Red Velvet Cake with Fluffy White Frosting

Red Velvet Cake

Ooooh God.  This is embarrassing.  This is about to happen.

Here’s a small excerpt from Joy’s (before she was the Baker) diary circa late 1996.  I had strong feelings about a lot of things back then… my first crush named Hayden, my best friend turned enemy, the television show Seinfeld, making the volleyball team and…. MTV’s The Real World.  Yea… I’m not so sure about that last one either.  I dunno.  Here’s an actual excerpt:

Um.  Diary.  Seriously.  (P.S.) Real World Miami sucked just to let you know.

Reasons to be on Real World…

1) I’m athletic… DUH

2) I’m funny… so how bout them Dodgers… who’s on first… knock knock.

3) I’m diverse.  I’m a black girl (woman).

4) Kissing.  But not on camera.

5) I’m from Los Angeles… with bright lights and clear skies.

6) I’m a country music lover… Come on baby let’s go to Vegas.

*HELL-OOO

My heavens! I laughed out loud when I found this little gem in my teenage diary. Ooooh but believe me… that little book is full of all sorts of priceless wallowing and poetry so terrible… so foul… that I can barely even stand to revisit it. This little list though…. hot dang… so funny.  I think I love reason number three the most.  Why did I feel the need to put the ‘woman’ in parentheses?  My heavens.  What a weirdo.

I just had to get that off my chest… now, cake.

Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake

I have gone through many a Red Velvet Cake recipe but I’ve finally found my favorite.  The Humming Bakery Cookbook is just a dream when it comes to cakes and cupcakes.  I turned my favorite Red Velvet Cupcakes into a cake with Fluffy White Seven Minute Frosting and topped with whole monster with toasted coconut.  The recipe has a good dose of cocoa powder and buttermilk, making the cake both flavorful and moist.  This beauty makes for a super lovely party cake.  It’s impressive.

Can’t imagine Red Velvet without Cream Cheese Frosting… we’ve got that recipe too!

Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake with Fluffy White Frosting and Toasted Coconut

from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

makes 2 8-inch or 9-inch round cakes

Print this Recipe!

8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 egg

5 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

4 Tablespoons red food coloring mixed with 2 Tablespoons water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour two 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about three minutes.  Turn mixer to high and add  the eggs.  Scrape down the bowl and beat until well incorporated.

In a separate bowl mix together cocoa, vanilla and red food coloring to make a thick paste.  Add to the batter, mixing thoroughly until completely combined.  You may need to stop the mixer to scrape the bottom of the bowl, making sure that all the batter gets color.

Turn mixer to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk.  Add half of the flour and salt and mix until combined.  Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining milk and flour.  Beat on high until smooth.

Turn mixer to low and add baking soda and white vinegar.  Turn to high and beat a few more minutes.

Spoon batter into prepared cake pans and bake for 25-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center cupcake comes out clean.

Let rest in the pan for 20 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Red Velvet Cake

Fluffy Seven Minute Frosting

from Epicurious.com

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

3 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

In large metal bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup water, sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt. Set bowl over pan of barely simmering water and mix with handheld electric mixer at low speed. Gradually increase speed to high, beating until mixture holds stiff peaks, about 5 minutes.

Transfer bowl from pan to folded kitchen towel on counter and continue beating until mixture is cool and billowy, about 2 minutes more. Beat in vanilla. (Frosting can be made 4 hours ahead and chilled, covered.)

Red Velvet Cake

Toasted Coconut

1 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Spread coconut on top of a foil lined baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 6-10 minutes, tossing coconut occasionally so it browns evenly.  Keep a close eye on the coconut, it burns quickly!

All Comments

I Made This

Questions

139 Responses

  1. i was making this for my 6 month old baby’s half birthday but I added all the buttermilk at once into the egg butter sugar mix. UGH*

  2. Hi! Would really like to know please if this cake would be sturdy enough to be covered in fondant? And did you used a liquid or paste (wilton) food coloring? Thank you in advance.

