Red Velvet Sheet Cake Recipe
Red velvet cake has always sat in a strange but beautiful space in baking, somewhere between chocolate cake, vanilla cake, and something entirely its own. It is not defined just by its colour but by its texture: soft, velvety, slightly tangy, and incredibly moist. That signature crumb comes from a quiet chemical balance between cocoa, acidity, and fat. Buttermilk and a small amount of vinegar work together with baking soda to create lift, tenderness, and a fine, delicate crumb. For this version, I baked it as a 9x13 sheet cake designed for ease, sharing, and celebration.
This cake leans into a brighter red aesthetic, chosen intentionally for a more festive visual moment. Traditionally, red velvet ranges from a deep reddish-brown with more cocoa and less colouring to a vivid red depending on how much food colouring is used. Here, I leaned into the brighter version for impact and presentation.
If you prefer a more natural tone, you can reduce the food colouring and allow the cocoa and acidity to create a deeper, muted red-brown hue. Some bakers also use beetroot as a natural alternative.
At its core, red velvet is not about perfection, it is about balance. A soft crumb, a gentle cocoa note, and that unmistakable cream cheese frosting that brings everything together. Because honestly, red velvet without cream cheese frosting just does not feel complete.
Why This Cake Works
What makes red velvet so iconic is not intensity, it is chemistry-driven contrast.
The reaction between vinegar and baking soda produces carbon dioxide. This helps the cake rise while keeping the crumb light, soft, and tender instead of dense.
Oil is used instead of butter because it stays liquid at room temperature. This keeps the cake moist for days, even after refrigeration.
Cocoa is used in a small amount on purpose. It adds depth and warmth without turning the cake into a full chocolate cake, allowing the tang and vanilla notes to stand out.
Cream cheese frosting is more than decoration. Its tanginess cuts through the sweetness and richness of the cake, reinforcing the balance that defines red velvet.
Together, these elements are not just flavour choices, they are controlled chemistry working in harmony to create one of the most recognizable celebration cakes.
Red Velvet Sheet Cake (9x13)
This red velvet sheet cake is soft, moist, and perfectly tangy with a fine, velvety crumb. Baked in a 9x13 pan for easy serving, it uses simple pantry ingredients like buttermilk, cocoa, and oil to create its signature texture. Finished with a rich cream cheese frosting, this cake is ideal for celebrations, gatherings, or anytime you want a classic dessert with a tender, bakery-style finish.
Ingredients
- 2½ cups cake flour
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cocoa powder*
- 1½ cups peanut oil (or neutral oil)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk (or 1milk + 1 tbsp white vinegar (rested 5–10 min)
- *2 tbsp red food colouring (use less for a more muted colour and increase cocoa powder slightly if needed)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 8oz (225g) cream cheese (softened)
- 115g unsalted butter (softened)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and line a 9x13 pan.
- If you don't have buttermilk, mix milk and vinegar and let it sit until slightly curdled.
- Whisk dry ingredients together in one bowl.
- In another bowl, mix oil, eggs, vanilla, colouring, and buttermilk mixture.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients until just mixed, but do not overwork.
- Add the vinegar and fold gently.
- Pour into pan and bake 35–40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely before frosting.
- Beat frosting ingredients until fluffy and spread over cooled cake.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
420Fat (grams)
22 gCarbs (grams)
52 gSugar (grams)
38 gProtein (grams)
4 gI am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on dontmissmyplate.com should only be used as a general guideline.
Vanilla Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
This recipe is all you need for a birthday! A simple vanilla cake with some funfetti sprinkles.
Inspired by the German Gugelhupf, bundt cakes are one of my favorite tea-time treats.
What is the difference between yellow and white cake?
To be clear, this is a yellow vanilla cake. The egg yolks determine the distinction between the two. This difference shows in the colour, texture, and fat content - a white cake has less fat with the removal of yolks and tends to be spongier from the whipped egg whites. However, both are delicious but can serve different purposes. Think angel cake versus, well, this!
How to make a cake moist?
I am not a professional baker, but the answer to this is simple: add more moisture! You will be grateful to add an extra wet ingredient or two to the mix. There are a few you can incorporate into the batter, including:
YoghurtCream cheeseSour creamRicotta
Those are some of my go-to ingredients, but oil, eggs, milk, and heavy cream also aid you.
You also want to be mindful if you use alternative flours. Protein content can affect how dry the flour is, so you want to ensure the moisture you add matches up accordingly. Cake flour, for instance, is drier and crumblier as it has less protein. For this recipe, stick to the all-purpose if possible. Otherwise, look up what it will mean if you use wheat flour, for example, for the other ingredients!
What is the best frosting for cakes?
That is up to you. I am not a huge fan of buttercream icing, one of the most popular homemade cakes. I can eat it, but I prefer cream cheese frosting - its tangier cousin - or whipped cream, depending on the final product. I find the cream cheese removes the metallic taste in icing sugar, which can throw off your entire cake even if the batter is good. In this case, I recommend being a little heavy-handed with any extracts or zests you use to accent the icing, such as lemon and vanilla. Along with a bit of heavy cream, this will mask the icing sugar taste and give your icing some personality!
Vanilla Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 5 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest/extract
- 1 1/4 cups low fat vanilla yoghurt, room temperature
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cups vegetable oil
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest/extract
- 3 1/2 cups icing sugar
- Funfetti sprinkles
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk the dry ingredients for the cake except for the sugar, and set aside.
- Whisk the yoghurt and butter in a large bowl with a hand or stand mixer until smooth.
- Whisk in the vanilla and lemon.
- On medium-low speed, beat the sugar incrementally until slightly fluffy.
- On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating until integrated. Use a spatula to get anything on the sides into the bowl.
- Whisk in the oil and milk until well incorporated.
- Whisk in the flour gradually on low speed until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined. Don't overmix; this could result in a dense cake!
- Spray a bundt cake tin, and pour in the batter—Smoothen with a spatula. Bake at 325F/163C until the cake is golden. Use a wooden stick or fork to ensure the thickest part of the cake is dry.
- Remove from the stove and cool on a rack for 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the tin and complete the cooking process for another hour before icing.
- Mix the cream cheese and butter in a separate bowl using an electric mixer. Add the icing sugar in three parts gradually, and then mix in the vanilla.
- Add the milk, and whisk until the icing continues to smoothen.
- Add the salt and lemon and adjust to your liking.
- When ready to frost the cake, move to a piping or plastic bag using the end and design you prefer.
- Decorate with sprinkles, and enjoy! Store in the fridge for up to five days.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
657Fat (grams)
34.3Carbs (grams)
83.1Sugar (grams)
61.3Protein (grams)
7.4I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on dontmissmyplate.com should only be used as a general guideline.
