Most home red velvet cakes come out either brown or muddy pink. The bakery version is deep, moist, faintly cocoa, and holds a crumb so fine it looks like velvet. Here is the ratio.
Ingredients for a 7 inch cake
- Maida: 200 g
- Cocoa powder (natural, not Dutch): 15 g
- Baking powder: 1 tsp
- Baking soda: 3/4 tsp
- Salt: 1/4 tsp
- Sugar (fine): 220 g
- Refined oil: 130 ml
- Buttermilk (thick): 200 ml
- Vinegar (white): 1.5 tsp
- Vanilla: 1.5 tsp
- Red gel food colour: 1 to 1.5 tsp (Wilton No-Taste Red or Magic Colours red)
- Egg: 2 (or replace with 100 g curd for eggless)
Why natural cocoa, not Dutch
Natural cocoa is acidic, which reacts with baking soda to give lift and unlocks the deep red colour when combined with gel colour. Dutch cocoa is alkalised, which neutralises the reaction and gives a duller brown cake.
Method
- Sift dry ingredients twice.
- Whisk oil + sugar until sugar dissolves. Add eggs one at a time. Add buttermilk, vanilla, and gel colour.
- Add vinegar last, mix quickly, batter will foam slightly.
- Fold in dry ingredients in 3 batches. Do not overmix.
- Pour into greased and parchment lined 7 inch tin. Bake at 170 degrees Celsius for 30 to 35 minutes.
The cream cheese frosting (the correct ratio)
- Cream cheese (chilled): 300 g
- Unsalted butter (soft): 100 g
- Icing sugar (sifted): 250 g
- Vanilla: 1 tsp
- Pinch salt
Beat butter and icing sugar until fluffy. Add cream cheese in one shot, beat only until combined. Do not overwhip, cream cheese becomes runny in 30 seconds if overmixed. Chill 30 minutes before piping.
Colour tips
Use gel colour, never liquid. Liquid adds water and dulls the red. Start with 1 tsp, add more only after all ingredients are mixed and you can see true colour. Batter looks slightly brighter than baked cake, so aim one shade darker.
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FAQs
Why does my red velvet look brown?
Wrong cocoa type (used Dutch) or liquid colour instead of gel.
Can I freeze red velvet layers?
Yes, up to 30 days. Wrap in cling film + foil. Thaw in fridge overnight before frosting.