Black Widow Red Velvet Cake

5 from 5 votes

This Classic Red Velvet Cake + Cream Cheese Frosting is a healthier option to the decadent classic—Red Velvet Cake! Not only is it completely moist + fluffy, but it’s also filled with a velvety cream cheese buttercream that when paired with this fluffy cake (made with premium cocoa powder), they all work amazingly together. A definite crowd-pleasing cake for any occasion, celebration, or ‘treat yo’ self day!

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: Dessert

Keyword: baked, cake, chocolate, classic, dessert, easy, fluffy, holidays, homemade, indulge, recipe, red velvet, sweet, traditional, vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 476kcal

Author: Shanika

Ingredients

CAKE:

4 cups Organic all-purpose flour
6 Tbsps organic cocoa powder
2 ½ Tbsps baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 ½ cups organic cane sugar
1 cup Almond milk (You can also use whole milk)
3 large organic eggs, at room temp.
1 cup hot water (Boiled and then cooled to hot/warm)
¾ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
3-4 Tbsps Natural red food coloring

CREAM CHEESE BUTTERCREAM:

4-5 cups organic powdered sugar, sifted
4 oz. organic cream cheese, softened at room temp.
½ cup unsalted butter, softened at room temp.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 Tbsps organic heavy cream
¼ teaspoon sea salt
3 Tbsps organic cocoa powder, optional (See Notes!)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

TO MAKE CAKE:

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease (with butter) AND line with parchment paper the bottoms of THREE 8-inch cake pans.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt until combined. Set aside.
In a bowl, add the oil and sugar, beating them together using a hand-mixer (on high-speed), until pale and combined, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the eggs (one at a time) followed by the vanilla, red food coloring, and apple cider vinegar, mixing until combined. On low-speed, add in the dry ingredients followed by the milk and hot water, continue to mix until combined and the batter is smooth, about 3-4 minutes. NOTE: The batter should be thick, yet slowly run off the whisk once lifted.
Divide the batter evenly into each of the cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick or butter knife comes out clean when tested in the centers.
Remove cakes from the oven and let them rest in the pan for 10 minutes or so before removing the cakes and placing them onto a cooling rack to fully cool. NOTE: Let them cool for at least 1-2 hours in a cool place.

TO MAKE BUTTERCREAM:

Simply beat the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer (or using a hand-mixer) on medium-high speed, until smooth and pale. Add in the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, and milk, continuing to mix on medium-speed until you reach the desired consistency----smooth and fluffy. NOTE: Add more milk (1 tablespoon at a time if too thick) or powdered sugar (for more thickness).

ASSEMBLY:

Place the first cake layer on your cake stand and evenly cover the top with buttercream. Now, top with 2nd layer and add more buttercream atop that layer. Finally, top with final layer and top with remaining buttercream, spreading it over the tops and sides of cake, evenly and thinly.
Once fully frosted, add small little designs of the buttercream using a piping bag + tip or add spider webs around the sides and top of cake using marshmallows. Chill for 5 minutes to ensure that buttercream sets.
When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator. Slice and enjoy!
Bon Appetit!

Notes

STORAGE: Keep cake leftovers stored for up to 4 days in the fridge. Keep it in an airtight container to keep the cake from drying out. You can also freeze the cake tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 months. Before serving, defrost the cake on the counter.
FLOUR: For an extra fluffy cake, you can always use cake flour instead of all-purpose. See post for more!
CUPCAKES:This recipe yields about 30 cupcakes to 2 dozen cupcakes. Simply bake for 18-20 minutes instead, until centers come out clean.
MARSHMALLOW WEBS: If you're looking to create a nice spider web design, I recommend checking out this awesome recipe via The Little Epicurean.
HALLOWEEN BUTTERCREAM: Instead of adding the cocoa powder to the frosting, you can feel free to omit this ingredient for a traditional cream cheese frosting.

Nutrition