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Moistest Red Velvet Cake (Soft For Days!)

Zoha Malik

by Zoha Malik

Updated:

Rated 5.00 out of 5

157 Comments
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Finally, a Red Velvet Cake that actually lives up to its name – it feels in your mouth like luxury velvet feels on your skin. It’s the moistest cake you’ll ever have, with a tender, velvety, melt-in-your-mouth crumb that stays soft for days. The secret lies in my simple but game-changing technique: a simmering hot mixture of butter, oil, cocoa powder and water poured directly over the dry ingredients. The cake is made with basic ingredients (no buttermilk!) and slathered in a silky cream cheese frosting. It has a beautiful balanced flavor: slightly tangy with a hint of cocoa and vanilla, and not too sweet. Trust me when I say I’ve never had cake like this.

A slice of very moist and soft red velvet cake with white cream cheese frosting, served on a white plate with a gold fork beside it.

I baked this cake for my son’s three month celebration. It was such a hit! The most critical people said it was a perfect cake, the kids went crazy for it. Absolutely the best red velvet cake I’ve ever made (and had)!

– Wania, ★★★★★

I originally published this recipe in 2024, and although it was already pretty darn great, I’ve now given it an incredible upgrade. I will actually take this recipe to my grave (after passing down to my grandchildren, of course) – and that means a lot coming from someone who’s never fully satisfied! So, if you tried the original version and liked it, wait until you try this one.

My game-changing technique for the moistest texture

Most red velvet cake recipes follow a similar method: cream the fat and sugar, add eggs, alternate wet and dry. It works, but rarely produces anything remarkable.

This recipe takes a completely different, and frankly easier, approach (which, funnily enough, was inspired by my Texas Sheet Cake). A mixture of butter, oil, water, cocoa powder and red food color is brought to a simmer on the stove, then mixed into the dry ingredients. The heat helps break down the starch in flour before the cake even goes into the oven, giving the cake its unusually moist, velvety crumb. In fact, it works so well that you don’t even need buttermilk!

This technique also inspired my Vanilla Velvet Cake, which has the same plush, velvety texture.

A red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and red crumbs on top. A single slice is being lifted from the cake on a white cake stand.

The best red food color

I have tested different food colors for red velvet, including liquid, gel and powder, and gel food color is the clear winner. Specifically, I recommend this red gel food color by Ann Clark. Combined with Dutch processed cocoa powder, it creates the perfect deep red shade in this cake. It’s also extremely pigmented and you need only a small amount, which means it lasts forever. And if you wanna use it again, try my favorite red velvet chocolate chip cookies!

Step by step photos

The detailed recipe is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but let’s go over the steps with photos to help you visualize everything:

A glass bowl filled with flour and a metal whisk with a red handle sits on a wooden surface, ready for baking preparation
Whisk together the dry ingredients except the cocoa powder to remove any lumps.
A saucepan on a stove contains butter, cocoa powder, oil and water, being heated together
Add the cocoa powder, butter, oil, water and red food color to a saucepan.
A metal saucepan with deep red mixture is being whisked on a stove, seen from above. The sauce appears smooth, and the whisk is partially submerged, swirling the mixture.
Cook and stir until the butter melts. Once the mixture starts to simmer, cook for 1 more minute.
A glass bowl filled with a red liquids being mixed into dry ingredients for red velvet cake
Add the hot mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk gently until just combined.
A glass bowl with two cracked eggs, cake batter, milk, and other baking ingredients being whisked together, viewed from above on a wood cutting board
Add milk combined with vinegar, eggs and vanilla.
A glass bowl filled with glossy red cake batter is being mixed with a metal whisk. The bowl rests on a dark wooden surface.
Gently fold until you have a smooth batter.
Three round cake pans filled with smooth, bright red batter are placed on a wooden cutting board
Divide the batter evenly between 3 8″ pans. Tap the pans on your counter 5 times to release air bubbles.
Three round cake pans filled with freshly baked red velvet cakes, arranged close together on a wooden surface
Bake for ~18 minutes or until the cakes are done.

Make the cream cheese frosting, and frost the cakes once they have cooled down. Then serve and enjoy!

A note on holes

When you trim off the domes from the cakes, you might notice some holes in them. These are created from the fast reaction of baking soda and vinegar, and are completely normal. Don’t worry and proceed – you won’t be able to tell once the cake is assembled and sliced!

