Red Velvet Cake

When making this cake, substitute shortening for 1 cup of oil and double the cocoa for a perfect cake. The cake was dry. Icing was creamy and buttery without being too sweet. The icing perfect. My 87 year old mother was here and said it was very close to the original red velvet cake recipe. Be sure to let the milk and flour cool completely before mixing with the sugar mixture for the icing. It also needs to be mixed for about 15 minutes to be perfect.

My grandmother used to make red velvet cake, and after she passed, I've made probably 5 different recipes to replicate her cake. This came the absolute closest. It's delicious, and wows the crowds every time I make it for class (I'm in college) and even the teachers are impressed. It CAN BE DRY. So make sure you check it in the oven before it's done. Pull it out right when you think it's not quite ready. Then, LET IT SIT!! It will continue cooking as it cools, just like cookies. Do not cut it or frost it before it's done cooling. You'll thank yourself when you have an amazing, moist, incredible cake. Marriage proposals from this one!

I bake ALL the time, and this has got to be the BEST cake I have ever baked in my life. It's better than the one my husband buys at the gourmet bakery downtown. The cake is delicious, and the icing is heavenly. I took this cake and two pies to Christmas dinner, and 7 people devoured the entire cake within 2 hours.

I am puzzled by the negative reviews for this recipe. I have made this cake at least six times, all with good results. I even made it in a 9X13 pan (I had to increase the baking time of course) and made it into a "spaceship" cake for my 5 year old son who loves this cake. I have found that this cake tastes better after refrigeration for some reason. And, I have found it very important to chill the milk and flour combination for the icing - if the butter melts then the icing consistancy becomes runny. The only "modification" I make to this recipe is that I use Dutch Process Cocoa instead of the regular cocoa, it has a stronger flavor. I think this cake is better than any I've had in a restaurant.

I also have this recipe, which is our all-time family favorite. It is absolutely the best cake I've ever eaten. At family reunions, everyone knows to get their piece of this cake as they go through the dinner line, or there won't be any left at dessert time! One thing I do differently is cutting the layers with a string or very sharp knife, making 4 layers. When you frost in between the layers, and leave the sides unfrosted, it is such a festive looking dessert. This is definately a "must have" recipe.

This cake turned out so good! I baked it in 2 8 inch heart shaped pans and had just a little bit of batter left. I recommend using paste food color (find at a hobby shop) bc liquid affects the flavor. Also, to those complaining about grainy frosting, mix it a little longer (I use a kitchenaid). The directions are so precise (does anyone else feel they're being scolded when reading this?) but not about how long to whip the frosting in the last step. It takes a little while. Keep beating until the frosting gets smooth. It will. Excellent flavor, loved it!

I haven't had Red Velvet Cake since I was a child growing up in South Carolina. I may not remember exactly how it tasted back then, but I do know that this cake was incredibly moist and delicious! My parents loved it so much they took a few slices home and ate them as a midnight snack. To top it off, this cake was easy to make. I will definitely make this again!

I picked this particular recipe because of the excellent reviews...and let me tell you was this cake excellent! I'm not going to lie I had never made a red velvet cake before and it came out delicious! Follow the recipe exactly and make sure not to over cook! It will cook fast. Everyone loved it!

My grandma has used this recipe for as long as I can remember, and its amazing. I've never found it too dry, although red velvet cake as I know it is not a moist cake. I always watch it very carefully during baking and make sure to never over-cook it. That can definately make it dry. After the cake has cooled, I cut the two cakes in half for a total of 4 thin layeres. Also, I just frost in between the layers and not on the sides. I always pick this cake for my birthday.

I made this cake for the first time a couple weeks ago. It was just ok. I followed the suggestion of several reviews and used the Cream Cheese Frosting II recipe instead of the one here, because so many people disliked the recommended frosting. Overall, the first try was ok. I cooked the cake for the full 30 minutes. Not a good idea. It came out dry, crumbling and bland. The cream cheese frosting is what gave the cake some flavor. I'm giving this recipe five stars because the second time I made it, it was AMAZING! I followed the recipe to a T, but used Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder, and baked the cake for 20 minutes. Perfect! I also used the original frosting recipe. I followed the directions exactly, and was VERY dissapointed that it came out looking like curdled milk, even though it tasted good. I decided to stick to it and whipped the frosting with my beaters on high speed while I turned the bowl by hand. It took a good fifteen minutes of mixing, but when I was done, it was the lightest, fluffiest, smoothest, richest frosting I've ever made. Such a unique, but delightful cake! I do wish that the author would have added important details like the mixing necessary for the frosting, considering he/she was SO strict about every OTHER little detail. ;-)

