This Single Layer Red Velvet Cake is the perfect size treat to enjoy on your own, with a loved one, or make for someone special as a surprise! It’s incredibly moist, rich, and flavorful, and when paired with this simple cream cheese frosting—absolutely delicious! For a fun and simple alternative to the cream cheese frosting, sprinkle on a dusting of powdered sugar!
Joining my single layer cake recipes is this fantastic single layer red velvet cake. It’s paired with a perfectly sweetened small batch of cream cheese frosting that’s equally as good!
The star ingredients in this cake recipe, which give it that super moist texture, are buttermilk and vegetable oil. And the light, tender texture comes from the cake flour and a small amount of white vinegar. It also has a hint of chocolate with some food coloring mixed in to give it that classic red color.
It is so moist and rich and perfect for the holidays, Valentine’s Day, or whenever the mood strikes!
And if you love this single layer cake recipe, then definitely check out my single layer chocolate cake, single layer funfetti cake, or single layer carrot cake recipes!
Table of Contents
Homemade Cake Flour Substitute
If you don’t keep cake flour on hand, fear not—you can make it at home! You only need all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and a sifter!
To make your homemade cake flour:
- Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to a 1/2 cup measuring cup.
- Fill the remaining measuring cup with all-purpose flour.
- Run the mixture through a sifter. Once is good, but twice is better.
If you want to have a little more on hand, I recommend doubling the above recipe.
What Can I Use as a Buttermilk Substitute?
Another ingredient not everyone keeps on hand is buttermilk.
Because this small batch red velvet cake recipe only calls for 1/4 cup, you can use regular milk with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. The lemon juice can be from a lemon or a bottle. The milk can be skim, fat-free, through whole milk.
Add the lemon juice to a 1/4 measuring cup first, then add the milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes, give it a quick stir, then add it to the batter. This homemade buttermilk substitute is meant to be used immediately.
Another alternative is powdered buttermilk! You can find this in the baking aisle, usually next to powdered milk, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk. The homemade stuff usually is the easiest, though!
Helpful Tips
For making the best red velvet cake, I recommend the following helpful tips!
Prep your buttermilk. If you are making the buttermilk substitute I mentioned above, leave it to sit for about 5 minutes before adding it to the recipe. Don’t forget to give it a quick stir too.
Use a hand mixer or stand mixer. For both the red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting, it’s best to use either a hand mixer or a stand mixer.
Don’t over-mix the red velvet cake batter. Mix the ingredients until they’re just combined—meaning until you can no longer see it. This really comes into play when you mix the dry and wet ingredients.
Don’t go overboard with the food coloring. I used about 7-8 drops of the red McCormick’s Nature’s Inspirations Food Coloring. If you feel it needs more, add only a drop at a time until your perfect red color is achieved.
Use cake strips. Using cake strips—helps with getting a nice flat cake surface. I have a bunch from Wilton, which I regularly use with my cakes, and I love them!
Cool the cake completely. Whether you are frosting your cake the same day or planning to store it in the refrigerator or freezer, you will want to let it cool completely.
First, cool it in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then carefully invert it onto a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Decorations
To create the same snowflake design as my single red velvet cake recipe, you will need the following:
- Offset spatula – to frost the cake.
- No. 2 decorating tip
- Piping bag and coupler
In addition, to the snowflake design, you can choose to garnish the top with some white sparkling sugar. I reserved about 1/3 cup of the cream cheese frosting to pipe the design. If you like, this type of decoration could be done with my homemade red velvet cupcakes too.
You can sprinkle some sifted powdered sugar over the top as an alternative to the small batch of cream cheese frosting.
Recipe FAQs
I only tested this recipe using unsweetened cocoa powder, so I cannot recommend using another type.
I only tested this recipe using one egg, so I cannot recommend any egg substitutes.
This can happen due to several factors: your oven temperature is off, it wasn’t baked long enough, or too much baking soda was added by mistake.
This can happen when you over-mix your cake batter. You always want to mix it until just combined. Meaning just until the ingredients blend into one another.
While not required, it’s always good to sift your powdered sugar to avoid any lumps in your frosting.
White vinegar is used to help react with the unsweetened cocoa powder, which helps to give the cake its red color. Of course, red food coloring is also added to bump up that color. White vinegar is also used to help lend a hand in giving the cake its light and tender texture.
Because I only tested this using white vinegar, I can only speak for those results. Omitting it may alter the texture. As a substitute, you can use apple cider vinegar.
More Small Batch Recipes!
If you tried this Single Layer Red Velvet Cake Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know what you thought in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Single Layer Red Velvet Cake
Ingredients
6 inch single layer red velvet cake
- 1/2 cup Cake Flour
- 1/8 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1/8 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Large Egg, room temperature
- 1/8 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1/4 tsp White Vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Red Food Coloring, approximately 7-8 drops (more can be used if preferred)
- 1/4 cup Buttermilk, or homemade buttermilk substitute
small batch cream cheese frosting
- 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 4 oz Cream Cheese , softened to room temperature
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3/4 cup Sifted Powdered Sugar
additional ingredients
- 2 tbsp Sifted Powdered Sugar, optional topping in place of cream cheese frosting
- White Sparkling Sugar, optional garnish for cream cheese frosting (if piping snowflake design)
Instructions
6 inch single layer red velvet cake
- Adjust your oven rack to the 2nd level position (just above center) and preheat your oven to 350ºF. Generously spray a 6 inch cake pan with a flour based baking spray or grease and flour. If you choose, you can also add a 6 inch parchment paper circle to the bottom of the pan and a cake strip as well. Set to the side.