  3. My frosting texture came out perfect. I even got away just using a plastic bowl! The only thing is the taste, I’m not sure if it was the texture because I’m used to cream cheese frosting that I make homemade. But this is still a good recipe.

  4. I made this for my birthday! The first time I had every made a bday cake for myself. But I figured, you only turn 40 once ;) It was fabulous! I used dark cocoa (because that is what I love). I will definitely be making this again!

  5. Okay, so here’s the situation. My sister and I wanted to make mom a birthday cake, and we couldn’t decide which frosting we wanted to use, so we had a Frosting Battle. I chose this 7 Minute frosting, because I mean look at it. It’s amazers. So I followed the recipe and then put the metal bowl on the pan and beat. I kept on beating and beating. But it wouldn’t go into peaks, it would just foam. WHY? Thanks so much and love the blog!
    ~ Elle

  6. dear joy
    i love your blog and your recipes!
    however, i was wondering if this cake would taste better with the fluffy seven minutes frosting or cream cheese frosting?
    because, you know, red velvet is usually paired with cream cheese frosting :)
    jessica

  7. Hello,

    I used this recipe (with a few adaptions) to bake a red velvet cake this past weekend. I am going to post about it on my blog and will make sure I give you credit for finding the recipe here. :-)

    It was delicious!! Thank you!!!

  8. Pingback: Sugar by Shan!
  9. Hi joy! :)
    My cakes are in the oven this now! Cant wait to see how they look they sure as heck smell all kinds of awesome! Made these in cupcake form before but this is my first attempt at a BIG cake. Im not a real big fan of the seven minute frosting though :/ plus im making this cake for my grans 75th birthday and she told me “dont be stingy with the buttercream” so planning on decorating with vanilla bean buttercream and cinnamon buttercream roses (apparently theyre a lot easier than one would think :/) Wish me luck!
    lulu

  10. Am using your red velvet cake and frosting recipe TWO years in a row for boyfriend’s birthday cake. Huge success! Thank you – I was so glad I bookmarked the recipe last year :)

  11. hi! does this seven minute frosting chill well overnight? i once made it and it was absolutely perfect, but after leaving it in the fridge overnight it developed a crunchy shell which totally ruined the whole batch. :( does this happen to this too? thanks :)

    1. To solve this problem, you might consider placing a piece of plastic wrap directly over the frosting… Like you would cover a pudding when you want ton avoid pudding skin. That should do the trick!

  12. Dear joy,
    I made this cake for my husbands b-day and I was a bit disappointed. I don’t know if I did something wrong but the cake came out to sweet and very dense..is it suppose to be like this? I really enjoy your blog and hope to try more recipes in the future. Thanks!

  13. Hi and thank you for your great recipes!!
    I tried to use some beetroot powder instead using artificial red food colour but didn’t work! Wouldnt be lovely to use some natural beetroot powder instead using red food artificial coloring?? Please help, thank you S

  14. I’m going to make this for a Christmas party tomorrow afternoon. Will it be ok if I make it today and leave it out until the following afternoon?? I’m afraid that the fluffy white frosting will not hold throughout the night. Thanks!

  15. dear joy
    how about you do a take on braided challah bread – the jewish one for shabbat?
    we love your site
    sarah

  16. Hi Joy!..or anyone else that can answer this question!
    I doubt you will be able to answer this by tomorrow so I will probably just end up making the cream cheese frosting…but my question is does the frosting call for powdered sugar or granulated sugar? I’m assuming it means powdered, but it doesn’t say!
    Thanks!

  17. Hey Joy!
    i love your blog and all your recipes, so when i was wanting a delicious red velvet cake recipe i knew to look on your blog!
    i have one question though.. most red velvet cakes i’ve made before and most recipes i’ve seen all call for 2 tablespoons of chocolate and sometimes even 1. so i just wanted to know why you like using 5 {is it better?}
    thanks so much!