I made this in to cupcakes for my wedding 4yrs ago and (before Kristin posted her tips, which are helpful to novices) and it turned out AMAZING, and so did the frosting, I had droves of people asking for the recipe. :D Now, since I've found out I am allergic to milk, I make it with non-dairy milk and and it still turns out amazing. :D The only thing I do a little differently is that I occasionally add an extra tablespoon or two of cocoa powder, but that's because I like it just a little more of a stronger cocoa flavor. :) God Bless ~Amy

I was going to submit this recipe. It's the same one my Mom always made for birthday's. I love it. Be careful not to over cook the cake, and while making the frosting keep whisking the milk and flour mixture it's to easy to get clumpy frosting if you don't. P.S. I use this frosting for my Whoopie pie recipe too.

I have made this cake twice now, once as a cake and once as cupcakes, and both times it came out brilliantly. Both times I used oil instead of butter, doubled the cocoa powder and got the batter in the oven asap as suggested by previous poster once soda mix added. I think the main things to avoid issues with this cake is the following: 1. I only baked in oven for 20 mins for full cake and 15 mins for cupcakes. Any longer and would have come out very dry. 2. If you have a fan oven you need to reduce the temp by 20 degrees to 155. 3. Icing - when cooking the milk/ flour mixture you need to constantly stir this and once it has thickened you need to continue cooking this for at least a further 5 mins on a low heat and continue to constantly stir with a whisk to cook out the taste of the flour. Then transfer the mixture straight away from the pan to a plate and cover with cling film so it touches the mixture to avoid forming a skin. Then leave to completely cool. When combining the butter and sugar whisk with an electric whisk for at least 5 mins before adding the milk/ flour mix until it has a mousse like texture. Then whisk in the flour mixture but not until completed cooled and cold to touch. Whisk for a good 5 mins or longer until silky. The icing is definitely more effort than the regular buttercream but much, much lighter and not as sickly sweet. Of all the icings I have used on my cakes everyone always comments on this one!

This Red Velvet cake was definitely not what I expected. It could be that I have no experience with Red Velvet cake, but with this recipe the cake was much to heavy. The Icing was bland and honestly tasted like flour. Overall the cake was nothing special. However, I am willing to try it again just to make sure it was not my own fault.

I have to give this cake a 5 star rating because it is my all time favorite! My family recipe is just a bit different... the most noted difference being that I use 2 1/2 c CAKE flour not all purpose. If you do not decrease your AP flour, you will surely get a dry cake. Other modifications in the recipe 2 tsp of cocoa and just 3 TBSP flour in the frosting, and I always use butter. When making the frosting, you Must cool the milk/flour mixture and the cake or the butter in the frosting will melt. One word of warning, do not let your thickend milk develop a skin as it cools... you will get small lumps of it in your frosting, even if you beat it to death. ALso, the frosting should resemble whipped cream when it is done (it takes a long time). Store this cake in the refrigerator (especially if it is hot!) The frosting will protect the cake from drying, but when it is cut into, cover with plastic wrap.

This came out 100% fantastic for me, except that the frosting recipe needed to be doubled or even tripled for my purposes. I didn't modify the recipe except to add a few more TBs of shortening and 1 more TB of cocoa. Actually sifting your flour makes a HUUUUUUGE impact on old recipes like these - you cannot just stick your scoop in the bag and manhandle the ingredients like that in old recipes, because you wind up adding a ton more flour and making a dry cake. My cake remained moist in the fridge for 3 days between when I baked it and when I served it. Thanks, Eleanor Johnson, for a fantastic recipe!

This cake was really good!! I don't like red velvet cake but my daughter insisted that I would like it and she was right. She made the exact recipe -no changes. I did notice that some of the reviews said the cake was too dry... Which makes me think that some might be measuring the flour before it's sifted instead of after.

This cake was fantastic. This was my first try at making a Red Velvet from scratch. And I had never heard of this type of frosting before. However, a co-worker requested Red Velvet cake for her birthday, so AR to the rescue. When I found this recipe, I mentioned the different frosting, and a friend told me that it was exactly what her mother always used to make for her birthday cake every year. Her only word of caution to me was to double the frosting because she said that from her personal experience in trying to duplicate her mother's recipe, it would not go far enough. So, the cake part of the recipe went fairly easily. In making the frosting, I put the flour/milk mixture in the refrigerature to cool completely until it was needed. That seemed to do the trick, as the frosting - which I DID DOUBLE - turned out perfectly. I am amazed by how wonderful this frosting is and that I had never heard of it before now! At any rate, I cut both cake layers in half, so that I would have 4 thin layers. True to my friend's warning, even though I doubled the recipe, I still ran slim on frosting - perhaps because of so many layers. All in all, the cake was well received. My co-worker was very happy and complimentary!

