Red Velvet Loaf Cake!
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An easy red velvet loaf cake topped with delicious and smooth cream cheese frosting
Red velvet bakes
I love all things red velvet, and whilst it did confuse me a bit when I was younger (what even is ‘red velvet’?!) I just love it so much now. It’s something that makes me go “ooooh” when I see it at a cake shop
Red velvet cake to me is a chocolate and vanilla flavoured cake, that has a particular texture, flavour and style. More classic recipes do not use red food colouring, as the red colour comes from using a particular type of cocoa powder. However, many many recipes now do use the colouring to make the style more accessible.
Red velvet flavour
The flavour also comes from the more bizarre ingredients that you may see, compared to the usual sugar, butter, eggs and flour style cakes. Red Velvet cake uses buttermilk, vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and plain flour. The raising agents are completely different.
Some people don’t get the fuss about red velvet, and I can get it… not all red velvet cakes are pleasant to eat, but you can say the same about any cake. I think it’s a flavour that is 100% worth trying again, as I have developed such an adoration for it
The cake mix
This cake uses 11 ingredients, which may sound a bit over the top – but they are all worth it. You beat together the butter and sugar like you would with any other cake, and then things start getting interesting. Add in the cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla extract and red food colouring.
For this recipe, the colouring is SO important it’s crazy. Just like my other red velvet bakes on this blog, I always use the same red food colouring.
The reason you need to use a good quality colour, is because supermarket colours such as the liquid bottles, or the tiny gel tubes just do not have the strength to make a difference. I say this every time, and people will still ignore it, and then ask why isn’t it red.
I wish that all red food colours worked just as well, but they honestly don’t! The chemical reaction with the buttermilk, vinegar and cocoa powder, then mixed with the red food colouring will give you the finish you are after!
Tin
I used this 2lb loaf tin as always! It’s my favourite loaf tin, and I just adore it. It’s the perfect size for me (as mentioned in other loaf cake posts, a 2lb loaf tin can really really vary, even though they have the same name and I have no idea why) – so if you find your tin is a bit small, fill the tin 3/4 of the way maximum, and then bake some cupcakes with the spare mix!
Cream cheese frosting
For the topping, I use cream cheese frosting. I have done a post purely about cream cheese frosting now because it is such a hard thing to make sometimes, and it’s the same style going onto this cake.
This version uses equal amounts of unsalted block butter and icing sugar, beaten together until smooth. Then, it adds in the cream cheese. For this one, I used 125g of unsalted butter and sugar, and 250g of full-fat cream cheese. It MUST be full fat.
Decoration
For the decoration, just like my other red velvet cakes, I trim off a really small amount from the cake and leave it to the side before decorating with the frosting. Then, I use a 2D closed star piping tip as it’s my favourite ever, and decorate away!
Finish with a sprinkle of the red velvet crumbs, just because it’s so cute and always looks good, and then devour every slice of the cake!! If you have any questions then leave them below in the comments.
Red Velvet Loaf Cake!
Ingredients
Cake
- 125 g unsalted butter
- 300 g caster sugar
- 3 medium eggs
- 30 g cocoa powder
- 1 tsp red food colouring (see notes)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 250 ml buttermilk
- 300 g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 125 g unsalted butter
- 125 g icing sugar
- 250 g full-fat cream cheese (I use philadelphia)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Red Velvet Loaf Cake
- Preheat your oven to 170ºc/150ºc fan and line a 2lb loaf tin with parchment paper
- Beat together the unsalted butter and caster sugar in a bowl until smooth and fluffy
- Add in the eggs, cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla extract and beat again until combined.
- Add in the buttermilk and plain flour, and beat again. Try not to over beat the mixture.
- Finally – beat in the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and white wine vinegar.
- Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin, and smooth over.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the middle of the cake comes out clean when poked with a skewer! Once the cake is baked, leave to cool in the tin for at least 10 minutes, and then on a wire rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Make sure your unsalted butter is at room temperature, and make sure to use block butter and not a spread.
- Beat your unsalted butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy - like you would a normal buttercream. I beat them together for about 5 minutes.
- Add in your full-fat cream cheese (That has been drained if needed), and beat for about a minute.
- Scrape the bowl well, and add in the vanilla. Beat again for another minute.
- Scrape the bowl again finally, and beat again if needed. It should be a thick and smooth frosting once finished
To Decorate
- Level off the cake ever so slightly so you have some cake to use as crumbs. Crumble it up into crumbs
- Using your piping bag and piping tip, pipe your cream cheese frosting onto the cake.