  18. Hi Joy!

    I want to make this cake, but dont want to use the red food coloring. Can I just leave it out, or do I need to replace it with something else (ex. milk)? I’m worried that if i just leave it out, the cake will come out differently because it will be missing 6 tablespoons of liquid. If anyone else has any advice, please let me know! thanks!

      1. here’s the situation–its my best friend’s birthday tomorrow. her all time favorite cake is red velvet but I am really not into artificial ingredients. if you think leaving it out will ruin the integrity and flavor of the cake, mabye I should just suck it up. after all, it is HER birthday cake.

  19. you are awesome. i just discovered your blog and am in love with it! the photographs are divine and the recipes make my heart skip beats. i am literally in love with all of it. plus your posts are hilarious! great blog… i am an official follower and i added you to my blog roll.
    p.s. red velvet… yum, just made some cuppies the other day in all their red and cream cheese glory.

  20. thanks to you, queen of all things red velvet, and our shared love for the hummingbird bakery cookbook, i made red verlvet cake for the very first time last weekend. a celebration cake was in order and it was gooood! =) i changed up the frosting a bit though and didnt have quite enough red food colouring… guess thats a good thing though because i have to slowly accustom people to so much red brightness! ;o)

  21. hi joy,
    my red velvet cakes are in the oven as we speak and while waiting for the beautiful cakes to be done i began to read your following post noting that you grabbed this recipe from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook. what is your personal opinion about all of the recipes in the book and have they all turned out successful for you? i went to amazon and some of the reviews are not that convincing for me to purchase the cookbook.

  22. Hi Joy! Your blog has turned me on to some incredibly delicious things since I started reading it. My coworkers love everything I bring in, so thank you!

    I have a question about this recipe. I’d like to make it in a 13×9 pan, doubling the recipe to make two layers. Do you think I would need to adjust the baking temperature or just the baking time?

    Also, I was thinking of trying to make it more pink than red (it’s going to be a baby shower cake). Would I just minimize the food coloring amount, or should I lower the water amount proportionally?

    Thanks!

  23. The cake was amazing. However the 7 min. frosting gave my husband and I both the runs the second day we ate it…such a bummer because we LOVED the cake.

  24. I just made this cake (without the dye) and it was delicious! It was definitely one of the best cakes I have ever had. The toasted coconut made it look so beautiful!

  25. I used this recipe to make my son a red velvet Elmo cake. It is the most delicious cake ever! I haven’t had one this good in years, loved it, and my son did too! You can see the pic on my home page, its only my second theme cake, and I am still learning from great bakers like you! Thanks again!

  26. I stuck my teenage diaries on the fire one night. I like your list though. My lists weren’t quite as good as yours, but probably equally angst-filled!
    Cake looks super.

  27. Hello from the UK!
    Your blog gives a real taste of America. The way of cooking is definitely different to ours. I’ve never ever seen cake with red food colouring added like this. And the frosting is completely new to me too.
    I’m looking forward to trying some of these recipes…

  28. has anyone tried this or other recipes using some sort of natural food coloring? beet juice? fruit juice? i would love to hear about it if anyone has experimented with natural coloring.

    i generally just leave out the food coloring in recipes (it makes me extra crazy). this cake looks fantastic, so it would be awesome to make it with the deep red color.

  29. I love red velvet cake but somehow I always get an aftertaste from the food coloring. I love how it looks though. I wonder if they make a higher quality food coloring that has no bad taste?

  30. Love how you combine the cooking with the “blogging.” That cake looks amazing. I think the combination of coconut with the red velvet interesting. Will keep that in the back of my mind.

  31. Hey Joy,
    This looks fantastic and I plan to use the recipe to make cupcakes tomorrow– just wondering if you use liquid food coloring or the paste? I assumed it would be liquid on the cupcake version, but the mixing it with water part on here is making me think maybe it is gel or paste? If possible, I would appreciate if you could reply by tomorrow.
    Thanks so much!! [o:

  32. joy,you make me laugh! i have been journaling since the seventh grade, and now i am a junior in college! i love to look back and to appreciate where i am now in my life.