I was very pleased with this recipe. I had never made a red velvet cake from scratch before and needless to say, I was quite nervous. It was very easy to make (though a bit time consuming), and it was a big hit on Mother's day. Side note: I thought 4 tablespoons of red food coloring was a bit much. I understand it is needed to make the classic red of a velvet cake, but I found that adding a bit of vegetable oil to the cocoa "paste" as you gradually mix in drops of food coloring, really alleviates the need to add so much food coloring. And you still get that nice, dark red color!

I have tried many recipes off of this site and have never been disappointed...Until this one. The coloring is great, but that's it. If I could give it less that one star I would because the cake was hard and dry as well as bland. I followed the recipe exactly and I can't believe the result I got.

This was wonderful, especially the frosting. It was light and buttery and scrumptious. After reading other reviews, I used my stand mixer and made sure I whipped it for a long time--probably more than 15 minutes. It was perfect!!!

I suggested to my grandson that we could make his birthday cake this year instead of buying one (He is 11 years old, 2010). For reasons unknown to me, he chose Red Velvet Cake, and I chose this recipe because of the nice picture and because he didn't want a cream cheese icing. Other than using only 2 tablespoons of food coloring (that is all I had) instead of 4 tablespoons, we followed the directions EXACTLY. He and his cousin (same age,11) who helped make this cake absolutely swooned when they tasted it. I agree. This was so much better than a store bought cake. Thank you, Eleanor. The cake was awesome. This will be a lasting memory.

I made cupcakes and they were amazing! This is perfect red velvet cake. I am somewhat confused about the negative ratings. I followed the directions exactly and they came out perfectly. I would like to try and 'tweek' the recipe a bit for my own preferences, like butter instead of shortening and maybe less red food coloring....maybe a little healthier (if thats possible!) But as written, the recipe turned out to make perfect Red Velvet cupcakes. Thanks for the outstanding recipe!

Was the best cake I have ever made , live in Little New zealand and i couldnt find a good red velvet cake recipe here but this one was fantastic although i used the suggested changes with the 1 cup oil and double the amount of cocoa , cake was moist spungy sweet and perfect would recommend to anyone and everyone! A++

I tried this recipe the other day and it seems to be a good recipe but I guess I am not a very big fan of red velvet cake regardless of the quality of the recipe. One obvious suggestion that some new cooks may miss: when making the frosting, add the flour little by little to the milk and not all at once so that there are no clumps!

Was disapointed with this cake. Was dry. Maybe i did something wrong.

I'm not sure what I did wrong (if anything), but this turned out terrible! It could be that I'm a newbie at this type of baking, but this simply did not work. It turned out way too heavy and tough and just tasted weird...

This cake was a HUGE success for Valentine's Day. I am so glad I tried it. I did use 1 cup oil instead of shortening in the cake (because I didn't have shortening), and I doubled the cocoa powder to 4 T as others have suggested. I also used "no taste red" gel food coloring, (about 1 tsp.) and it worked just fine. The cake turned out moist and soft with just the right amount of flavor and color. The best part, however, was the icing! Be patient, cook the flour/milk slowly, whisking regularly, until it's the consistency of yogurt. You must cook it long enough to get rid of the flour taste. And make sure it is completely cooled before adding it to the butter/sugar (whisk it occasionally as it is cooling to prevent a crusty layer on top). Your patience will be rewarded! I doubled the recipe here to frost a 9" layer cake with thick icing, which was perfect. My family declared it their new "favorite frosting," and my son has already requested it for his birthday (9 months from now!) Thank you so much for this recipe!

It had been a long time since i had Red Velvet Cake and decided i would make one for my family during the holidays. This particualar cake had a good rating and seemed to fit in with my baking skills. I followed the instructions to the tee and much to my disspointment and everyone else's this cake was way too dry. The cake itself was very crumbly and dry and seemed to lack the flavor of the Red Velvet Cakes of my childhood. I tried to make the icing according to the recipe and it was a major disaster; I ended up making a cream cheese frosting for the cake. The icing in the recipe had a "floury" taste and was runny. I cooked the milk and the flour until thick and added the butter and sugar after the mixture had cooled (about 2 hours) but the mixture was very runny and i ended up trashing it. I will be looking for another Red Velvet Cake to try again next year.

Turned out great! Beautiful bright color. Moist cake with a creamy frosting.

My cake did not rise properly in the middle, It would have still been usable but then it didn't come out of the pan right, it broke in half! I generously greased so I suggest greasing and flouring the pan! The cake had good flavor but a little on the drier side.

