Red velvet cake with ermine frosting is the red velvet cake of the good old days. It’s not weighed down with heavy cream cheese but paired with the most delicate whipped ermine frosting. The combination is delicious!
I used to have a love-hate relationship with red velvet cake. I loved to eat it. But it hated me. I’ve failed at baking it so many times I’ve lost count.
This was the recipe that changed everything. Now I can successfully make red velvet cake and know it will be a hit every single time.
What went wrong
Let’s get real for a second – red velvet cake is not for the fainthearted.
One time my cake turned very brown – too little red food colour. So for my next try I added more food colouring.
That made the batter too runny that I’ve had to scoop the collapsed remnants out of the pan (and straight into the garbage bin).
Don’t even get me started on the cream cheese frosting.
First it won’t stiffen to the proper consistency – my cream cheese and butter were always too soft.
Or I thought it did, only to find it flowing like soup from within my layers like sweet, white, evil lava (now this is just wrong).
(I’m still not very good at cream cheese frosting so I usually make Swiss Meringue Buttercream instead.)
Keys for success
Happily, I’ve gotten over that dark period in my red velvet baking life and can now share two important tips so you can successfully bake red velvet cake too.
- Use gel food colour
. Stay away from the liquid ones – they are just not red enough so you’d tend to use more which affects the total liquid in your batter (and you’d get a strange aftertaste too). - Measure your ingredients using a kitchen scale if you can. Baking is a science after all. They’re pretty inexpensive and will improve your baking more than any other kitchen gadget (though I think it’s tied with an oven thermometer – also cheap!)
. Stay away from the liquid ones – they are just not red enough so you’d tend to use more which affects the total liquid in your batter (and you’d get a strange aftertaste too).
if you can. Baking is a science after all. They’re pretty inexpensive and will improve your baking more than any other kitchen gadget (though I think it’s tied with an 
– also cheap!)Red velvet cake with ermine frosting
Also, try pairing your cake with ermine frosting instead of cream cheese frosting. It’s less finicky than cream cheese frosting and lighter too.
What is it exactly? It’s one of those classic recipes that our grandmas hold near and dear. And it is actually the original icing paired with red velvet cake.
It’s essentially flour and milk whisked until the mixture resembles thick pudding. This pudding then becomes the base for your buttercream.
Ermine frosting or boiled milk frosting or roux frosting
It’s called so many names but it’s really the same thing. And what is it like?
Light with the consistency of whipped cream.
Not too sweet – just the kind that makes you want more.
And It works so well with red velvet cake. No wonder they were the OG lol.
Not your typical red velvet cake…better!
This is definitely not the red velvet cake we’re used to but I think I absolutely like this version better. It’s just so unique; hope you give it a try and like it too!
Red Velvet Cake with Ermine Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
Red Velvet Cake
- 2 ¼ cups cake flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 0.70 oz gel red food colour
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vinegar
Ermine Frosting
- 5 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Red Velvet Cake
- Pre-heat oven to 350F. Grease 2 9-inch baking pans then put greased parchment paper at the bottom for easy release.
- In a medium sized bowl, sift 2 ¼ cups cake flour, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons cocoa powder. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream ½ cup butter and 1 ½ cups sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
- Add the eggs one at a time until combined.
- In a separate bowl, add your red food colour to 1 cup buttermilk and stir until combined.
- Switch to low speed and add a third of your flour mixture into the batter, then half of your buttermilk, then another third of the flour, the last of the buttermilk, then finally putting in the rest of the flour making sure each addition is fully combined before adding in the next. Scrape the bottom and sides of your bowl as needed.
- Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and stir until you see no more streaks of flour in the batter. Remove the bowl from stand mixer, if using.
- In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon baking soda with 1 teaspoon vinegar. Once the mixture foams and bubbles, quickly fold it into your cake batter.
- Pour the batter into your prepared baking pans and bake for 24-30 minutes or until the cakes start to pull away from the sides of the pans and when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Take out from oven and cool on a rack for about 15 minutes or until the pans are cool enough to handle. Then remove the cakes from pans, remove the parchment paper from the cakes and let cool completely on the racks before frosting.
