Red Velvet Cocoa Cake (Printable)

A moist, velvety cocoa cake with a subtle tang and rich cream cheese frosting ideal for special occasions.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
06 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
09 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 - 1 teaspoon white vinegar
11 - 1 fluid ounce red food coloring
12 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil

→ Cream Cheese Frosting

13 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
14 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
15 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
16 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
17 - Pinch of salt

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
02 - Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
04 - Mix in vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and white vinegar into the creamed mixture.
05 - In a small bowl, blend buttermilk with red food coloring.
06 - Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture in three portions, alternating with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined to avoid overmixing.
07 - Divide the batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean.
08 - Allow cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then release from pans onto wire racks to cool completely.
09 - Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, beating until light and fluffy.
10 - Once cake layers are fully cooled, spread a layer of frosting between them, then frost the exterior top and sides evenly.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The velvety crumb is impossibly moist and tender, never dense or heavy like lesser red velvet attempts.
  • Cream cheese frosting that actually tastes like cream cheese, not just sweetened butter hiding underneath.
  • It's elegant enough for celebrations but approachable enough to make on a random Tuesday when you need something special.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients blend together smoothly; cold eggs or cream cheese will create a lumpy, broken batter or frosting that no amount of beating will fix.
  • The red color deepens as the cake bakes, so don't panic if the batter looks pale red—it will intensify in the oven.
  • Overmixing after adding the dry ingredients is the number one reason red velvet cakes turn out tough and dense instead of tender.
03 -
  • Use gel food coloring instead of liquid for a deeper, more vivid red that doesn't dilute your batter and weaken the crumb.
  • A crumb coat—a thin first layer of frosting—seals in crumbs so your final frosting layer stays pristine and professional-looking.
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