I just made this cake. The cake along is good. The icing is good but if you find that it may be to thin once the icing and cake is cool. Icing the cake and let set in frig about 20-30 minutes or the icing by itself. For some reason the icing gets thicker. The icing was good before I tried thicking it up a little. And I did add marshmellows to the milk mixture. I followed the recipe but added a little more oil and a half of stick of butter for flavor. The cake was moist oh and I only allowed it to cook for 21 minutes and it almost over cooked so keep a watch and check after 15 then every min or 2 after. So try it its good and listen to kristen review on the first page its very helpful!!!! Will be making again asap! Oh I'm rating this on how mines tasted so if I did the icing right or knew to let it set in the frig it would even better.

In our family, this is the recipe known as the Waldorf Astoria Red Cake. It is handwritten in my mother's hand-made cookbook she started compiling as a girl. It is the only red cake we have ever eaten and is always the birthday cake of choice each year for me and my sister (and our children, who are now grown). It was just about 10 years ago that I learned there were 'other red cakes' out there (with no cocoa and with cream cheese frosting)(I led a sheltered life, obviously), but they cannot hold a candle to this one. In our little corner of the world, this is the only one!

Great texture and flavour! I didn't have a chance to make the icing, but they didn't really need it. Followed the directions to a "t" and didn't encounter problems. I did have a few cocoa bits that didn't get turned red, so I might try harder to make the paste is formed properly.

BEST Red Velvet Cake EVER! I have made a LOT of different versions trying to find "the one" and this is it. The perfect (as long as you follow the instructions to the letter) traditional Red Velvet icing recipe follows. Thanks Eleanor!

finicky recipe! the first time I made it, it came out great. I cant remember if I subbed the shortening for butter. maybe that's why. the second time I made it, it was good but not as good as I remembered the first time. third time I tried it, I cut the recipe in half and it came out horribly, literally had to toss it in the trash! all I can say is that I'd rather try a recipe that is more reliable and a little less dependent on the steps. also the 1st time I tried it, I tried to follow the icing recipe and it was a disaster! this recipe isn't exactly healthy either. it's better to stay away and try a different recipe instead.

I also substituted 1 cup oil for shortening, used 2 c sugar and extra vanilla. Baked cupcakes at 325 for 25 min. I took these to a 4th of July party and everyone loooooved them! Moist, soft, fluffy and so good!

This cake was moist, but boring. It had very little flavor and lacked the richness of traditional red velvet cakes. The frosting was also quite odd. The flour made it almost paste-like.

This is my son & granddaughters favorite cake. I made this cake for Valentines and they loved the cake!! I do add 1/4 c more buttermilk & 1/4 c oil to the recipe to add extra moisture since a Red Velvet is a bit dry anyway. I only had 3 Tbls of red food coloring but the cake was still the perfect color. I made into 4 layers by separating the batter into 4-9" pans. They rose beautifully and I did not need to cut the layers. I took the cake out of the oven when it seemed a little undone in the middle (outside would spring back when touched but middle did not) to prevent the cake from getting too dry. Moistness was perfect. I doubled the frosting recipe and just put mounds of frosting between the layers & on top leaving the sides unfrosted. Beautiful cake. I did have a small problem with the frosting wanting to whip up. I think I did not let my milk cool as much as needed. I just beat the daylights out of it until it whipped up into shape. My granddaughter requested this cake again this weekend for a gathering. My son wants a cream cheese frosting so I will make the roux frosting for the inside & frost the outside with the cream cheese. Great cake. Note: I made the roux for the frosting in the microwave. Whisk flour & milk together & zap in 60 second intervals, whipping in between to keep smooth. Microwaves vary so follow your own instincts in the thickness of your roux. This is how I make the filling for my cream pies.

I HAVE TRIED TO BAKE THIS. BUT I AM NOT TO HAPPY WITH THE WAY IT TURNED OUT :-( I HAVE USED SOME OF THE OTHER REVIEWS SUGGESTION AND THE TASTE WAS GREAT THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE CAKE STARTS TO BURN AROUND THE EDGES AND THEN THE MIDDLE WAS NOT COOKED. BUT THE OUTER PARTS WERE GETTING OVER COOK. I EVEN LOWERED TEMPERATURE BUT THEN WHEN I WAS CHECKING WITH THE TOOTHPICK THE MIDDLE OF THE CAKE SUNK IN... DISAPPOINTED

I did not have time to search for my regular red velvet cake recipe, so I printed this one off and tried to make it. It was a disaster -- the cake did not rise, the icing was running (it ran off the cake plate onto the cabinet).

