Perfect Red Velvet Cake

My mom and I have been using the same Red Velvet Cake recipe for as long as I can remember. It’s the one she used when I was a kid and the one I’ve always made. And while it’s delicious, I knew it could be better. And since it was a recipe that was given to her, I can say that. I wouldn’t be bad talking my own mama’s recipe, folks. I know better than that. But since it isn’t hers… I can say I knew it could be better. 

So over the course of the last few years, I’ve tweaked and changed, swapped and substituted, and come up with something that I think is dang near perfection. It’s light and tender, super moist, crazy flavorful with a bold red color, and it’s covered in a decadent cream cheese frosting that’s studded with toasted pecans. Do I have your attention?

Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of the fuss of layer cakes – give me a sheet cake any day! – but every now and then a special occasion warrants a special cake. And this is the one. 

So let’s talk about what makes this cake so special…

We start with cake flour. I know, it’s not necessarily something that you have in the pantry, but it’s important. Cake flour is a very fine, low protein flour. It makes cakes super tender because the lack of protein helps prevent gluten formation which makes baked goods chewy. Gluten is a great thing in pizza crust, but not in cake. Se we use a low protein flour to keep it from developing. It’s pretty easy to get your hands on. 

Next, let’s talk fat. This cake includes melted butter and vegetable oil. Butter adds great flavor but can often cause cakes to be denser and dry out a bit. Oil makes cakes super light and keeps them moist longer. So since we want our cake to be tender, light, moist, and flavorful, a combination of both butter and oil is what we need.

The cocoa in this is what gives red velvet cake its signature flavor. But it’s not enough to make it taste like a chocolate cake. It’s just somewhere between a vanilla and chocolate cake.  If you’ve never had red velvet, I know that sounds crazy, but trust me… you’ve just got to try it. 

So what’s with the vinegar? Seems like a crazy cake ingredient, right? Well, in this case, the addition of vinegar does two things. Many say that the vinegar reacts with the cocoa powder and turns it a reddish color. Some even say that’s where red velvet got its signature color. I can’t confirm those details, but I can say that it does enhance the color that we add to this cake in the way of red food coloring. It just gives the color a bit of a pop. The vinegar also provides a bit of acid that we need to activate the baking soda to get the lift we need for the cake to rise and be light and fluffy. 

Speaking of acid, we’re going to add another one, too. Buttermilk. Buttermilk gives us more acid to activate the chemical reaction in the baking soda and also plays an important part in the flavor profile of the cake. 

Now, I know there’s a lot of info in this post, but I truly believe that when we know how and why ingredients effect our recipe, we all become better cooks. 

Regardless, I can tell you this is the best red velvet cake I’ve ever had. Yes, there’s some chemistry that goes into play here, but the best part is, I already did the hard work. You just get to enjoy the fruits of my labor! Y’all enjoy!