Description
Pink Velvet Cake is a soft, moist, and beautifully romantic dessert with a delicate vanilla-cocoa flavor and a dreamy pink hue. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, baby showers, or special celebrations, this elegant cake delivers bakery-quality results with simple, classic ingredients and a luscious, not-too-sweet frosting.
Ingredients
Scale
Pink Velvet Cake
- 8 oz (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 14 oz (397 g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 13 oz (369 g) cake flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder (optional)
- ¾ cup (177 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp pink gel food coloring
Ermine Frosting
- 5 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pink food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat to 335°F (170°C). Grease cake pans and line with parchment.
- Mix dry ingredients: Whisk and sift cake flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.
- Cream butter & sugar: Beat butter until smooth, then add sugar and beat 3–5 minutes until fluffy.
- Add eggs: Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Add flavor & color: Mix in vanilla, vinegar, and pink food coloring.
- Combine: Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour.
- Bake: Divide batter evenly into pans and bake 30–35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool: Cool in pans 10 minutes, then transfer to racks and cool completely.
- Make frosting: Cook flour and milk until thick. Cool completely. Beat butter and sugar, then add milk mixture gradually.
- Assemble: Frost cooled cake layers and decorate as desired.
Notes
- Color tip: Use gel food coloring for vibrant color without affecting texture.
- Texture: Room-temperature ingredients ensure a soft, even crumb.
- Frosting: Ermine frosting is light and less sweet than buttercream.
- Variations: Can be baked as cupcakes, sheet cake, or heart-shaped layers.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 38g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 115mg
Keywords: pink velvet cake, valentine cake recipe, romantic cake, pink cake recipe, velvet cake frosting