I have baked many cakes but never a red velvet the cake turned out good my only complaint is my color was uneven I thought i had mixed it very well but apparently not

Not sure why this is so well reviewed. My expectation was moist and rich. This was neither. Better the second day. Frosting was very good but the cake was just not exciting. If making, be sure to read reviews for helpful comments.

Cake is gorgeous and tastes great! I followed the recipe exceptly except I substituted lemon juice for vinegar- no issues. The cake is moist which can be a challenge sometimes with red velvet cakes. I would suggest taking about 5 monutes off the cook time (obviously depending on your oven) as the tops of my cupcakes were a bit hard. I used a different simpler cream cheese recipe...worked like a charm :)

omg. what a DISASTER !!! i don't know what happened. everything was going great till the part where I had to mix the flower with the buttermilk.... it became all lumpy and ended up like dough. i didnt know if that was right or not so i continued with the rest ..... it ended up taking an hour in the oven and still it wasn't cooked well... so I gave up. when i actually cut a piece, the dough lumps where still everywhere. grrrrrrr. I really had high expectations for this recipe. I dont know where I went wrong. maybe with the buttermilk? do you guys buy it ready-made? i found a recipe for it and made it myself.

I did not make the cake -- my 10 year-old nephew did, and it is_absolutely_delicious. It was made yesterday but I just tasted it today. My nephew said it was too dry the first day, but after eating a piece of the day-old cake I can tell you it is dense and moist and delicious and crumbles in that perfect way that great chocolate cake does. Really, really good stuff. I can't comment on how easy it was to make, however, because even though my nephew is only 10 he's a genius at everything he does.

We made this cake for the first time ever... it was a complete success! We followed the directions exactly. It came out so moist that you didn't need a cup of milk when you ate it. The only altercation that we made was a cream cheese frosting instead of the one for this recipe. I will definetly make this cake again!!!

used 1c oil instead of shortening. moist and delicious.

Amazing cake! I followed anothers suggestions about time allotments and cooling times. Turned out perfect!! And I'm going to make it again right now :)

My granddaughter asked for a red velvet cake for her birthday, and this was the recipe I chose. Big mistake. It was the driest cake I ever made, and had no taste. I've been baking for 40 years and never had this experience before. I followed the recipe exactly.

This cake was dry and went flat when I baked it. It was very expensive to make, and I wasted so much time and money. I also tried adding oil as others did, and obviously that was not a good idea!! Two thumbs down!!

I used 1c margerine and 2 cups of sugar and just a little bit less than the called upon flour and my cake turned out very good. I creamed and creamed and creamed the marg and sugar together (with the frosting too) but I missed the step about mixing as little as possible with the flour. I baked for 30 minutes. Cake was most, maybe a little dense. Will add extra cocoa next time for more flavor. Frosting was grainy, but I refridgerated it and mixed it more and it turned out good.

The cake part was super easy and delicious. I'm addicted to the Cream Cheese Frosting II, so I used that instead of the frosting in this recipe. This is the second recipe for Red Velvet that I've tried, and this is much better than the first...no lumps.

Awesome! The only minor changes I made was to double the cocoa, based on other reviews, but may try it next time with the suggested amount, and only 3 T of red coloring, which is a 1 oz bottle and was plenty of color. (At $3 a bottle, didn't want to buy two!) The directions are exactly right. The baking soda and vinegar form a reaction that help the cake rise ... be prepared for foaming as you add them, and bake the layers immediately after folding in. I checked layers after 20 minutes, but mine did take the full 30, and cake was wonderfully moist. Did have one layer stick a little, in spite of careful greasing and flour, so may line with a circle of parchment paper next time. Was a little leary of a frosting with flour in it, but it was wonderful! Taste seemed almost too buttery at first, but after 24 hours, it was perfect. A great recipe, and I'll be making this one again before the holiday season is over!

2 Suggestions: Been making this for decades, and instead of two 1-oz. bottles of coloring, I use one bottle, then fill it up again with milk and you won't even notice the difference. (And only 2-1/4 cups flour.) Second: To very nicely frost a 9-inch three-layer, use these amounts for the icing. 6-1/3 tablespoons flour; 1-1/4 cups *each* of milk, soft butter, and sugar; and 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Just right! Oh, and the instructions on the icing are NONnegotiable (but easy), to turn out! I microwave the flour and milk in 1-min. intervals to a very thick paste whisking WELL after each, and it will thicken more when cooling.

This cake is quite simply amazing! I chose this recipe back around Christmas when I needed a red velvet cake recipe to make cupcakes for a party and not a single one made it home! It came out moist and dense and delicious, it's become a family favorite. My brother now says I have to make him one for his birthday every year.

