Description

This Easy Pink Velvet Cake recipe delivers a moist, tender cake with a subtle cocoa flavor and delightful pink hue. Perfect for celebrations or everyday indulgence, it features a light, fluffy crumb created by carefully creaming butter and sugar, folding in dry ingredients and buttermilk, and baking to perfection. The cake can be baked as a single sheet or in layers, versatile for various presentations.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

2 ¾ cups cake flour (316g)
1 tablespoon natural unsweetened cocoa powder (6g)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Cake Batter

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (113g)
1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300g)
¾ – 1 teaspoon pink gel food coloring
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature (240mL)
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Additional Ingredients (For Frosting/Whipped Mixture)

3 large egg whites (about 90-100g)
¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (170g)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

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Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350° F to ensure it’s ready for baking when the batter is prepared.
Prepare Baking Pans: Butter a 9 x 13-inch pan (or three 6-inch or two 8-inch round pans). Line the bottom with parchment paper if you plan to remove the cake from the pan after baking. Butter the parchment as well for easy release. Set aside.
Sift Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. This ensures even distribution and a light texture.
Cream Butter, Sugar, and Coloring: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, granulated sugar, and pink gel food coloring on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until well combined and thickened. Scrape down the bowl sides as needed.
Add Eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate measuring cup, combine buttermilk, white vinegar, and vanilla extract.
Alternate Adding Dry and Wet: With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture alternately, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Scrape the bowl sides after the first wet addition. Optionally add more pink food coloring with the second wet addition. Stop mixing when only a few streaks of flour remain and gently fold in the rest to avoid overmixing.
Fill and Bake: For a 9 x 13 pan, spread batter evenly and bake for 25-35 minutes. For layered cakes, divide batter equally into prepared pans and bake the same duration. Test doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center; it should come out with a few moist crumbs.
Cool Cake: Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack until completely cooled. For sheet cake, chilling for 30 minutes before removing from the pan helps maintain stability.

Notes

If using a 9 x 13 pan and serving directly, parchment paper can be omitted for easier cleanup.
Adjust pink gel food coloring amount to achieve your preferred shade of pink.
Be careful not to overmix the batter to keep the cake tender.
Chilling the cake before removing from the pan helps prevent breakage or folding.
This recipe can be baked as a sheet cake or in layers for versatility in presentation.