- Once piped on, sprinkle over the cake crumbs. Enjoy!
Notes
- These cake can be kept in the fridge, for up to 3 days!
- I used...
- The food colouring you use IS SO IMPORTANT. If you use a basic food colouring from a supermarket, it will NOT work. This is the best one I can recommend.
- You can use self raising flour instead of plain flour - if so, also leave out the baking powder. I prefer using plain flour for red velvet cakes though.
ENJOY!
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J x
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This is a nice recipe. But it makes way too much batter for a 2lb loaf tin.
Hey! The quantities are correct for a 2lb loaf tin, but unfortunately some are mis-sold and are smaller. It’s always best to only fill 2/3 full in any cake tin, or change the tin you are using for better results! xx
Hi!
I made your white chocolate raspberry traybake and it was a hit! My friend’s asked me to make a red velvet traybake next time.
If I try and make this recipe as a traybake (9×13), would I use 1.5x of the ingredients and how long would the baking time be?
Thank you!
I (hopefully followed the recipe to a T, but it came out dark brown with a red tinge, what do you think I might have done wrong. Tasted amazing though
This will be the food colouring – which one did you use? and How much?
I just wanted to let you know that Wilton gel food color works and stays red. I’m in the process now of baking it and will update once done. Hope this helps and you don’t have to specifically order something to make the recipe work.
Hi, my name is Patricia from Brazil. There is no Buttermilk in Brazil. How can how can I replace this ingredient? Thank you! 🙂
You can make your own with full-fat milk and lemon juice! x
Milk + lemon juice for sweet stuff alternatively Milk + viniger for savoury dishes.
HI, My name is Patricia from Brazil. There is no buttercream in Brazil. What can I replace this ingredient with?
Thank you!
Pat
I made this today. Easy to follow. I made one loaf tin and six cupcakes with the remaing batter, used one of the cupcakes to crumble on top of the frosting.
could ya put in cups along with grams and ounces
Could you advise on how to convert this recipe to Gluten Free, amount of GF flour to Xantham Gum .
Thank you
Hiya! It would just be a straight swap, use 1/4 tsp xanthan gum per every 150g flour. Hope this helps! x
Hi! Should the butter for the cake be at room temperature?
Hi! I made this cake in a 2lb loaf tin but it rose and overflew. Did I do something wrong?
Hiya! Annoyingly, 2lb loaf tins all vary slightly in size – so only fill your tin 2/3 full for the best results! Hope this helps! x
Oh no I wish I’d seen this comment – mine is currently overflowing in the oven. I’ve never had an issue with loaf recipes fitting my tin so just went with the recipe. Hopefully still turns out ok as it’s for a birthday.
I’m not sure what went wrong for me but the cake doesn’t really have a “red velvet” flavor. Tastes like a mildly chocolatey cake flavor, while the frosting tastes a pinch too buttery. Perhaps it’s been too long since I’ve had red velvet cake, but I remember it being something more specific and remarkable. I followed everything exactly, just with apple cider vinegar in place of the white wine vinegar. I used mostly supermarket brand ingredients from Aldi or Rewe here in Germany, nothing fancy.
I’m glad to at least have learned a beautiful and fun way of frosting (bought a frosting tip just to make this recipe), with your tip about the cake crumbs on top.
I baked this cake a couple of days ago to put on the cake stall at my church’s Autumn Fair. It sold very quickly (but not before I had chance to sneak a slice for myself!). I must say it was really delicious. I didn’t have chance to get the recommended red food colouring, so had to make do with the supermarket one, and as expected the cake didn’t look all that red. However, I have now ordered the colouring recommended and look forward to using it next time. I must say I love all the recipes in this blog and enjoy trying them out!
Hi Jane,
Would it be possible to make mini loaf red velvet cakes instead? I have a new mini loaf tin id like to use this recipe for (lakeland mini loaf tin) I used wondered if 1) Would there be enough cake mixture 2) What would the cooking time be?
Thank you Alice 🙂
Tastes sooo good, looks good but the cream cheese quantity never seems to be right. I’ve tried various brands of cream cheese too but always is sloppy and have to add way more icing sugar! Where am I going wrong?
Hiya! Always ensure you are using full fat cream cheese, and take a look at my Cream Cheese Frosting – ‘How To’ recipe! Hope this helps! x
I’ve made this cake but it doesnt seem to be cooking fully on the inside! The outside is fine maybe a bit too well done, any tips? Desperate trying to perfect it🤣 x
Hiya! Try baking lower for longer. Hope this helps! x