I'm sitting here exhausted after trying to make this cake. I did everything to the letter. I even watched Alton Brown's episode on cake so I could cream the butter and sugar correctly. I meticulously sifted everything. The cake crumbled horribly as I tried to put it on the cooling rack. At first I thought this was my fault, but I went to clean it I saw completely uncooked batter underneath. However the top is dry and crumbly. I baked some good sourdough bread three days ago, so it's not my oven. I've also successfully made carrot cake just recently. Now, I'm stuck because tomorrow is a New Year's Party that I promised I would bring cake for.

Great cake! Does not need so much colouring, I used half of what recipe says and it was perfect.

I have this exact same recipefrom my mom from the sixties, I don't know where it originated but this recipe is the best! The icing in the old newspaper clipping is referred to as "Ermin Icing". I was going to pass this on, but now I don't have to. Kudos to you Eleanor, people will love this.

The cake was delicious! Soft, and tasted perfect. I replaced the shortening with oil and doubled the cocoa.

I've made this cake for Christmas every year for 10 years now, and it's always a huge hit! Some notes I've made over the years: *For the frosting, do not use a whisk for the flour and milk mixture. Stir it until the texture is a thick paste, like the consistency of mashed potatoes - about 10 minutes. Do let it cool completely before continuing with the frosting. *The frosting may not seem like a lot, but it is! I use some for a crumb layer and some for decorating. *This recipe makes approximately 22-24 cupcakes. For cupcakes, baking time = about 25 minutes. *For two 8" pans baking time = about 35 minutes. *For a bundt baking time = about 45 minutes.

I gave this 5 stars but I followed the extremely helpful suggestions from "Kristin" who reviewed this recipe on Oct 19 2009. Her review is on the first page. Without her suggestions, I don't think this would have turned out very good at all. This cake turned out wonderful. The frosting was not easy to make but it was well worth it. I made this for my Mom's birthday and she said it was the best cake she'd ever had (and she is a baker herself, and very blunt person--would have told me if it wasn't so great without blinking twice, lol) I was VERY PROUD of myself. But like I said, follow "Kristin" the reviewers tips to the T. She must know what she is talking about.

I followed the recipe exactly and the cake was pretty dry. The frosting was also very sweet, i would have preferred a cream cheese frosting.

It's a good cake. I liked the taste. However, I could not even pick the cake back up to put it on my cake safe. It obviously needed more liquid, and honestly, I do not recommend this recipe whatsoever. Made my kitchen a mess, and made me mad.

Didn't work for me - wasn't really red and nothing exceptional.

this cake is the best i've made...love the creamy addictive icing; texture of cake is soft and highly delightful and enjoyable to the taste. i add another 1/2 cup of cooking oil to the shortening(as recommended by many). i baked this cake and friend's of mine said i could open a bakery shop!

Have never had red velvet cake before, so I have nothing to compare it to but it tasted fantastic!!! Very moist and flavourful. Like many others, I doubled the cocoa and used canola oil instead of shortening. Couldn't find round pans so had to use a rectangular, took 10 extra minutes to cook. Wonderful cake!!

This is fabulous cake. The cooks who have problems with the icing separating: be sure to use BUTTER (not margerine) in the icing. I used margerine once and the icing separated. I actually use this recipe with GREEN food coloring for St. Pat's Day and it tastes just as delicious.

I did everything the recipe said to do...and still...my cake turned out VERY dense and tasteless. I will not use this recipe again.

I made cupcakes out of this. They turned out very well-- a four or four and a half star result, but I found myself a little bit frustrated with the structure of the recipe. I think the different steps (ie mixing the different ingredients seperately before adding them to the batter) should be denoted to avoid any fast-reading errors, and I found it ridiculous that the instructions go from "DO NOT BEAT OR MIX NOW" to "Bake 30 minutes." That having been said, the resulting cupcakes were pretty good. This recipe is very rich in texture, though it doesn't have a lot of unique flavor. You do have to watch it very, very carefully as it bakes-- I baked my first batch for 20 minutes and my second for only 19 and there was a noticable difference. Overcooking ruins the richness of this cake, which is pretty much the basis of its appeal.

This was my first attempt at red velvet cake. I must admit some feedback was helpful..i agree the vinegar and baking soda must be immediately put into the batter or else the cake will not rise so much. I stuck to the measurements and it turned out yummy. Things i would do differently to the cake:- less flour as it made the cake a bit dry or add more butter! Things i would add to this cake: either pecans on the outside or raspberries in the middle layer to break the sweetness!!

This was a great recipe. It was exactly what I was looking for. The only change I made was using butter in place of shortening. The cake was not dry. Just be sure to keep your eye on it and check for doneness. My mom made a similar recipe. I would never put cream cheese frosting on a red velvet cake. This frosting was very close to what my mother made. I think next time I will try it with 3/4 c. sugar instead of a whole cup in the frosting. It is still very good as is.

