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    Home » Cakes » Sheet & Snack Cakes » Red Velvet Snack Cake

    Red Velvet Snack Cake

    By Mike Johnson ⁠— August 3, 2020 (Updated September 9, 2022) — 14 Comments

    4.92 from 12 votes

    This easy Red Velvet Snack Cake recipe will be your new favorite way to do cake! Topped with a delicious vanilla bean cream cheese frosting.
    Jump to Recipe Leave a Comment

    This post may contain affiliate links. Read my Disclosure page.

    Table of contents

    • Red Velvet Snack Cake
    • What is red velvet cake and what does it taste like?
    • Cream Cheese Frosting
    • How to Make Red Velvet Cake
    • Tips to Make the Perfect Red Velvet Snack Cake
    Red Velvet Snack Cake

    Red Velvet Snack Cake

    Red velvet cake has been on my baking to-do list for a long time. I wanted a moist red velvet cake recipe with a soft crumb, the perfect red color, a delicious hint of cocoa, and the fluffiest cream cheese frosting. 

    As much as I absolutely love red velvet – I didn’t want the hassle of making a layer cake though. I usually can’t handle the stress of potential toppling cake layers. Not to mention I rarely need enough cake to serve a small army. So for today’s easy red velvet cake recipe – we’re making a red velvet snack cake. All the deliciousness with way less work.

    Now that I’ve admitted my aversion to layer cakes, let’s talk about this snack cake. 

    Red Velvet Snack Cake

    What is red velvet cake and what does it taste like?

    Red velvet cake is the king of all cakes; the “I can’t quite put my finger on the flavor” cake. It's a glorious combination of a mild cocoa flavor, tangy buttermilk, sweet vanilla, and butter.

    Red velvet cake’s texture is worth writing home about too. It’s dense and soft with a moist and velvety crumb. However, the absolute best part about red velvet cake is the cream cheese frosting.

    Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

    Cream Cheese Frosting

    In my opinion, cream cheese frosting pairs best with red velvet’s flavor and this vanilla bean cream cheese frosting recipe is really simple! You need block-style cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, and a pinch of salt (to offset the sweetness).

    If you’re looking to pipe decoration with this cream cheese frosting, chill it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. This guarantees the creamy frosting will hold its shape.

    Red Velvet Snack Cake

    How to Make Red Velvet Cake

    I use specific ingredients and certain amounts to produce my best red velvet snack cake recipe. Begin by whisking the dry ingredients together, then beat together the wet ingredients. We’ll tint the batter red and combine the two, and then it's off to the oven!

    1. Cake Flour: I highly recommend that you use cake flour. Cake flour is much lighter than all-purpose and the perfect base for a light, soft-crumbed cake texture. As I mentioned above, red velvet’s texture is important to the authenticity of the flavor. If you can’t get your hands on cake flour, you can make a DIY cake flour substitute or use an equal amount of all-purpose flour.
    2. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: 2 tablespoons is plenty for a little cocoa flavor without overpowering the vanilla and butter flavors.
    3. Butter: What sets red velvet cake apart from chocolate is its buttery flavor. Creaming the butter and sugar together will help guarantee that moist, soft and cakey texture with a buttery flavor aka perfection.
    4. Buttermilk: Buttermilk is tangy, and creamy, and makes baked goods extremely moist. You literally can’t make delicious red velvet cake without it! Additionally, buttermilk helps activate the baking soda to leaven the cake.
    5. Sour Cream: Similar to buttermilk, this helps give the cake a slightly tangy flavor and keeps the cake nice and moist.
    6. Food Coloring: Red velvet cake wouldn't be very red without food coloring. I use gel food coloring because the color is concentrated, meaning you need less of it. For natural coloring, you could use beet powder. If you don't want to use food coloring, leave it out! The cake will have the same flavor and just be a shade of cocoa.
    Red Velvet Snack Cake

    Tips to Make the Perfect Red Velvet Snack Cake

    • Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
    • Cream your butter and sugar until light and fluffy; do not skimp on this. Your butter mixture should be pale in color, and the consistency should be airy and light. The smoother and lighter the butter mixture is, the more quickly it’ll combine with the wet ingredients and flour.
    • This recipe uses gel food coloring because you need less of it than liquid food coloring. If you use liquid food coloring, you'll likely need most of the bottle (aka more than the 2 teaspoons this recipe calls for).

    This Red Velvet Cake is so addictive; it’s hard to stop at one piece! Not overly sweet, but perfectly rich at the same time. You’ll see what I mean when you try it!

