Red Velvet Sponge Cake Recipe

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; grease the parchment too. Lightly flour the pans or dust with cocoa powder and tap out excess.

Dry ingredients

In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the all-purpose flour (2.5 cups), unsweetened cocoa powder (2 tbs), baking soda (1 tsp), fine salt (1 tsp), and granulated sugar (1.5 cups) until well combined and aerated.

Wet ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs (3) until combined. Add the buttermilk (1 cup), vegetable oil (3 tbs), distilled white vinegar (1 tsp), vanilla extract (1 tsp), and liquid red food coloring (2 tsp). Mix until uniform and the batter has a consistent red color.

Combine batter

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula or whisk, fold gently until just combined and smooth—do not overmix. Scrape down the sides and bottom to ensure no pockets of flour remain. The batter will be fairly thin.

Bake

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans (about 2 cups batter per pan depending on pan depth). Smooth the tops. Bake in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes, rotating the pans front-to-back at 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter.

Cool

Allow the cakes to cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, invert onto the rack, remove parchment, and let cool completely (about 1 hour) before frosting. Reserve any trimmed crumbs for garnish (about 1/4 cup).

Beat base

In a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the room-temperature cream cheese (8 oz) and unsalted butter (4 oz) together until smooth and homogenous, about 2–3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.

Add sugar

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the confectioners' sugar (3 cups), one cup at a time, to avoid a sugar cloud. After all sugar is incorporated, increase speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 1–2 minutes.

Finish frosting

Mix in the vanilla extract (1 tsp) and a pinch of fine salt. Taste and adjust sweetness or salt as desired. If the frosting is too soft, chill it for 15–20 minutes; if too firm, let it sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes and rewhip briefly.

Level and fill

If the cake domes have risen unevenly, level the tops with a serrated knife or cake leveler. Place one cake layer, top-side up, on a cake plate or turntable. Spread about 3/4 to 1 cup of cream cheese frosting evenly over the top, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Place the second layer on top, pressing gently to adhere.

Crumb coat

Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting (about 1/2 cup) around the top and sides to trap crumbs. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes until the crumb coat is set.

Final coat & finish

Apply the remaining frosting smoothly over the cake, using an offset spatula to create a clean finish or rustic swirls as desired. Lightly dust the top with unsweetened cocoa powder (1 tsp) if desired.

Garnish

Press reserved red cake crumbs (about 1/4 cup) onto the sides of the cake or sprinkle over the top for contrast. Chill the assembled cake for at least 30 minutes to set the frosting before slicing. Bring to room temperature for 20 minutes before serving for best texture.