My boyfriend loves red velvet cake, and bragged about his grandmother's, but he he truly enjoyed this one and said it was very comparable. This was delicious and very easy to make. I agree with the reviews that it was a little dry, so I would definitely take it out a little early.

The cutest things ever, great idea!

Recipe is fine,except for the shortening--will do much better to use up to one cup of veg oil for this cake. The icing may be difficult for some to get right, and/or just not for everyone's taste--it is not a quick frosting, it is a cooked icing and needs some patience and time or it WILL NOT WORK (that is why I don't generally use cooked icings LOL). I will say that the amount of food coloring you need will depend on whether you are using liquid or paste form of food coloring. Will require more with liquid and much less with gel or paste form. I just eyeball it until the milk starts looking bloody. Sounds gross, I know.....The cook time will vary by several minutes depending on lots of factors--start checking after 25 minutes, as the recipe gives a guideline, not a law. It is worth it to get a nice RV cake if you really like cake!!

This is a great recipe. I looked at all the reviews and used some of peoples suggestions! Intead of shortening I used 1 cup oil, I also doubled the cocoa. It cam out amazing!! Everyone loved it!! I have never done red velvet before and I never thought it was this easy to make!! there were alot of steps but so worth it in the end!! Also I used homemade cream cheese frosting instead of the one given!!!

Came out perfect! My husband requested a red velvet cake as his birthday cake this year so I gave this recipe a shot. I took the advice of another reviewer and took the cake out of the oven just before it was completely cooked and let it sit in the pans for a while. It came out moist and absolutely perfect! I'll definitely be adding it to my cake repertoire!

This recipe for red velvet cake is absolutely PERFECT! I had my own recipe for red velvet cake however, was devastated that I lost it over the years. So I perused this website and reviewed every single red velvet cake recipe for one that came close to the one I had. This one was chosen above all the others - and I, my family (especially my son since this was made for his birthday), and guests were COMPLETELY & CONTENTLY SATISFIED with the outcome of this recipe for incredibly moist delicious cake!!! I followed the directions for the cake exactly (I used a whipped cream frosting recipe from this site instead - because I prefer a lighter frosting) Definitely CHOOSE THIS RECIPE if you are looking for the perfect red velvet cake. You will not be disappointed. YUM!!!!!!!!!

i liked it, i did add double the vanillia on the second batch and made the choc 2 &1/2 tbsp and it was way better then.

This was my first time making the red velvet cake and I must it came out really well. However, instead of the shortening I used 1 cup of oil and you could use a little more sugar. Making the icing took a lot more effort then making the cake. Next time I will make the cream cheese frosting.

Pretty Good. I followed the first reviewers suggestions: 1 cup of oil instead of the 1/2 c shortening, double the cocoa and took it out right before I thought it should be finished baking. The frosting is quite buttery tasting if you like that sorta thing. Will likely use this recipe again just maybe try out different frostings :)

i've made this recipe before and when it came out of the oven, it had the same texture as playdoh which i know red velvet cake is not supposed to have. it tasted decent but it was very dry and doughy.

If you follow directions there is no reason this cake won't turn out. I would however watch the video to ensure you have the steps down. Also, there are few other steps I followed reading another reviewer, Kristin's comments:check the cake after 20 mins and then check it every 3 or 5 minutes until its done; don't wait too long to bake after adding in the vinegar & baking soda mixture. The icing is to die for!! I haven't tasted such amazing icing in a long time. I will use this on all my other cakes. My co-workers told me, if i got to tired of making a cake, just bring in a trough of this icing! I also accidently used baking powder instead of baking soda, it turned out fine. I will try making it again with baking soda and see what the difference is Everyone at the office loved this! Will definitely make again!

Forgot to add a couple of things to my previous review. Oddly, I don't think the original poster mentions that this cake needs to be REFRIGERATED. The frosting will go bad otherwise. This cake is actually better the day after you make it--moister and more flavorful. So making a day ahead is a great option. Anyone who says this cake is dry has done something wrong. When properly cooked and not overbeaten, it is one of the moistest cakes out there. I use 8" pans instead of 9" and cook for 28 minutes. Results in a perfect cake. This cake can be prone to sticking, so either use parchment paper or (what I do), Pam with flour in non-stick pans.

