The Best Dye-Free Red Velvet Cake (with Cream Cheese Frosting)
This dye-free red velvet cake is soft, moist, and topped with the dreamiest swirl of cream cheese frosting.
Author: Kendra Boettner
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 cup butter salted, room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1 –2 teaspoon red food coloring natural food coloring recommended
- 2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- ½ cup hot coffee
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 cup butter salted, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Preheat & Prepare: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 6-inch round cake pans or line with parchment paper.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, beat oil, buttermilk, eggs, red coloring, vanilla bean paste, hot coffee, and vinegar until smooth.
- Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in batches, mixing just until incorporated. Don’t overmix.
- Bake: Divide batter evenly into pans and bake for 30–35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Start checking at 25 minutes.
- Cool: Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Make the Frosting
- Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
- Gradually add sifted powdered sugar.
- Mix in vanilla and salt, and beat until light and fluffy.
Assemble the Cake
- Level cake layers if needed.
- Spread frosting between layers and around the entire cake.
- Chill before slicing for clean layers.
- Tip: For extra moistness, brush cake layers with simple syrup before frosting.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!