Simple Red Velvet Cake Recipe! The perfect Christmas or Valentine’s Day Cake Recipe with Sugared Cranberries and Made from a Boxed Yellow Cake Mix!
I am SO excited to share this Simple Red Velvet Cake Recipe with you!
This double layered cake is the PERFECT Christmas Cake or Valentine’s Day Cake Recipe! Frosted with an amazing homemade cream cheese frosting, this cake is hard to beat!
Plus, here are even more Easy Holiday Desserts!
- Hot Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
- Triple Chocolate Cookies Recipe
- Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe
If you are making any of the above for Valentine’s Day, just switch out the holiday sprinkles for pink and hearts! 😉
To add a special touch to your Red Velvet Cake, make these sugared cranberries! They are easier than you think and make the cake look so pretty and festive!
Here is the Recipe for the Sugared Cranberries!
Plus, don’t forget the homemade cream cheese frosting too!
Red Velvet Cake Recipe
Cake Ingredients:
1 Box of Yellow Cake Mix (15.2 oz)
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup original sour cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter – melted
1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
4 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 bottle of red food coloring (1 oz)
Frosting Ingredients:
8 oz of cream cheese (1 bar) – softened
1 stick of unsalted butter – softened
1 teaspoons of vanilla
1 cup of powdered sugar
1 cup sugared cranberries for garnishing (directions below)
1/4 cup non-sugared cranberries for garnishing
Cake Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (will reduce to 325 before baking).
Combine the milk and lemon juice together and let sit for 10 minutes.
Using a hand mixer, mix the cake mix and the milk and lemon juice mixture together in a large mixing bowl.
Mix in sour cream and melted butter.
Add eggs and mix well.
Next, add the unsweetened baking cocoa and pure vanilla extract.
Once the batter is smooth, add the red food coloring and mix well.
Spray two 8” round cake pans with cooking spray and dust with flour.
Transfer batter evenly between two cake pans.
Reduce oven to 325 degrees and bake for 26-31 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted into the cake and comes out clean.
While the cake bakes, make your sugar cranberries.
Once your cakes are done, remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
While the cakes cool, make the frosting.
For the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter together.
Add the vanilla and mix well.
Slowly stir in the powdered sugar until smooth.
Put your first cake bottom down on the cake stand. You can put a little frosting on the cake stand before adding the cake.
Frost the first layer and then put the second layer top down. If your cake has a little dome, you may want to trim the dome off so it’s flat.
Frost cake and garnish with sugared cranberries and a few regular cranberries for an extra pop of red. Sprinkle any excess sugar mixture from cranberries on the top of the cake (optional).
Store cake in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese frosting. Remove cake 30-45 minutes before serving so that it can get soft.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Simple Red Velvet Cake Recipe!
Yield: 1 Double Layered 8" Cake
Simple Red Velvet Cake Recipe! The perfect Christmas Cake or Valentine's Day Cake Recipe with Sugared Cranberries and made from a Yellow Boxed Cake Mix!
Ingredients
- Cake Ingredients:
- 1 Box of Yellow Cake Mix (15.2 oz)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup original sour cream
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter - melted
- 1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 bottle of red food coloring (1 oz)
- Frosting Ingredients:
- 8 oz of cream cheese (1 bar) - softened
- 1 stick of unsalted butter - softened
- 1 teaspoons of vanilla
- 1 cup of powdered sugar
- 1 cup sugared cranberries for garnishing (directions below)
- 1/4 cup non-sugared cranberries for garnishing
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (will reduce to 325 before baking).
Combine the milk and lemon juice together and let sit for 10 minutes.
Using a hand mixer, mix the cake mix and the milk and lemon juice mixture together in a large mixing bowl.
Mix in sour cream and melted butter.
Add eggs and mix well.
Next, add the unsweetened baking cocoa and pure vanilla extract.
Once the batter is smooth, add the red food coloring and mix well.
Spray two 8” round cake pans with cooking spray and dust with flour.
Transfer batter evenly between two cake pans.
Reduce oven to 325 degrees and bake for 26-31 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted into the cake and comes out clean.
While the cake bakes, make your sugar cranberries.
Once your cakes are done, remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
While the cakes cool, make the frosting.
For the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter together.
Add the vanilla and mix well.
Slowly stir in the powdered sugar until smooth.
Put your first cake bottom down on the cake stand. You can put a little frosting on the cake stand before adding the cake.
Frost the first layer and then put the second layer top down. If your cake has a little dome, you may want to trim the dome off so it’s flat.
Frost cake and garnish with sugared cranberries and a few regular cranberries for an extra pop of red. Sprinkle any excess sugar mixture from cranberries on the top of the cake (optional).
Store cake in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese frosting. Remove cake 30-45 minutes before serving so that it can get soft.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
How is red velvet cake made?
Red velvet cake is made by adding buttermilk, lemon juice, or vinegar to create the acidic taste to the cake. You also need a LOT of red food dye. A full 1oz or more depending on what cake mix you are using. Hint the package of 4 colored food dyes is only .25 oz so you’d need 4 red ones! Get this 1 oz Red Food Coloring at Amazon for an easy cake!
What makes red velvet cake taste different?
The thing tat makes red velvet cake taste different is the acidic flavoring of the buttermilk. If you don’t have buttermilk, use milk + lemon juice or milk + white vinegar to create the same taste.
Can I use a chocolate cake mix instead of a yellow cake mix?
Yes! You can totally use a chocolate cake mix instead of yellow. Just omit the cocoa powder and don’t use a dark chocolate cake. Your cake may not be as deep of a red color, or you can use extra red food coloring.
If you are looking for another Christmas Dessert Recipe, these Triple Chocolate Cookies are SO GOOD and easy!
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