The Best Red Velvet Snack Cake
This is truly The Best Red Velvet Snack Cake, paired with a sweet and luscious whipped cream cheese frosting. The cake is incredibly moist and decadent, making it the perfect Valentine’s Day Dessert.
The single layer red velvet cake is incredibly moist and decadent.
It’s a perfect dessert for a Galentine’s dinner with your girlfriends or a sweet date night on Valentine’s Day.
- Cake flour: the lower protein content in cake flour creates an incredibly soft crumb, however, you can also use all-purpose flour.
- Cocoa powder: any natural or dutch process cocoa will work.
- Baking powder + soda: leavening agents.
- Salt: use kosher or table salt.
- Granulated Sugar: to create a perfectly sweetened cake.
- Buttermilk: the acidity in buttermilk contributes to a more moist crumb. You can also substitute the buttermilk with whole milk.
- Vinegar: the distilled white vinegar reacts with the leaving agents to achieve a light and fluffy cake.
- Oil: use any neutral flavour oil like canola or grapeseed oil.
- Egg: this recipe uses one large egg.
- Vanilla extract: a splash of vanilla adds to the flavour.
- Food colouring: I love using gel food colouring for baking as you will only need to use a few drops.
How to Make Red Velvet Cake
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350℉ (176℃). Grease an 8 x 8 square pan with baking spray or line it with parchment paper.
Step 2: Combine cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to remove any lumps.
Step 3: In a separate bowl mix together sugar and oil. Then add buttermilk, vinegar, an egg, vanilla and red food colouring.
Step 4: Fold the wet and dry ingredients together, but do not over-mix.
Step 5: Pour the batter into the baking tray and bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Step 6: For the frosting, whip room-temperature cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth. Then add icing sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream. Mix at medium to low speed until the cream cheese frosting is fluffy.
Step 7: Layer the frosting on the cake and top it with fancy sprinkles of your choice!
The Best Red Velvet Snack Cake FAQ
What can I replace buttermilk with?
Since we need acid to interact with the leaving agents, you can substitute the buttermilk for whole milk and 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice. However, you will still need an extra 1 teaspoon of vinegar if you use whole milk.
Can I make the cake in advance?
Yes! Bake the cake, allow it to cool fully, and then wrap it in plastic wrap, then store it in the freezer until ready to use. You can also whip up the frosting a day before and refrigerate until ready to use, but you may have to re-whip the frosting with a stand or handheld mixer.
What is red velvet cake made of?
A traditional red velvet cake achieves its iconic red hue from red food colouring and cocoa powder. However, we add very little cocoa powder to create a subtle depth of flavour without making the cake taste overly chocolatey. The key to its signature velvety texture lies in the use of buttermilk, which provides acidity to activate the leavening agents (like baking soda or baking powder), helping the cake rise and giving it that soft, tender crumb.
What is a snack cake?
A snack cake, or “snacking cake,” is typically a single-layer cake that is topped with minimal frosting. The frosting also tends to be on the lighter side and is not heavy on the sweetness and butter. Snack cakes are almost like sheet cakes but baked in a square pan to create a higher rise. I love snacking cakes for those sudden sweet tooth cravings or when hosting a small gathering, as they’re easy to assemble and serve.
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The Best Red Velvet Snack Cake With Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Red Velvet Cake
- 1 cup + 3 tablespoons cake flour (137.4 grams)
- 1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 to 5 drops red gel food coloring
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup cream cheese (60 grams) softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 1/3 cup chilled heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Red Velvet Cake
- Preheat oven to 350℉ (176℃) and grease an 8 x 8 square pan with spray.
- Sift cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Set aside.1 cup + 3 tablespoons cake flour (137.4 grams), 1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- In a separate bowl, whisk together granulated sugar with oil. Then add buttermilk, vinegar, an egg, vanilla extract and food colouring. Mix until combined.1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 grams), 1/3 cup canola oil, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3 to 5 drops red gel food coloring
- Add in the dry ingredients and fold together until incorporated (avoid over-mixing). Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer it to a wired cooling rack.
For the Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl, mix the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Then add powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat until combined. Pour the heavy cream and mix for approximately 3 minutes or until stiff peaks form.1/2 cup cream cheese (60 grams), 1/2 cup icing sugar, 1/3 cup chilled heavy cream, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Once the cake is cool, frost and add festive sprinkles!
Notes
- Storage: The cake will last up to 3 days in a closed container.
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