Red Velvet Cake Tips

red velvet cake
Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I wanted to bake a red velvet cake for our family Christmas meal this year and, while searching for red velvet cake tips, I came across a recipe on the Sugar Geek Show website. The cake looked absolutely stunning and sounded delicious, so I decided to give it a try. While the original recipe called for buttercream frosting, I opted for cream cheese frosting. I followed the cake recipe as closely as possible and was more than pleased with how it turned out—it was everything I hoped for!

Now, let me be honest—my cake doesn’t look anything like the masterpiece from the Sugar Geek Show! But after learning more about Liz Marek, the creator behind Sugar Geek Show, I didn’t feel bad at all. Liz is a professional artist and expert cake decorator, so it’s no surprise her layers are flawless and her frosting is absolute perfection. She offers tons of free recipes and tutorials (as well as some you can purchase), so if you’re visiting her site for the Doctored Red Velvet Cake recipe, be sure to take some time to browse around!

Tips & a Few Subs for the Red Velvet Cake Batter

  • Cake Mix: I found the Betty Crocker Delights Super Moist Red Velvet Cake Mix at Walmart.
  • Plain Flour: Self-rising flour worked so I left out the salt and baking soda.
  • Room Temperature: Not sure if it made any difference or not, but I followed those directions.
  • Super Red Food Coloring: Wasn’t available at Walmart, so I used a couple of teaspoons of Wilton Red-Red.
  • Pan Preparation: Lining the pans with parchment paper and spraying them with cooking spray ensured the cakes turned out cleanly. Once out of the oven, I cooled them on cake racks in preparation to decorate them the next day.
  • Keeping Batter Evenly Between 3 Pans: Use a ladle to spoon the batter into the pans. I like to put a spoonful in each pan and keep repeating so that each pan has the same amount.
  • Baking Flat Layers: I’m open to suggestions. There may be a trick to this but the only thing that helps mine is to tap the pans on the countertop once they are filled with batter. This allows tiny air bubbles to escape. If they still puff up in the center, shave that off with a long-blade knife and hope for the best.

Cream Cheese Frosting

When I first saw the image of the red velvet cake with it’s beautiful three layers, I thought no way those three layers came from one cake mix. But after reading the ingredients for the batter I saw that it had a good bit of “doctoring” up! So I figured I had better increase the amount of my frosting. So I made a batch and a half. Next time, I’ll probably just double the recipe. Better to have too much, than just barely enough.

  • 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (room temp)
  • 1 1/2 8 oz block cream cheese (room temp, block style, not the whipped)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon white vanilla flavoring
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 cups confectioners sugar

Mixing the Frosting

Combine the softened butter, cream cheese in a stand mixer or hand mixer. Cream until smooth and no lumps. Add the salt, and vanilla and beat again. Add the sugar slowly just a couple of spoonfuls at a time.

Decorating the Red Velvet Cake

I browsed some Pinterest images and picked up a few red velvet cake tips for decorating. One idea that caught my eye was the red cake crumbs around the bottom edge of the cake. However, the slivers I shaved off the layers were much too moist to crumble. Since I planned to decorate the next day, I thought they might dry out overnight, but they didn’t.

To fix this, I turned the oven to a low setting, placed the cake slivers (minus the ones I snacked on!) in a shallow pan, and let them sit for a few minutes. I didn’t want them to toast, just dry out enough to crumble—and it worked!

I also worried about running out of frosting, but everything worked out in the end. While my frosting wasn’t flawless, it was good enough! I pressed the cooled crumbs onto the sides of the cake and dusted a little cocoa powder on top for a finishing touch.

To keep the cake plate clean, I slipped pieces of wax paper under the edges of the cake before decorating and pulled them out once finished. Here’s a link to more details about that handy tip!

Quick Tip for Frosting a Cake

Bringing It All Together

Making a special cake can feel a bit intimidating, but with a great recipe and red velvet cake tips it’s absolutely doable—and so rewarding! From preparing the batter to perfecting the frosting, every step adds to the magic of this classic dessert. Whether it’s for a special occasion or just because, a homemade red velvet cake is always worth the effort.

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