Description
Celebrate Mother’s Day with this beautiful and delicious Pink Velvet Cake featuring a tender crumb, subtle cocoa hint, and vibrant pink color. Finished with a creamy, tangy cream cheese frosting, this cake is perfect for showing your love with a homemade touch.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups cake flour
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Red food coloring (to achieve desired pink hue)
Frosting
- Cream cheese frosting (for topping)
Instructions
- Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans to ensure the cakes release easily after baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until well combined, ensuring even distribution of leavening and cocoa.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color, about 3 minutes. This step is crucial for a tender, airy cake.
- Add Eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition to incorporate fully and maintain a smooth batter.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in the buttermilk, pure vanilla extract, and red food coloring until all liquids are combined, giving your batter that signature pink hue.
- Combine Dry and Wet: Gradually fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients, taking care not to overmix but ensuring the batter is smooth and even.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, indicating the cakes are fully baked.
- Cool: Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer them to wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
- Frost: Once cooled, apply a generous layer of cream cheese frosting to the top of one cake layer, stack the second cake on top, and frost the entire cake as desired.
Notes
- Using room temperature eggs helps to create a smooth batter and better volume.
- Ensure your butter is softened but not melted for optimal creaming results.
- Adjust the amount of red food coloring to achieve your preferred shade of pink.
- Do not overmix the final batter to keep the cake tender.
- Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting the cream cheese frosting.
- The cake can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Pink Velvet Cake, Mother's Day Cake, Cream Cheese Frosting, Pink Cake, Celebration Cake, Cocoa Cake