  33. You are by far the funniest baker around. You make me smile!
    BTW….I’ve never tried the 7 min frosting, but because you say its easy…I’m gonna.

    Multi-Racial Bakers UNITE!
    **I should make a t-shirt. lol

  34. Hilarious! Thank you so much for opening up and sharing. But there’s nothing funny at all about that cake. That cake looks like a dream come true. YUM! I’m new to your blog via a link from one of my readers, and I’m so happy to have found you! Delicious looking food photographed so well, and a witty writer to boot. I think I’ve struck a little goldmine :O)

    Blessings, Susan

  35. Fluffy white frosting is the only kind my mother has ever used on Red Velvet Cake which is one of her specialties. The first time I saw cream frosting on one, I actually wondered what was wrong with it.

  36. I’m having a problem finding the liquid food coloring. I will often find those little sets of 4 colors (which I dont need) or gel food coloring. I’ve asked in some of these stores if they know how to convert the gel to equal the amount of liquid I’d need but to no avail. Any ideas?

  37. joy, you are ever-so-brave to post old diary entries! i shudder to think about my circa-1996 declarations of pre-teen love and “my parents just don’t understand”! beautiful, beautiful cake, too!

  38. LOVE your journal entry! Funny how Real World led to all these reality shows huh?! Loved the moment when wats-his-name slapped the girl that was leaving early with a health problem…and all the peeps decided he could stay because he lost it that once…..good grief…lol. I can’t believe I remember this random bit of info but can’t remember phone numbers to save my life.

    I just discovered your blog a day ago while I was in bed sick for the first day in 2 yrs. I’m so glad I found you! I’m a GREAT cook (honestly!) but baking is my sister’s thing…and she honestly rubs it in my face regularly! haha! So this year (starting Oct. since Texas is hot as hell) I’m taking baking by the horn! Hehe…I AM WOMAN (tho not black, sorry) HEAR ME ROAR! (or at least meow loudly and rub against your leg..) LOL!

  39. I made your favorite cupcakes into a cake (with your cinnamon cream cheese frosting, of course) for my boyfriend’s birthday and he (and his twin) loooooooved it!!

  40. I just found your blog, and I feel I have to say something. I think I love you. Is it weird to say that? Maybe, a little too soon? I found you through a link to your peanut butter and bacon cookies. I don’t have the words. Yay! And then, I see a red velvet cake covered in coconut! I immediately added you to my favorites. I can’t wait to read more.

  41. hahaha, you are one quirky girl!

    my early diaries read much the same… when i can stand reading them! don’t even get me started on the college diaries… ack

  42. Ok, so I can’t believe I am actually admitting this, but I have seen every season on The Real World, it’s pitiful because I am 40! The kids never change, they just get more brazen with every season. I love to see the cities, the drama, I just can’t help myself.

    There is a show in Denver called Girls Only and it is two women sharing their actual teenage diaries, skits, etc. It is in a tiny theatre and the women start out in their underwear, do a Kotex Krafty Korner… love it!

    Also, love the red velvet!

  43. Looks delicious!
    I shredded my diaries from when I was seven (yes seven) to 17 because they were so cringe worthy last year, I don’t regret it. Seriously! I kept my “adult” ones though, so I can look back and realise how much fun I was having!

  44. Gorgeous, gorgeous cake. If this is your new favorite red velvet recipe, than it certainly can’t go undone in my kitchen.
    And awkward teenage diaries? Love it. Joy, this is beyond hilarious. Applause from me to you, for posting an awkward teenage diary entry on a very, very public blog. I can’t even bring myself to show mine to my husband. Oh, the bad poetry. For the love.

  45. Hey Joy, you have answered my unspoken prayer. I’ve had a request out for Red Velvet Cake for some time now. We tried Jerry’s Deli version and it wasn’t that impressive. The last time I’ve had a good one was long long long time ago and it was homemade and I cannot remember who the baker was.