OMG, I can't believe this cake...outstanding! My biggest surprise was the icing. I have never made the "cooked" icing, and figured I would probably mess it up...overcook, or something. It turned out beautiful!! Amazing how it all went together. I debated whether or not to double the icing because I hate to be shorted on it, but decided for my first time, I would stay with the recipe. I had PLENTY of icing (2-layer) by following the recipe as written. I did use the mixer for about 10 min. so it came out really smooth and heavenly. Try this, you won't be sorry.

I've been making this for a while now and everyone always LOVES it. I don't use the frosting here but i keep the cake recipe exact. This past time however I was in a pinch and didn't have shortening so I decided to use the oil substitution listed here in the reviews. It came out horrible. It tasted like a straight oil cake with a terrible slick aftertaste. There was no way I was going to give this to someone. I had to make the cake all over again.

Excellent cake! I didn't have any trouble with dryness as others had said. I also split the layers so there was 4. If you do this, I would suggest making another 1/2 batch of the frosting, which was AMAZING by the way, not too sweet and very creamy! The amount of frosting in the recipe would have been perfect for just the 2 layers....

This cake turned out pretty good but I would change a couple things in the procedure. I think it would be better to add the food colouring to the creamed mixture directly and mix the cocoa with the flour rather than make the paste. I don't think I had enough food colouring to begin with but the cocoa did not create a paste and I ended up with lumps of bitter cocoa in the final product. This was my first time even tasting red velvet cake so I'm not sure what it is supposed to taste like but this was delicious! I will definately try to make this cake again. I iced it with store-bought vanilla icing and it tastes fine. Maybe next time I will try the icing too! EDIT: I made this cake again and tried the icing...absolutely delicious! Made enough to cover a double layer 8x8 cake with some leftover...just spread it extra thick! Yummy!

This is a great recipe. I made cupcakes for my daughters birthday and everyone loved it. I had looked at several recipes some called for 1c. and some called for 1/2 c. shorting so I split the difference and used 3/4c. I also only used 2oz red food coloring(no flavor red from wilton) and it was plenty red. I baked them for abt. 20 min. I am not an expierenced baker. I have done this recipe 2 times the first time they sank in the middle but were still moist and delicious, the second time they rose properly but I believe I over mixed once i added the flour. They were a little crumbly but delicious. I would definetly make this again!

I was a bit disappointed with this cake. I think it most definitely needs to be tweaked. I think it called for way too much food coloring, and too little cocoa. And making a paste out of the two I felt was an unneeded step. As it turned out, my box of food coloring came with two blue dyes, no red, so I used both blues trying to get close to 4 tbls, not even close. So, it turned into a Black Velvet Cake haha. It was also on the dry side. Not a terrible cake, but I won't be making it again. And I used my own cream cheese frosting instead of what the recipe called for, and it's the best part of the cake.

Its really to bad you can only give five stars!! My mother used to make this and passed away without passing on this great cake. Thank you so much.!!!

My family and ALL my friends LOVE this cake. Thank you so much for the recipe.

I made this cake with butter instead of shortening, lemon juice instead of vinegar,and 2.5 tablespoons of red food coloring. It makes 18 perfect cupcakes (for cupcakes I baked it 22-23 minutes). With the cream cheese icing recipe I got from this site it was a huge hit. We have several fancy bakeries in the neighborhood, and everybody was asking which one I got them from.

Phenomenal!!!!!!!!!!! I made this cake for my wife and she loved it. She actually asked me where I got the cake.Everyone at her party tore it up.

I have never made a Red Velvet cake before trying this one. The cake turned out ok. The icing is just plain awful, it is pure butter and grease. If you are going to make this cake depending on the color you want you do not need that much food coloring, and for the icing 1/2 cup would be plenty or better yet just make a butter cream frosting and put on it. I will try making another Red Velvet cake with another recipe and definitely another icing recipe.

so good. I can't take credit--my better half made it, but it's so rich, but light at the same time. Made it twice and was a hit at our holiday gathering. Tips! Make sure the milk/ flour mixture is cold, and that you whip the life out of the frosting, otherwise the butter isn't fully incorporated and it looks bad (still tastes great though)

Well, I'm going to be in the minority here. I will say that I never bake and its possible that the oven is the problem, but... I followed the directions exactly. Baked for 30 minutes and it was overdone. It didn't taste good really either. Somewhat tasted like corn bread. I might try again using more cocoa and cook for 20 minutes instead of 30 as instructed.

This was different. My local baker does a GREAT red velvet cake for my birthday every year! She won't give away any of her "secrets" so I'm always trying red velvet cake recipes to find one that tastes similar. This was not it. I did not use this icing, but did use Cream Cheese Frosting I recipe from this site. I will keep trying!

Great recipe also really follow the advice they give you such as cooling the flour milk mixture etc.. My advice make 3x's the frosting part to be able to frost the entire cake.