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Pink Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.7 from 131 reviews
  • Author: Paula
  • Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
  • Yield: 12 servings
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This Pink Velvet Cake is a delightful twist on the classic red velvet, featuring a soft and moist cake with a beautiful pink hue. Paired with a smooth and tangy cream cheese frosting, this cake is perfect for celebrations or any time you want a deliciously elegant dessert. The layers are carefully baked and chilled to ensure perfect texture and easy frosting application, resulting in a stunning cake that looks as good as it tastes.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Cake:

  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour (350 grams)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar (400 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda (6 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder (4 grams)
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1½ cups buttermilk, room temperature (341 grams)
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature (150 grams)
  • ½ cup vegetable oil (100 grams)
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar (14 grams)
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (8 grams)
  • Pink gel food coloring (to desired shade)

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (227 grams)
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, slightly melted (170 grams / 1½ sticks)
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (12 grams)
  • 5 cups powdered sugar (600 grams)

Instructions

  1. Prepare Cake Pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt. Stir well and set aside.
  3. Mix Wet Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the buttermilk, eggs, vegetable oil, white vinegar, vanilla extract, and pink gel food coloring on low speed until just combined. Add more gel coloring until the desired shade of pink is reached.
  4. Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure even mixing, but do not overmix to maintain cake tenderness.
  5. Divide Batter and Bake: Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans (about 687 grams each). Bake for 33-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  6. Cool Cakes: Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in their pans for 15 minutes. Then, carefully remove the cakes from the pans and place them on wire racks to cool completely.
  7. Chill Cakes: Once cooled to room temperature, wrap each cake layer individually in food-safe plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. This step firms the cake to make frosting application easier without crumbling.
  8. Make Frosting: While cakes chill, prepare the frosting by beating cream cheese, softened butter, and vanilla extract on high speed with a whisk attachment until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat an additional 2 minutes until fluffy and smooth.
  9. Trim Cake Layers: After chilling, use a serrated knife to level the tops of the cake layers by cutting off any domes so that each layer has a flat surface. The domed tops can be saved for snacking.
  10. Assemble Cake Base: Spread about 2 tablespoons of frosting on the center of a cake board or plate to secure the first layer. Place the first cake layer cut side up on the frosting.
  11. Layer Frosting: Generously spread frosting over the first layer, then carefully place the second cake layer on top, bottom side up.
  12. Apply Crumb Coat: Spread a thin layer of frosting over the entire cake to catch crumbs. It does not need to be perfect; crumbs showing through are okay. Use a cake scraper to smooth lightly.
  13. Chill Crumb Coat: Place the frosted cake in the freezer for 10 minutes to set the crumb coat.
  14. Color Frosting for Decoration: Divide remaining frosting into three equal parts. Tint one light pink, one darker pink, and leave one portion white. Transfer each color into separate tipless piping bags.
  15. Pipe Colored Frosting: Starting at the bottom of the cake, pipe the darkest pink frosting around the bottom third. Pipe light pink frosting around the middle third of the cake. Use white frosting for the top third and the top surface.
  16. Smooth Frosting: Use the cake scraper gently to smooth the sides and top without removing too much frosting. Collect extra frosting into a bowl.
  17. Create Frosting Circles: Combine all leftover frosting in one bowl, tint it any pink shade desired, and using a large round tip (e.g., Wilton 1A), pipe circles around the top of the cake.
  18. Final Chill: Place the decorated cake back in the freezer for about 10 minutes to firm up the frosting details, then remove and serve.

Notes

  • Store the pink velvet cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • For longer storage, wrap well and freeze the cake for up to 3 months.
  • Use room temperature ingredients for better mixing and texture.
  • Be careful not to overmix the batter to keep the cake tender.
  • Chilling the cake layers before frosting helps prevent crumbling when applying frosting.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12th of cake)
  • Calories: 420 kcal
  • Sugar: 35 g
  • Sodium: 220 mg
  • Fat: 20 g
  • Saturated Fat: 8 g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 55 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 5 g
  • Cholesterol: 65 mg

Find it online: https://piesbypaula.com/pink-velvet-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting-recipe/