    While reading your sisters blog she mentioned you and included a link to your page. Wow, a breath of fresh air. I immediately fell in love with your photos. They’re so crisp I could almost smell the delites. The morning shots are so uplifting. That is my favorite time to work as well. I won’t bore you with all the things I adore about your page, but it has definitely been a joy to have found it.

    I’m off to look for a way to contact you. God bless

    P.S. He likes whipcream/icing mix and fresh strawberries or even a delicious rum cake. He’s from the carribean. = )
    I will be trying these recipes when I can find enough people to share them with. My husband and I find ourselves in trouble every fall when I make my sweet potato pies. We’re talking putting our name on individual pies for ourselves. Ridiculous? Highly!

    My birthday husband birthday is tomorrow and mine is Tuesday………………… Yes, I’m gonna do it. Is there anyway possible that I could get a cake for Saturday evening. I know “no she didn’t”. I did. The worst you could say is no.

  46. Joy, I’ve never toasted coconut before – I love the stuff so I will try it. Does it just make it a bit crispier and more interesting? Does it get sweeter? Or does is just stop it getting soggy when you put it on the frosting?

  47. Oooh – Yummy red velvet cake. I have a favorite recipe, but I am always open to new experiences. Will have to try this one this weekend.

  48. Holy crap that was funny!!!! I dont know if I am brave enough to go back and read my teenage diaries!!! Tooo funny!!!
    That cake looks HEAVENLY!!! Red Velvet is my hubby’s fav so I will DEFINATELY be trying this one!!!

  49. Joy, by chance I stumbled onto your blog and I’m absolutely shocked I’ve never found you before. I read through a few of your posts and I can confidently say you are now my all time favorite food blogger. Why? Because you write well and I actually enjoy reading your blog beyond just looking at your delicious photos. What a breath of fresh air. You are very lovable indeed.

  50. Joy – you’re awesome. You’re timing is impeccable too….I’ve needed a red velvet cake recipe that I don’t hate…they always taste to chemical-y to me, but I’ve tried so many of your recipes and they are always KNOCK OUT recipes! I can’t wait to try this one and finally have a good red velvet cake in my repertoire! And your diary entry was AWESOME – love it :)

  51. I bought the Hummingbird Cookbook — it is a beauty, and the recipes are creative and amazing! I’ve made these cupcakes twice and both times they were a hit! I love the idea of using 7-minute frosting with them — I can’t wait to try them again.

  52. #3 is so fruedian. So perfectly revealing of the mixed-up, adolescent mind. Still a girl, longing for womanhood. But my favorite is #4. You wanted to be on a television show and have your life taped…for the kissing…but not on camera? More teenaged-mind brilliance.

  53. HAHAHAH! I love taking a trip down memory lane and reading all those old journal entries. That one really is priceless. Have you ever heard of the show”Get Mortified?” I think it would be right up your alley. And that cake looks delicious too. :) (you can find the show and book and getmortified.com)

  54. Yay! I threw all my old teenage diaries out because I felt like a. I would never be able to read them again with wincing, and b. the real therapy was in the actual act of writing back then. So now I’m skeleton-free! :D But thanks for the recipe, it looks so good! I’ve tried a few red velvet recipes before but this one looks great and it doesn’t call for sour cream, which I’m currently out of. Having a girls night-in this weekend and this looks perfect for that.

  55. That cake looks so heavenly!

    As far as journals/diaries, I specifically kept one page of self-wallowing pitty so I could remember what it was like to be a teenage girl… I don’t care if all the rest of my journal gets destroyed…

  56. I am so excited about this cake! Also… I am excited about your diary entry. Thanks for sharing. I feel the need to go read my embarrassing teenage diaries before my hubby comes home from word and discovers what a dork I am.

  57. Personally, I wanted to be on Road Rules, especially if it was in europe. I digress… I can not wait to make this cake!!! It looks bananas. Thanks for sharing your wit and wisdom. LOVE IT!

