegetable or Canola oil – Oil adds moisture that butter alone just doesn’t!

Granulated sugar

Brown sugar – While doing some red velvet research, I came across a recipe that used both kinds of sugar and was intrigued. I tried it and loved it, so we use a combo in this recipe.

3 eggs

Cocoa powder – Cocoa powder is another key flavour in red velvet that some people don’t realize! We only use a little bit since this isn’t a full on chocolate cake. 

Cake flour – Cake flour works well in this recipe to keep the texture light and fluffy. 

Baking soda

Buttermilk – Buttermilk adds moisture to the cake. 

Sour cream – The original recipe only included buttermilk and was a bit too dry, so I added sour cream to give it extra moisture. 

Vanilla extract – Vanilla is the final key flavour in Red Velvet. 

Vinegar – Vinegar helps the baking soda leaven the cake. 

Red gel food colouring – Red GEL food colouring is best because you don’t have to use very much. If you are using liquid food colouring you will need to use quite a bit more to get a good red colour. I only used 1/2 teaspoon of red gel colouring. To get a deeper red colour, I also added one drop of Crimson from the Wilton Colour Right system. 

Cream cheese – Cream Cheese Buttercream is the only kind to pair with Red Velvet Cake in my opinion. 

Powdered sugar

Heavy cream – 33% heavy whipping cream is key for a fluffy buttercream. 

How to make this Two Layer Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake

In a medium sized bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder and baking soda.

Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together until smooth and creamy. About 2 minutes. 

Add the eggs in one at a time, mixing after each. Next, add the oil, vanilla extract, sour cream and vinegar. Beat until fully incorporated. 

With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk. Mix until just combined. 

Lastly, add the red food colouring. Mix until the colour is just evenly dispersed. 

Pour equal amounts of the batter into each cake pan. 

Bake for about 35  minutes at 350 degrees F. The cakes are done when a toothpick or cake tester comes out with just a few crumbs. 

Let the cakes cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Cream Cheese Buttercream 

Using a handheld or stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.

It’s important to use slightly chilled cream cheese for this buttercream to avoid it becoming too soft and gloopy. If you are planning on piping with this buttercream, then you will want a buttercream that holds it’s shape!

With the mixer on low, slowly add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Once all the powdered sugar is incorporated, add the vanilla and heavy cream. Then, whip on high speed for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Assembly

Once your cakes are cooled, the first thing you want to do is make sure they are all levelled. I like using a cake leveller to ensure they are perfectly level, but you can also eyeball it with a serrated knife. Just slice the domed tops off of the cake layers so that they are flat.

If you want to use some cake crumbs around the bottom of your cake like I did, save the cake tops then crumble them into fine pieces. Set aside for later. 

Spread or pipe a couple tablespoons of buttercream onto the centre of your cake round or cake plate. This will keep your cake in place as you decorate it.

Place the first layer of cake top side up on your cake round or plate. Spread about 1/2 cup of buttercream on top. Place the second layer on top, top side down so that the bottom of the cake layer is the very top surface of the cake. 

Spread another half cup of buttercream on the top of the cake. If some spills over the side, that is ok. Then start frosting the sides of the cake. Tools like an offset spatula and cake scrapers are very helpful for spreading frosting and creating smooth sides.

After the crumb coat (the first layer of frosting to seal in crumbs), I used an offset spatula to create the textured look on the sides. Drag the tip of your spatula along the side of the cake, starting at the bottom and moving upwards as you move around the cake. A turntable is handy here! I also piped some rosettes on top with a 2D piping tip and pressed the leftover cake crumbs along the bottom. 

If you are looking for another Red Velvet recipe, be sure to check out my Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches!

Two Layer Red Velvet Cake

Recipe by Kelsey LacombeCourse: DessertDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Bake time

35

minutes

This Red Velvet Cake is the perfect size for a small celebration. It is super moist with hints of butter, chocolate and vanilla and paired with a smooth and tangy Cream Cheese Buttercream.

Ingredients

• Red Velvet Cake

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 3 eggs

• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

• 2 cups cake flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 3/4 cup buttermilk

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon vinegar

• 1/2 -1 teaspoon red gel food colouring

• Cream Cheese Buttercream

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cream cheese, chilled

• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

• 1 tablespoon heavy cream

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

• Red Velvet Cake
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line two 6 inch cake pans.
• In a medium sized bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder and baking soda.
• Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together until smooth and creamy. About 2 minutes.
• Add the eggs in one at a time, mixing after each. Next, add the oil, vanilla extract, sour cream and vinegar. Beat until fully incorporated.
• With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk. Mix until just combined.
• Lastly, add the red food colouring. Mix until the colour is just evenly dispersed.
• Pour equal amounts of the batter into each cake pan.
• Bake for about 35 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick or cake tester inserted comes out with a few crumbs.
• Let the cakes cool in the pan on a wire rack.
• Cream Cheese Buttercream
• Using a handheld or stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
• With the mixer on low, slowly add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Once all the powdered sugar is incorporated, add the vanilla and heavy cream. Then, whip on high speed for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy.
• Assembly
• Once your cakes are cooled, the first thing you want to do is make sure they are all levelled. I like using a cake leveller to ensure they are perfectly level, but you can also eyeball it with a serrated knife. Just slice the domed tops off of the cake layers so that they are flat.
• If you want to use some cake crumbs around the bottom of your cake like I did, save the cake tops then crumbed them into fine pieces. Set aside for later.
• Spread or pipe a couple tablespoons of buttercream onto the centre of your cake round or cake plate. This will keep your cake in place as you decorate it.
• Place the first layer of cake top side up on your cake round or plate. Spread about 1/2 cup of buttercream on top. Place the second layer on top, top side down so that the bottom of the cake layer is the very top surface of the cake.
• Spread another half cup of buttercream on the top of the cake. If some spills over the side, that is ok. Then start frosting the sides of the cake. Tools like an offset spatula and cake scrapers are very helpful for spreading frosting and creating smooth sides.
• See detailed notes in the post for how I decorated my cake!

Notes

• This cake can be made in an 8 inch pan for a one layer cake. Be sure to adjust the baking time accordingly.

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