Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
A bright dessert - moist scarlet layers and a cloud of delicate cream! Red Velvet Cake is not just a dessert, but true celebration mood. The sponge turns out very moist and stays soft for a long time, and the cream cheese frosting adds extra protein and calcium. An ideal dessert for special moments.
Updated : 12 January, 2026
Easy
About 45 min.
Ingredients
Dough
340 grams
Wheat flour
300 milliliters
Vegetable oil
280 milliliters
Kefir
200 grams
Sugar
3
Eggs
1 tablespoon
Cocoa
2 teaspoon
Baking powder
1 teaspoon
Baking soda
0.25 teaspoon
Salt
1 tablespoon
Food coloring
Cream
350 grams
Curd cheese
115 grams
Butter
100 grams
Powdered sugar
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
First, prepare the ingredients for the batter. Kefir, eggs, and butter should be at room temperature, so take them out of the refrigerator in advance. Choose good-quality butter with no milk-fat substitutes. Use high-grade wheat flour. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 356°F.
Step 2
Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. If you want a brighter cake color, replace the cocoa with 1 more Tbsp of flour. With cocoa, the layers will have a more brownish tint, but with a slight chocolate note.
Step 3
Add the eggs, vegetable oil, and kefir to the flour mixture. Mix well with a mixer until smooth, gradually adding the sugar. You can beat the batter with a mixer or a stand mixer with a K-beater (paddle) attachment. The batter should be thick but pourable - not too runny and not stiff. Keep in mind you may need a little more or less flour.
Step 4
Add red food coloring and mix thoroughly. If using gel coloring, add 1 Tbsp first, then add more until you get the desired color. I used a fat-soluble powdered coloring. You can also dissolve it in part of the kefir (hold some back), then pour the colored kefir into the finished batter and mix.
Step 5
Let the batter rest for 20 minutes so the baking soda and kefir react. You should end up with a bright scarlet mixture. Note that it will bake a bit darker, depending on the amount, color, and texture of the coloring. If you need a very specific shade, it’s best to consult the seller when choosing the coloring.
Step 6
Line the bottom of a springform pan (18-20 cm / 7-8 in) with parchment paper greased with butter. Line the sides with a strip of parchment, but do not grease it. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake at 180°C / 356°F for about 50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out dry. It’s best not to open the oven for the first 30 minutes so the sponge doesn’t collapse. Baking time and temperature are approximate - adjust to your oven.
Step 7
Remove the baked sponge from the oven and cool on a rack. Cut off the rounded top. Slice the sponge horizontally into 3-4 layers using a knife, strong thread, or a cake wire slicer. Where the batter touched the pan, the layer may be brownish. Trim the edges using a slightly smaller pastry ring or a knife.
Step 8
Prepare the frosting ingredients. Beat the softened butter with powdered sugar until fluffy. Add the cream cheese. Don’t beat too long, or whey may separate and the frosting can split. Mix until smooth, then transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a wide round tip. You can use a sturdy zip-top bag instead, cutting off one corner.
Step 9
Assemble the cake by stacking the layers. Spread frosting between the layers. It’s best to do this in a springform pan lined at the sides with acetate (a baking sleeve also works). If you wish, smooth the top and sides with the remaining frosting. I smoothed only the top - I wanted the layers of sponge and frosting to be visible, so I removed the ring right before serving.
Step 10
Break the trimmed top into pieces and dry them in the oven, then grind in a blender or crush with a rolling pin into crumbs. Sprinkle the crumbs over the parts of the cake you want (for me, only the top). Be sure to let the cake chill and soak in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours, covered with plastic wrap (it should not touch the top of the cake) - this brings out the true velvet taste and improves the texture.
Step 11
The contrast of scarlet layers and snowy-white frosting looks very festive! Decorate with cake crumbs, berries, or chocolate shavings. I decorated with herbs, pomegranate seeds, and flowers. Serve with espresso, Americano, cappuccino, latte, or strong black tea. Enjoy!
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