  58. oh wow… I think I will have to make that for the next work birthday… minus the coconut (we have a no-tree-nuts policy at work… damn)

  59. Oh my gosh, we were the same person back in 1996, only my crush’s name was Jeff, not Hayden! Haha! I think I burned all my old diaries because I just don’t have the confidence to ever go back and reread them (or let anyone else see them!)

    Thanks for the laugh this morning! :~)

  60. LOL, love the diary entry!

    Now, seriously, I’ve been pondering this for the last 15 mins since reading this entry – what exactly makes 7 minute frosting “the bomb”? What makes it SO GOOD that I have to try it? I just can’t seem to make myself stand there for 7 mins beating this mixture….Is it the flavor? Fluffiness? Shiney-ness??

    Anyone??

    1. 7 minute frosting is super full of flavor like cream cheese frosting, but i totally love how fluffy and shiny it is. using a handheld electric mixer will make the process pretty painless. if you aren’t convinced… cream cheese frosting might be the way to go.

  61. Pure brilliance, Joy. In my opinion, Real World Seattle was totally the best. But I might be a little biased because it’s where I’m from. Thanks for linking to the cream cheese frosting recipe. I’ve been wanting to make the red velvet cake from the Baked cookbook, but I just don’t know if I can do it without the cream cheese, as they suggest. P.S. Way to be diverse :)

    1. Don’t even get me started on Real World Seattle. That was totally my favorite season. That dude with the two different colored eyes? And the drama and fish throwing and face slapping. Classic!

  62. I LOVE reading old journals – and yes, they usually make me laugh!! And they make me remember obscure things I’ve forgotten. Thanks for sharing!! I think I am the only person out there taht does not like red velvet cake – but yours looks very good =)

  63. Dear Joy- this looks scrumptious. I am a bit terrified of cake baking, but may need to look my fears directly in the eye and go for it with this recipe… Thanks for the inspiration!

  64. Gosh! This made me want to revisit my diary also and read about the cheezy things I was soooo passionate or bored about those days! Haha!

    But the cake looks fabulous! Thanks for the recipe. Will definitely try this one out as I’m starting to do trial baking for my Christmas food goody giveaways.

  65. Okay, I feel so much better knowing that I’m not the only person who starts out (multiple) journal entries with “um”, talks directly to the diary like I’m talking to an actual person, and puts things in parentheses. In reading your blog I’ve discovered that we seem to think similar, so I like you. Not in a creepy way. But I like this cake in a creepy way. I’m making it for my boyfriend who’s coming in from Afghanistan for leave this weekend and has NEVER HAD RED VELVET CAKE!! I KNOW!! I blame myself. And I’m making him pancakes. Lots of pancakes. Wait this isn’t my blog…that’s enough of me talking. Thanks for being awesome! :)

    1. you’re seriously hilarious! make this cake for your boyfriend… and quick! although. if he’s never had red velvet before, you should totally make it with cream cheese frosting… that’s important. Do it!

  66. Pingback: Tweets that mention Joy the Baker » Blog Archive » Red Velvet Cake with Fluffy White Frosting -- Topsy.com
    1. ha! seriously. hahaha! yes. i’m black.. half black. my dad is black… so yea. black. on occasion i like to refer to myself as a black girl (woman)… which is totally weird.

  67. LMAO. I knew I should have kept a diary – look at all the good laughs you’ll have over the years!

    And p.s. – The Real World, Season 1…was THE BOMB.

    p.p.s – Lovin’ the look of that gorgeous cake.

  68. Aw, i wish it were someone i knew’s birthday soon, this would be damn impressive! The seven minute frosting scares me, anything more than beating some icing sugar and butter together is a bit daunting, hopefully i’ll be able to pull it off as easy as you!

  69. Your sense of humor is right up my alley. I absolutely love reading your posts. And that red velvet cake just makes it even better.

  70. I totally laughed out load reading this! You are hilarious, thanks so much for that! Oh and the cake looks delicious too, I might just have to make that this weekend for no reason other than pure pleasure.

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