- With a small mixing bowl and a whisk, blend together the cake flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set to the side.1/2 cup Cake Flour, 1/8 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, 1/2 tsp Baking Soda, 1/8 tsp Salt
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter and granulated sugar. Add in the egg and mix until well blended.1/8 cup Unsalted Butter, 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar, 1 Large Egg
- Add in the vegetable oil, white vinegar, vanilla extract, and red food coloring.1/8 cup Vegetable Oil, 1/4 tsp White Vinegar, 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract, Red Food Coloring
- Reduce the mixer speed to low, adding half of the whisked dry ingredients followed by the buttermilk, then the remaining dry ingredients. Mix together until just combined.1/4 cup Buttermilk
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350ºF or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the cake pan for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, dust with powdered sugar or frost with this small batch cream cheese frosting.2 tbsp Sifted Powdered Sugar, White Sparkling Sugar
small batch cream cheese frosting
- Using your hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment mix the unsalted butter and cream cheese until smooth and well blended. Add in the vanilla extract.1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, 4 oz Cream Cheese, 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Turn off the mixer, then add in the powdered sugar. Mix on low-medium speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix once more on medium-high speed for another minute. If you want a thicker cream cheese frosting, add 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar until your desired consistency is achieved.3/4 cup Sifted Powdered Sugar
- Frost your red velvet cake with an offset spatula once it's completely cooled.
Video
Notes
- Keep frosted red velvet cake stored in the refrigerator, covered in plastic wrap (1-2 layers is good) for up to 3 days.
- While not required, it’s always good to sift your powdered sugar to avoid any lumps in your frosting.
- I used McCormick’s Nature’s Inspiration Food Coloring for this red velvet cake. It doesn’t contain any artificial dyes.
- For red food coloring substitutes, I only used the red food coloring noted above. I have read that substitutes like red beet powder or juice can be used, but I did not test this recipe with either.
- White vinegar is used in this recipe to help react with the unsweetened cocoa powder, which helps to give the cake its red color. Of course, red food coloring is also added to bump up that color. White vinegar is also used to help lend a hand in giving the cake its light and tender texture.
- Omitting the white vinegar may alter the texture. As a substitute, you can use apple cider vinegar.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided above is an estimate only and will vary based on specific ingredients used. See Nutritional Disclaimer for more info.
Can I double or triple the recipe for a layer cake or would it be better to use a recipe intended for a layer cake?
Hi Cheryl! Yes, you can double and triple this recipe for a layer cake.
This recipe was amazing! I loved how she included substitutes! I don’t normally have buttermilk on hand! So that really came in handy! This cake was so fluffy, moist & heavenly! The cream cheese frosting… I could have eaten the entire batch! THANK YOU! 😋🥰💝
Thank you for making my cake look so beautiful, Pam! And thank you for sharing it on Instagram! I’m so happy you’re parents loved it!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
The frosting does sound wonderful! Here’s my question, before making this recipe: when “4 oz Cream Cheese Frosting” is listed under the recipe for “Small Batch Cream Cheese Frosting,” does it simply mean 4 oz. of cream cheese? Thanks– just checking!
Ahh, yes, you’re correct! It’s just 4 ounces of cream cheese and not cream cheese frosting. Thanks for the catch!
Hi! I would love make this recipe, but I only have 9 inch pans. Does this make enough batter for a single 9 inch pan? Even if it’s a little thinner and takes less time to cook?
Thanks so much!
Hi! I did not test this in any other baking pan, so I can’t say for certain, but I think this would be much too thin for a 9 inch pan. You could double the recipe to use the 9 inch pans or 1, 9 inch cake layer with some cupcakes.
I doubled the recipe (really hard if it’s not printed out having to scroll up and down) I tried to make this green but failed. I baked this in a 9″ pan for 30 minutes. Will have to let you know how it tastes but the cake seems really moist .
Hi! Were you not able to print it after selecting the 2x to double it? If so, please let me know and I can look into that. I hope you still enjoy it despite it not being the green you wanted it to be. I still appreciate you making it!🍀
Hi! Just reading your red velvet cupcake recipe in comparison and wondering if I can use sour cream and oil interchangeably?
Thanks!
Hi! I would not interchange those two. The buttermilk used in this recipe is more of a replacement for the sour cream and milk in the cupcakes. Hope this helps!
I noticed that a lot of your recipes call for using the 2nd oven position and I wondered if thats because of the cake strips or do you recommend that purely when using 6 inch cake pans? I feel like I’ve had a difficult time using cake strips lately – the outer edge of my cakes are cooking too slow and unevenly.
The 2nd level mark (just above center) is something I typically recommend for the majority of my recipes, not just cake. Cake strips are something I encourage with my cake recipes (all sizes) because they do a fairly good job of keeping the cake tops flat. If your strips are giving you issues, I would suggest maybe trying a different brand. It doesn’t hurt to make sure your oven is calibrated to the correct temperature too.
Thank you 🙂
You’re welcome!
I love how this is decorated—so beautiful with the sanding sugar! Perfect dessert for a smaller Christmas.
Thank you so much!❤️