Pink Velvet Cake is fluffy and delicate vanilla cake with a hint of pink color, topped with a smooth vanilla buttercream. The texture of this cake justifies its “velvet” name with its soft and luxurious crumb. Be sure to try my Red Velvet Cake for another delicious cake recipe!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Cake Flour: Cake flour gives cake a fine crumb. It is lower in protein than all-purpose flour, which gives baked goods a delicate, tender crumb.
Food Coloring: I needed 6-7 drops of red food coloring for a soft pink color. You could also use pink food coloring if that is what you have on hand. You can add as much or as little food coloring as you prefer depending the color that you want to achieve.
Confectioners’ Sugar: Yes, the whipped buttercream calls for 7 cups of confectioners’ sugar. However, you could use as little as 3 1/2 cups if you want to use less sugar. Keep in mind that you will likely need to adjust the amount of milk down as well if using less sugar.
Can I Make Pink Velvet Cake Ahead of Time?
Cake
- To make the cake ahead of time, try adding simple syrup to the baked cake to make sure it stays moist and delicious. Once the cake is cooled, level it and add about 1-2 tablespoons of simple syrup per layer.
- Store the cake for 3-5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or in a labeled and dated airtight freezer-safe container for up to 2 months in the freezer.
Buttercream
- The buttercream will last up to 2 weeks stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- To freeze, place the frosting into a labeled and dated airtight, freezer-safe container or bag. If stored properly, it will last up to 3 months. When ready to use, allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then re-whip it if necessary.
Storing & Freezing Cake
- This cake can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To freeze, place the frosted cake in an airtight, freezer-safe container and store for up to 3 months. Allow the cake to thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
Pink Velvet Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 cups (300 g) cake flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup (245 g) whole milk, room temperature
- ½ cup (109 g) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6-7 drops red food coloring
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 7 cups (875 g) confectioners' sugar
- 5 tablespoons (75 g) whole milk, or enough to reach desired consistency, room temperature
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray 2, 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter. Cream until pale in color (about 2 minutes).
- Add the sugar to the creamed butter and mix for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next one.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
- In another bowl, combine the milk, oil, and vanilla.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternate between adding the flour mixture and the milk mixture to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until the ingredients are fully incorporated, adding your desired amount of food coloring.
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer.
- Pour the batter equally between the two cake pans. Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning them over onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Vanilla Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
- Add vanilla and almond extract.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add confectioners' sugar, milk, and salt, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Once the ingredients have been incorporated, whip the frosting on medium-high for 3-7 minutes.
- If frosting is too thick to spread, gradually beat in additional milk until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Cover the cooled cakes in a layer of frosting, putting it between the layers and around the outside of the cake. Slice and serve.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
Could I add strawberry jam to this batter for a subtle strawberry flavour and if so how/how much?
I was thinking of warming up a couple tbs – 1/4 cup of jam and mixing it into the milk. Or would the jam make the batter too heavy?
You could always warm up some jam and brush that “jam glaze” over the top of the cakes out of the oven! 🙂