Ermine Frosting
- In a medium sized sauce pan, combine 5 tablespoons flour and 1 cup milk and constantly stir over medium heat until very thick, like pudding (8-10 minutes).
- Remove from heat, place plastic wrap on top and cool to room temperature. Then transfer it to the fridge and chill for 1 hour.
- Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream 1 cup sugar, 1 cup butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract on medium high speed until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes).
- Add the completely cool flour mixture and continue beating until you get the consistency of whipped cream (3-5 minutes).
- Fill, frost and decorate cake as desired.
Video
Notes
- While you can serve this cake immediately, it is at its best after at least a couple of hours in the fridge. Then let stand in room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.
- See post for more baking tips.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Happy baking!
Did you make red velvet cake with ermine frosting? How’d you like it? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.
Looking for other celebration cakes? Try these:
- London Fog Cake with Earl Grey Buttercream
- Rainbow Cake
- Lemon Curd Layer Cake with Lemon Curd Filling and Lemon Buttercream
- Funfetti Cake
The rest of the cake recipes are here.
Jessica Bradshaw
So interesting. I have never had red velvet cake without the cream cheese frosting. This sounds perfect. Your photos are gorgeous too. Im craving red velvet cake now.
Jolina
It tastes different for sure, but nice different 🙂
Kristyn
This looks so delicious. I want to make this soon maybe for Valentines. It is awesome that you shared your mistakes and what you learned from it so that we can make hopefully a perfect one just like you did.
Jazmin Williams
Looking at those photos and reading this post when I’m meant to be healthy eating is TORTURE! Looks absolutely delicious, though. Will have to try and make at some point for a special occasion.
Jakub Husek
This looks delicious! I absolutely love red velvet cake and will give this one a go! Thanks for sharing it!
AnnMarie John
Congratulations for mastering this recipe! I’m not sure I can but with your tips I’d definitely give it a try. I wouldn’t say that I love red velvet, but it would be nice to make it for the family or during gatherings!
Stephanie
I love red velvet cake, and with all the baking I’ve done, I’ve never tried to make one before. My husband and I both enjoy it so much our wedding cake was red velvet! I definitely agree that the gel food colors are the way to go, that’s all I will use.
Jolina
Gel is so much more vibrant and you need less of it.
Nefeli
Yummu. Looks so delicious and perfectly described. Nice work
Marjie Mare
That is a creamy and delicious red velvet cake. I am looking at the picture and can literally taste it.
Marcela
I’ve never tried to bake red velvet cake, I’m sure that the cake would hate me too. This is unique cake, and the color is amazing. I’m glade to hear that you haven’t given up on it. I don’t think I’d try to bake one 😀
Scott
Red velvet is my wife all-time favorite flavor. This would make a great Valentine’s Day gift for her – guess I’d better go get the ingredients!
Jolina
That would be a nice surprise 🙂
Taria Shondell
I am a hardcore cream cheese frosting fan… so it took a lot for me to read this post! Just kidding. This actually looks really really good! I may attempt to try it!
Jolina
Hahaha I love cream cheese too but man so much heartache frosting with it! Thanks Taria! If I find out you like this that would totally make my day 🙂
Crystal
Yum yum yum! Red velvet cake is my absolute favorite cake and this so darn delicious. Can I come over? LOL
Jolina
Anytime haha! 🙂 Thanks Crystal.
Jessica Harlow
Red Velvet is one of my favorite guilty-pleasures! I love how your red velvet is such a deep red too!
Jolina
Thanks Jessica! I think the cocoa I used has a lot to do with the rich dark colour 🙂
Mary
This loos delicious. I’ve never hear of ermine frosting…what exactly does it taste like?
Jolina
Hi Mary! You know. I thought long and hard about this one. Conclusion: it’s really unlike any frosting I’ve ever had. It’s light, not too sweet, awesome texture. It’s indescribable! To taste is to believe. It is absolutely delicious is all I can say!
Kim
This a my family’s favorite frosting
Jolina
It’s pretty awesome isn’t it? Easy to make and not too sweet 🙂
Surekha
Red velvet and vanilla frosting sounds like a heaven to me. They both are my favorite flavors. pinning it
Jolina
Thanks for the pin Surekha! Have a wonderful day!