Pink Velvet Cake is fluffy and delicate vanilla cake with a hint of pink color, topped with a smooth vanilla buttercream. The texture of this cake justifies its “velvet” name with its soft and luxurious crumb. Be sure to try my Red Velvet Cake for another delicious cake recipe!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Cake Flour: Cake flour gives cake a fine crumb. It is lower in protein than all-purpose flour, which gives baked goods a delicate, tender crumb.
Food Coloring: I needed 6-7 drops of red food coloring for a soft pink color. You could also use pink food coloring if that is what you have on hand. You can add as much or as little food coloring as you prefer depending the color that you want to achieve.
Confectioners’ Sugar: Yes, the whipped buttercream calls for 7 cups of confectioners’ sugar. However, you could use as little as 3 1/2 cups if you want to use less sugar. Keep in mind that you will likely need to adjust the amount of milk down as well if using less sugar.
Can I Make Pink Velvet Cake Ahead of Time?
Cake
- To make the cake ahead of time, try adding simple syrup to the baked cake to make sure it stays moist and delicious. Once the cake is cooled, level it and add about 1-2 tablespoons of simple syrup per layer.
- Store the cake for 3-5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or in a labeled and dated airtight freezer-safe container for up to 2 months in the freezer.
Buttercream
- The buttercream will last up to 2 weeks stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- To freeze, place the frosting into a labeled and dated airtight, freezer-safe container or bag. If stored properly, it will last up to 3 months. When ready to use, allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then re-whip it if necessary.
Storing & Freezing Cake
- This cake can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To freeze, place the frosted cake in an airtight, freezer-safe container and store for up to 3 months. Allow the cake to thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
Pink Velvet Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 cups (300 g) cake flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup (245 g) whole milk, room temperature
- ½ cup (109 g) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6-7 drops red food coloring
Vanilla Buttercream*
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 7 cups (875 g) confectioners' sugar
- 5 tablespoons (75 g) whole milk, or enough to reach desired consistency, room temperature
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray 2, 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter. Cream until pale in color (about 2 minutes).
- Add the sugar to the creamed butter and mix for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next one.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
- In another bowl, combine the milk, oil, and vanilla.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternate between adding the flour mixture and the milk mixture to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until the ingredients are fully incorporated, adding your desired amount of food coloring.
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer.
- Pour the batter equally between the two cake pans. Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning them over onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Vanilla Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
- Add vanilla and almond extract.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add confectioners' sugar, milk, and salt, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Once the ingredients have been incorporated, whip the frosting on medium-high for 3-7 minutes.
- If frosting is too thick to spread, gradually beat in additional milk until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Cover the cooled cakes in a layer of frosting, putting it between the layers and around the outside of the cake. Slice and serve.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
I have been baking for 70 + yrs and knew better than to follow this recipe. Just for giggles I did. Please don’t make and follow this recipe. It was 1 in thick and spongy. I threw it away and created my own.
Cerise- in step 2 it states to whip the egg whites and set aside in another bowl. Seems pretty clear to me! Also, Amanda states to brush on the simple syrup AFTER the cakes are leveled prior to frosting.
I can’t wait to try this pink velvet cake., would you please share your icing recipe?
Couldn’t find the recipe for the frosting ?
Hi, Gayathri! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. Here is the whipped buttercream recipe you are looking for. I hope this helps, and have a wonderful day!
I have all the ingredients, except the almond extract. And no time to run to the store. Is it possible to omit that ingredient?
You can! However I would try this cake instead, it uses less almond extract and you won’t miss it as much. https://iambaker.net/white-snack-cake/ (Just add pink food color!)
I made this today as cupcakes and they turned out PERFECT. It made about 18. Great recipe!
A lot of the comments I read that didn’t turn out well sounds like they didn’t read the directions OR don’t know how to properly make a genoise cake (which is what this is). Some tips:
– Make sure EVERYTHING is room temperature. Milk, butter, and eggs. (Let eggs sit in warm water for a few minutes to get them to room temp before separating them).
– Weight everything! especially the egg whites. 4 egg whites could easily become 150g if you don’t weigh them. I ended up using 3 and it was enough by weight!
– Whip your egg whites long enough! They should be stiff and sticky, not runny at all. When you fold them in, make sure you use a proper folding technique. Look on Youtube for video examples of how to fold in egg whites. If you knock all the air out while mixing, the cake will be dense and gummy.
Probably the best cake I’ve ever made!! Strawberries and cream in between and a buttercream icing made it sublime!
Amanda, thank you for sharing your expertise. I am getting married during Christmas and will be blending three families. My daughter loves pink. My other daughter loves vanilla cake. I want to do a layer in each of their favorite flavors. Combine a top layer with all of the flavors together.
I baked this cake and thought the instructions were very clear! However, I pulled the 2- 9inch pans after 25 minutes, and a clean toothpick, and one of the cakes was still raw in the middle. I’ve never had a cake be raw after the toothpick test. Is there a better way to test these?
Where the heck are the egg whites everyone is complaining about! Are these old comments and has the recipe been changed! Please reply because I do not see replies to questions. I see three eggs, not whites!