A few more tips before you make it

Here are a few important tips to help you perfect this recipe:

  • Weigh the ingredients, especially the flour, for the best results. I love this inexpensive scale from Amazon
  • Use Dutch Processed cocoa powder. It has a deep chocolate flavor so you get the pay-off without needing too much
  • Never over-mix the cake batter. Always whisk slowly and only until the ingredients are combined and you don’t see unmixed lumps
  • Don’t over-bake the cakes. Check with a toothpick around the 18 minute mark, you want it to have light, moist crumbs on it. Over-baking will cause the cake to become dry and crumbly
  • Let the cakes fully cool down before you handle them. They are quite soft and delicate, and might break if handled warm
  • Use full fat block cream cheese for the frosting – this gives you the best results. I always recommend Philadelphia!
  • Bring the cream cheese and butter to room temperature. This will help them come together quickly and easily while still maintaining a spreadable consistency
A three-layer red velvet cake with white cream cheese frosting sits on a white cake stand, with a large slice missing, revealing the cake's rich and moist red layers and smooth icing.
Print
A slice of very moist and soft red velvet cake with white cream cheese frosting, served on a white plate with a gold fork beside it.

Moistest Red Velvet Cake (Soft For Days!)

by Zoha Malik

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 stars from 46 reviews

Unbelievably moist red velvet cake made with a unique hot batter technique for a melt-in-your-mouth texture and beautiful balanced flavor

Yield:12-14 servings

Prep Time:
30 mins
Cook Time:
20 mins
Chilling Time:
40 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 30 mins

Video Tutorial

Ingredients

Red Velvet Cake:

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (325g)
  • 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar (330g)
  • 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 10 tbsp unsalted butter (140g)
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil (75g)
  • 3/4 cup water (180g)
  • 2 1/2 tbsp Dutch processed cocoa powder (15g)
  • 1 tbsp red gel food color
  • 3/4 cup whole milk (180g)
  • 5 tsp vinegar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 16 oz cream cheese, room temperature (2 8 oz blocks or 453g)
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks or 226g)
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted (360g)

Instructions

Red Velvet Cake:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 325F (conventional, no fan) and line 3 8″ cake pans with parchment paper and oil/butter
  2. In a large bowl, sift in the flour, and add the sugar, baking soda and salt. Whisk the ingredients together thoroughly and ensure there aren’t any lumps
  3. In a saucepan, add the butter, vegetable oil, water, Dutch processed cocoa powder and red gel food color. Place on the stove on medium low heat, and stir until the butter has melted. Once the mixture starts to simmer, cook and stir it for one more minute
  4. Pour the hot liquid mixture onto the dry ingredients from step 2. Use a hand whisk to slowly and gently mix until the ingredients are just combined and no streaks of flour remain. The mixture might look a little split, don’t worry and don’t over mix
  5. In a glass, mix together the whole milk and vinegar. Add the milk and vinegar mixture, the eggs and vanilla bean paste to the cake batter. Slowly and gently fold until the ingredients are just combined. You should have a smooth red cake batter 
  6. Divide the cake batter evenly between the 3 8″ cake pans. I like using a scale to do this so all cakes bake at the exact same time. Tap the pans on your counter hard 3-5 times to release any large air bubbles
  7. Bake in the pre-heated oven for ~18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out with light, moist crumbs on it (no wet batter, but not completely clean either).
  8. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in the pans for 15 minutes. Then carefully turn them out and let them fully cool down on wire racks

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  1. Add the room temperature butter, cream cheese, vanilla, salt and sifted powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment to whisk on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until the mixture looks smooth, fluffy and spreadable. Scrape the bottom and edges of the bowl once halfway through. Do not over-mix, as that can cause the frosting to become runny
  2. If the frosting is too soft / runny, refrigerate for a few minutes until it reaches a spreadable consistency

Assembly:

  1. Working one cake layer at time, carefully trim off the dome to level them. You may notice some holes in the cakes – don’t worry, this is totally normal!
  2. Place the first layer on your cake stand or turntable. Slather with a generous amount of the cream cheese frosting and spread it evenly. Repeat until all three layers are stacked on top of each other
  3. Cover the cake with a thin layer of the frosting (crumb coat), spreading it as smoothly as possible. Refrigerate for 15 minutes
  4. Add the remaining frosting and decorate the cake however you like. I make crumbs using the trimmed off cake domes and use them to decorate
  5. Serve & enjoy!

Notes

  • Cocoa powder: I strongly recommend using Dutch processed cocoa powder for the best flavor in this cake, but you can also use natural unsweetened cocoa powder if needed
  • Scaling this recipe: If you want to make a smaller version of this cake, you can divide all quantities by 2 and make a 3 layered, 6″ cake instead
  • Make ahead and storage: You can prepare this cake ahead of time and keep it covered at room temperature for up to 1 day, or in the fridge for up to 3 days. If serving from the fridge, first let it come to room temperature for 15-30 minutes so the texture is as soft as it can be! Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge

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Comments

  1. Sabeen Fatima

    I have tried this recipe and it turned to be the showstopper.thank you so much zoha you are genuinely a remarkable baker.

    1. Zoha Malik

      Thank you, Sabeen! That means the world to me

  2. Hazra Nazeer

    Hi

    What if we add baking powder ?

    1. Zoha Malik

      Hi Hazra! That will not work – the baking soda reacts with the vinegar in this recipe and is a must!

