Pink Velvet Cake is a soft vanilla cake with food coloring to give it the pink color and topped with vanilla buttercream. Be sure to check out all my Cake Recipes!
Pink Velvet Cake
The texture of this cake justifies the velvet name in the title. Unlike my red velvet cake, which is really a chocolate cake, this is a vanilla cake with some food coloring for that pink color.
Cake Ingredients
There are two parts to this cake–the cake and the buttercream.
Room Temperature Ingredients: I can’t stress enough that this cake needs to be made with room temperature ingredients. This will ensure easier mixing and helps achieve that perfect crumb.
Cake Flour: Cake flour brings a finer crumb to cakes. It is lower in protein than all-purpose flour, which gives baked goods a delicate, tender crumb. You can make your own homemade cake flour if you don’t have any on hand.
Food Coloring: I needed 6-7 drops of red food coloring to blend with the ingredients to result in a soft pink color. You can add as much or as little as you prefer.
Confectioners’ Sugar: Yes, the whipped buttercream calls for 7 cups of sugar. However, you could use as little as 3 1/2 cups if you want to use less sugar.
Can I Make the Pink Velvet Cake Ahead of Time?
Yes! If you are making this cake in advance, try adding Simple Syrup to make sure the cake stays perfectly moist and delicious! When the cake is done baking and cooled, level the cake and then add simple syrup. About 1-2 tablespoons per layer. Chill until ready to frost or frost immediately.
Can I Make the Buttercream Ahead of Time?
Just like you can make the cake ahead of time, you can also make the buttercream in advance. It will last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Can I Make this Without Food Coloring?
You can definitely make this cake without food coloring. Or, you could use your favorite color to fit your mood or occasion.
Pink Velvet Cake is a soft vanilla cake with food coloring to give it the pink color and topped with vanilla buttercream.
- ½ cup (1 stick, 113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 cups (300g) cake flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup (245g) whole milk, room temperature
- ½ cup (109g) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- red food coloring, 6-7 drops
- 1 cup (2 sticks, 227g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 32 ounces (7 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 5 tablespoons whole milk, or enough to reach desired consistency
- 1 pinch kosher salt
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray 2, 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray or line each with parchment paper. Set aside.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the butter and cream until pale in color (about 2 minutes).
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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.
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Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next one.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
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In another bowl, combine the milk, oil, and vanilla.
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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.
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Remove the bowl from the stand mixer.
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Pour the batter equally between the two cake pans. Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
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Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning them over onto a wire rack to cool completely.
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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).
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Add vanilla and almond extract.
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With the mixer on low, slowly add confectioners' sugar, milk, and salt, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
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Once the ingredients have been incorporated, whip the frosting on medium-high to high for 3-7 minutes.
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If frosting is too thick to spread, gradually beat in additional milk until it reaches your desired consistency.
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Frost cooled cakes. Store leftovers buttercream in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
do u have eggless ongredient which i can use instead ofegg whites also in cake please guide
Hello!how much time before an event i can bake and frost it?thank you!
You can bake it well in advance, just freeze the cake layers individually, wrap cooled cake in plastic wrap, then place in air-proof container or plastic bag. (or foil) When ready to assemble, allow cakes to come to room temperature, frost, and place in refrigerator for about 24 hours.
Where is recipe for the icing
What frosting for pink velvet ??
What did you use for the flowers and leaves royal icing or something different
Very nice
It looks delicious. I’ll have to make it. Thank you for the receipy.
I don’t see anyplace where it says to beat the egg whites until stiff
Hello…i would like to make this as cupcakes. Is there a recipe for pink velvet cupcakes or any special modification of this recipe? Thanks!
Wondering if this cake is firm enough to be used for a barrel cake which is four 6 inch layers. A cake board will be used between the bottom 2 and top 2 layers, and bubble straws in bottom 2 layers for support. Thank you.
So if you watch the video and read the directions they don’t match. In the video it shows the butter, milk, and what looks like lemon juice but I guess is the egg whites(since it doesn’t say, then almond extract, vanilla extract, and red food coloring being added in that order. In the direction it says to add the egg whites last. So ????
What is the liquid that was poured in after the milk?
Is there a recipe for the frosting you made
Gonna try making this in my Instant Pot and with Green Food Coloring and not butter cream. I don’t like Buttercream icing
What is the recipe for the icing?
Directions say “two 6-inch round cake pans” is that correct? Seems small.
Will this work in a 9 x 13 cake pan?
How much simply syrup do you use? And how do you make simple syrup?
Ok I tried to make this cake tonight and it didn’t turn out. If you add simple syrup how much would you add? I was really bummed I was suppose to take it in for a carry in. Please let us know what that liquid was in the video was that the simple syrup? Was you suppose to make the egg whites stiff or just add? Help!!!
I followed this to the T. I feel like the flour taste is over-powering and the cake is dry. My batter was very thick. What can I add to cupcakes to make them more moist and less flower tasting?
This cake was not nice at all. Even my four years niece begged me not to me that cake for her birthday! Do not attempt.
Someday I will learn to read the comments on recipes before baking! This recipe is definitely incomplete, looks like Swiss cheese and tastes like flour! Please update this recipe.
Hello!
Cups-grams are not right.
1 cup flour is 120g and 1 cup sugar is 225g. I will try it with cups just in case 😉
1 cup flour is 125g and I cup of sugar is 200g. I use traditional oven for all conversions. https://www.traditionaloven.com/conversions_of_measures/flour_volume_weight.html
Hi! I’d love to try this for my girlfriend’s birthday, but I want to make cupcakes. I’m not a baker so could you tell me how long/what temp to do the oven for cupcakes please? Thank you so much!
Don’t we use the egg yolks? Isn’t it neccesary to beat the whites apart?