Red Velvet Recipe

Prepare oven and pans

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment paper and lightly flour or spray with nonstick spray.

Whisk dry ingredients: In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda and salt until evenly combined.

Combine wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, white vinegar and red gel food coloring until smooth.

Temper and mix: With mixer on low, add the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and mix until just combined. Scrape bowl. Slowly add the hot water and mix on low until batter is smooth and thin. The batter should be pourable and bright red.

Bake: Divide batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Rotate pans halfway through baking for even browning.

Cool: Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges, invert onto rack, remove parchment, and cool completely before assembling (about 1 hour).

Beat base: In a large mixing bowl, beat room-temperature cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth and lump-free, about 2–3 minutes.

Add sugar and vanilla: Gradually add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating on low until incorporated. Add vanilla extract and salt. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Adjust texture: If the frosting is too stiff for piping or spreading, add heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time (up to 2 tablespoons) and beat until desired consistency is reached. Chill briefly if too soft before assembly.

Make strawberry purée: Place chopped strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until strawberries soften and release juices, about 6–8 minutes.

Blend and strain: Transfer the softened strawberries to a blender or use an immersion blender to purée until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl to remove seeds. You should have about 3/4 cup purée.

Bloom gelatin: Sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over cold water and let sit 2–3 minutes to bloom. Warm gently (10–15 seconds) in the microwave or over a double boiler just until gelatin dissolves—do not boil.

Combine and chill: Stir the dissolved gelatin into the warm strawberry purée until fully incorporated. Let mixture cool to room temperature. Whip the cold heavy cream to soft peaks and gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled strawberry purée to create a light strawberry crème. Chill until slightly set, about 20–30 minutes.

Cook fruit: In a small saucepan combine quartered strawberries, sugar and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the berries break down and the mixture thickens to a jammy consistency, 8–12 minutes.

Finish and cool: If you prefer a smoother marmalade, lightly mash with a fork or use an immersion blender briefly. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Chill until ready to assemble; will thicken further as it cools.

Level cakes: If cake tops domed, level them with a serrated knife to create flat surfaces. Place one cake layer on a cake board or serving plate.

Brush with simple syrup (optional): Lightly brush the top of the bottom layer with simple syrup to add moisture (use up to half of the 1/4 cup).

Layer strawberry marmalade: Spoon about 3–4 tablespoons of the cooled strawberry marmalade evenly over the bottom layer, leaving 1/2-inch border at edge.

Pipe or spread strawberry crème: Using a spatula or piping bag, spread about half of the strawberry crème over the marmalade in an even layer (about 3/4 cup).

Add cream cheese layer: Gently spread a thin layer (crumb coat) of vanilla cream cheese over the strawberry crème to seal crumbs, then chill 15 minutes. After chilling, spread or pipe the remaining vanilla cream cheese frosting evenly over the top of that layer, reserving some for the exterior if desired.

Top layer and final coat: Place the second cake layer on top. Apply a thin crumb coat of remaining cream cheese frosting around top and sides, chill 15 minutes, then apply final smooth coat. Use remaining strawberry crème to pipe small rosettes or dots if desired.

Garnish: Spoon a few drops or a small spoonful of strawberry marmalade on top for shine and place sliced fresh strawberries around edge or in center. Refrigerate cake for at least 1 hour to set before slicing. Bring to near room temperature (15–20 minutes) before serving for best texture.