  3. Neelam

    This is amazing thank you so much
    Would you be kind enough to send the previous one? I am dylesix and it took me a long time to make your orginal one and I feel a little daunted.thank you zoha

  4. Maznah Shehzad-Jhanjee

    Tried it for my husband’s birthday because his favorite is red velvet. Turned out so good and it’s so easy to make. Thank you so much!! That cake literally melted in your mouth.

    1. Zoha Malik

      That’s exactly how I describe it! Yay!

  5. Fatima

    If I use powdered red color how much and how will it be added. As I don’t have gel food color.

    1. Zoha Malik

      Hi Fatima! You will have to do it by eye as I haven’t used powdered red color

  6. Brooke Demille

    What about making this into cupcakes?

    1. Zoha Malik

      You can definitely turn this into cupcakes! Baking time will depend on the size

  7. Shriya

    You are an amazing womann!! This recipe is so soo goodd. OMG I have never been able to achieve this velvety texture before. It is the most moistest cake everr.
    I baked this on Monday for my husband’s bday on Tuesday. It was really so easy to make and the most delicious red velvet cake ever.
    I was a bit concerned about the red colour, so I kind of used 2/3 tbsp instead of 1 tbsp. But at the end I think 1 tbsp was just enough for the perfect colour.
    I am trying to diet and wasnt gonna have more of this cake but I really really cannot resist.

    1. Zoha Malik

      AHHH you made me so happy!! THANK YOU so much, you truly made my day :’))

  8. Syeda Jaffri

    How come I never saw you before just randomly I came across your videos and I am in love with your recipes first thing I will try chipotle chicken Hawaiian bread for my son❤️

    1. Zoha Malik

      I am glad you’re here, Syeda! Best of luck x 🙂

  9. Suzzanne Jones

    Beautiful cake

    1. Zoha Malik

      Thank you, Suzzanne!

  10. Lena

    This looks absolutely incredible! I can’t wait to make and devour this hehe
    One question – can I omit the food coloring? Should I replace with another liquid?

    1. Zoha Malik

      You can always omit the food coloring and enjoy the cake as it is! It will have a beige / light brown color

  11. Jin

    Could I make this eggless with self raising flour and flax seeds

    1. Zoha Malik

      Please don’t use self raising flour, all purpose flour is needed. You can try replacing the eggs with flax seed eggs, but I haven’t personally tried that.

  12. Rosy

    Hi Zoha,
    I love your recipes! Absolutely amazing. 😁😁

    I wanted to ask, if I want to make this red velvet cake into cupcakes, how long should I bake it for?

    1. Zoha Malik

      Thank you, Rosy! It depends on the size of your cupcakes. For small cupcakes it shouldn’t take longer than 12-15 minutes!

  13. Gina Ryerson

    Hello, can this recipe be turned into cupcakes?

    1. Zoha Malik

      Yes of course!

  14. Farhat Tafannum Hadiqa

    Its really amazing. Thank you.

    1. Zoha Malik

      Thank YOU! <3

  15. Aysha

    For the vinegar is it some specific type we need to use I only have rice vinegar at home rn but since never used it in cakes scared to experiment so wanted to ask you before trying it

    1. Zoha Malik

      I just use plain white vinegar x

  16. Teresa Horobec

    Been trying different red velvet recipes since 2020 for my now soon to be daughter in law’s birthday. This one is the first one that turned out moist! Icing was perfect too. Thanks for this keeper of a recipe.

    1. Zoha Malik

      Wooo! Thank you, Teresa! I am coming up with an even better version now x

  17. Teresa

    I’ve been making red velvet cake every year since 2020 for my (soon to be) daughter in law’s birthday. This is the best recipe yet. Finally, I was able to achieve a moist red velvet cake. And the cream cheese icing was wonderful too. Thank you for this perfect recipe. I must try your lemon velvet cake next!

    1. Zoha Malik

      Oh my gosh, what a kind review! Thank you so much, Teresa! Your daughter in law is lucky to have you

  18. Amma

    Hello Zoha!
    Thanks for the recipe but can I use cake flour. if so, should I omit the cornstarch? because all purpose flour isn’t readily available here.
    Thanks

    1. Zoha Malik

      Hi! Yes, you can replace both all purpose flour and cornstarch (the total amount) with cake flour.

  19. Lise

    Hi Zoha,
    This recipe is fab – thank you, I made it for my niece’s 18th birthday last week.
    I am wanting to adapt this recipe into a vanilla butter cake recipe for an engagement cake next week. Is it adaptable or do you hv a recipe you could suggest?

    1. Zoha Malik

      Hi Lise! I won’t recommend changing this recipe into a vanilla one as every ingredient works together to create the texture and flavor. I do have some vanilla cake recipes on my website too that you can check out – like my https://bakewithzoha.com/victoria-sandwich-cake/! that’s the one I recommend.

      1. Lise

        Thank you!!! Will check it out

  20. Ghalia

    Amazing recipe 🤩 thank you so much ♥️

    1. Zoha Malik

      I am glad you like it!

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