    Red Velvet Snack Cake

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    Print Recipe
    4.92 from 12 votes

    Red Velvet Snack Cake

    This easy Red Velvet Snack Cake recipe will be your new favorite way to do cake! Topped with a delicious vanilla bean cream cheese frosting.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time50 mins
    Course: Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Cakes & Cupcakes, Red Velvet
    Servings: 16 slices
    Calories: 231kcal
    Author: Mike Johnson

    Ingredients

    For the Red Velvet Snack Cake:

    • 155 g cake flour (or all-purpose flour)
    • 10 g cocoa powder
    • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
    • 120 g buttermilk
    • ½ tablespoon white vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 55 g unsalted butter softened
    • 150 g granulated sugar
    • 115 g sour cream
    • 1 large egg
    • 2 teaspoon Red gel food coloring

    For the Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting:

    • 115 g cream cheese softened
    • 55 g unsalted butter softened
    • 240 g powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
    • pinch of salt
    Metric - US Customary

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray an 8x8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt until combined. Set aside.
    • In a glass measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, vinegar, and vanilla until combined. Set aside.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a handheld mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the sour cream, egg, and red food coloring, if using, and beat until well combined. Don't worry if the mixture looks slightly curdled at this stage!
    • With the mixer running on low, gradually add the dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk mixture. Stop the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
    • Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth out evenly with a spatula. Bake the cake for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and relatively crumb-free. Remove cake from oven and let cool completely to room temperature.
    • For the frosting: With a hand or stand mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla bean paste and pinch of salt and beat until combined. Gradually begin adding the powdered sugar ½ cup (60 grams) at a time, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cooled sheet cake. Top with any sprinkles of your choosing, if desired.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 174mg | Potassium: 70mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 344IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you try this recipe?Tag @mikebakesnyc and use the hashtag #mikebakesnyc!

    MikeBakesNYC LLC owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this website unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my Disclosure page. This post may contain affiliate links.

    Filed Under

    Sheet & Snack Cakes
    « No-Churn Bourbon Salted Caramel Ice Cream
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    Comments

    1. Kay

      July 14, 2022 at 4:02 pm

      5 stars
      I’m confused about the liquid measurements. I’ve never seen liquid weighed before. Usually when I’m trying out recipes that use weights (which I prefer and thank you very much for doing!) liquids are measured in liters, etc. in this recipe do you actually pour the liquid into containers on scale and literally weigh it? Just seems confusing to me. Thanks tons for answering. Your blog looks fantastic!

      Reply
      • Mike Johnson

        July 15, 2022 at 11:16 am

        haha yup! nothing tricky here. just set the glass measuring cup on the scale and add the ingredients to it!

        Reply
    2. cassie

      July 06, 2022 at 9:41 am

      5 stars
      I made this yesterday to take to work tonight. Unfortunately, it looked so good I couldn't wait and had a big piece - it's delicious! I only had liquid food coloring so it is a light maroon color but still pretty, and my coworkers will love it. Even though it is only now 3/4 of a cake...

      Reply
    3. Lukas

      January 24, 2022 at 11:02 pm

      5 stars
      A terrific recipe!! I made baked it in a quarter sheet pan and it worked perfectly.

      Reply
    4. Marily

      September 09, 2021 at 10:49 am

      5 stars
      This is literally the best red velvet cake I've ever had!!! I made 3 layers and turned it into a birthday cake for my mum and everybody loved it! Thank you Mike for this delicious recipe!

      Reply
    5. Samira

      January 24, 2021 at 7:34 pm

      Keen to try this out Mike! Am I able to double the quantity and make it in a bigger pan?

      Reply
      • Michael Johnson

        January 25, 2021 at 10:32 am

        Yup! You can double the recipe and bake it in a 9x13-inch pan. I would check the cake after the first 30min of baking and then every 2-3 minutes until it's done!

        Reply
    6. Sheri

      January 22, 2021 at 11:55 am

      Is it possible to use the same recipe for cupcakes?

      Reply
      • Michael Johnson

        January 25, 2021 at 10:35 am

        Absolutely! Just fill cupcake liners 1/2 – 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 20-21 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when gently touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

        Reply
    7. Taylor

      December 23, 2020 at 5:15 am

      5 stars
      My mom and I had the best time making this together!! On day three and it's every bit as moist and delicious as it was on day one. I love the precise gram measurements and how cute it is for the holiday season!! Thank you, Mike!

      Reply
    8. Amy

      August 26, 2020 at 1:13 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for my boyfriend’s birthday recently as there was only 2 of us and I didn’t want to go crazy making a big cake. It was so good! Just the right amount of sweet with a hint of cocoa. The texture was soft and fluffy. I did cut back on powdered sugar in the frosting by about half because I like my frosting not super sweet but it still turned out well! Thanks for a great easy recipe.

      Reply
    9. Lisa

      August 23, 2020 at 8:18 am

      Hi Mike
      I’m going to bake this recipe tomorrow and really hoping I can use 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt instead of the sour cream? Will this be ok?

      Reply
      • Michael Johnson

        August 24, 2020 at 9:01 am

        Absolutely!

        Reply
    10. Ronak Mehta

      August 18, 2020 at 4:16 am

      5 stars
      Thank you for sharing this delightfully easy, mouthwateringly delicious recipe. Have baked this cake several times since I first tried it a few weeks back and it’s been a huge success each time!

      Reply

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