Blue velvet cake is a delicious twist on the more traditional red velvet cake. It is typically served with a cream cheese-based icing, but you can also make it with a basic, marshmallow icing instead. Once you know the basics of making a blue velvet cake, you can experiment with your own variations, such as a lighter shade of blue, a darker shade of blue, or even ombre!
Ingredients
Cake [1] X Research source
- 2 cups (450 grams) white sugar
- 1 cup (225 grams/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon (7.5 grams) cocoa powder
- 1 ounce (30 milliliters) royal blue gel paste food color
- 2 drops violet gel paste food color
- 2½ cups (300 grams) cake flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) vinegar
Basic Icing (Option 1) [2] X Research source
- 1 jar (7 ounces/198 grams) marshmallow crème
- 1 cup (225 grams/2 sticks) butter, softened
- 2½ cups (315 grams) confectioners' sugar
- â…› teaspoon salt
Cream Cheese Icing (Option 2) [3] X Research source
- 1 package (8 ounces/226 grams) cream cheese
- ½ cup (115 grams/1 stick) butter, softened
- 1 jar (7 ounces/198 grams) marshmallow crème
- 1 box (16 ounces/454 grams) confectioners' sugar
- 1 cup (60 grams) shredded coconut
- 1 cup (125 grams) chopped pecans
Steps
Part 1
Part 1 of 4:
Making the Cake
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Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and prepare your baking pans. Using butter or cooking spray, lightly grease the bottom and sides of three 8-inch (20.32-centimeter) round cake pans. Lightly dust the inside with flour, then tap out the excess. [4] X Research source
- Consider using spring-form cake pans. This will make the cakes easier to remove.
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Cream the sugar and butter until they turn light and fluffy. You can do this in a mixing bowl using a handheld mixer. You can also do it in a food processor or in a stand mixer. #* If the butter is still too hard, consider cutting it into smaller cubes first.Advertisement -
Mix in the eggs one at a time, then set the batter aside. Beat the batter well after each egg you add. You do not want any streaks or swirls of egg yolk.
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Mix the cocoa powder and food coloring separately. In a small bowl, stir together the royal blue and violet gel paste food coloring. You can do this using a fork or a mini whisk. Once the color is even, stir in the cocoa powder. [5] X Research source
- The violet food coloring will help tone down any green tones in your cake, giving you a nice, royal blue color. If you leave the violet food coloring out, your cake will be green-tinted.
- You can leave out the violet food coloring, but your cake may end up looking more turquoise instead.
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Stir the cocoa mixture into the sugar and butter mixture. Keep stirring until everything is evenly combined, and there are no streaks or swirls of color. Set the mixture aside when you are done.
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Sift the flour and salt together in a separate bowl. Do not add it into the sugar and butter mixture just yet. You will be adding it gradually alongside the buttermilk.
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Gradually add the flour mixture and the buttermilk into the sugar and butter mixture. Add in a little bit of the flour mixture first, stir, then add in a little bit of the buttermilk. Keep doing this until you use up all of your flour and buttermilk.
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Stir in the vanilla extract. Vanilla extract can sometimes alter the color of a cake. It should not be too noticeable, but if this really bothers you, opt for clear vanilla extract instead.
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Stir together the baking soda and vinegar, then add the mixture into the batter. Combine the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl or cup first. The baking soda will fizz once you add the vinegar, which is natural. Once the fizzing has died down, stir the mixture into the batter.
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Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans, and bake for 25 minutes. The cakes are ready when the tops spring back when lightly touched. Another way to test for doneness is to poke a toothpick into the center of the cake; if the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. [6] X Research source
- Try to bake everything on the same rack If you have a small oven, you may need to bake your cakes on separate racks. If you choose to do this, rotate them every 8 minutes or so, so that they all bake evenly.
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Remove the cakes from the oven, and let them cool completely. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes first, then take them out of the pans. Chill the cakes in the fridge for at least 2 hours. The cakes must be completely cool before you frost them. If you frost them too soon, the icing will melt. [7] X Research sourceAdvertisement
Part 2
Part 2 of 4:
Making Basic Icing (Option 1)
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Put the marshmallow crème into a large microwave-safe bowl. The bowl needs to be big enough to fit the rest of your ingredients, including the butter and sugar.
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Heat the marshmallow crème in the microwave on high for 15 to 20 seconds. You only want to soften the crème, not cook it or melt it. [8] X Research source
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Add in the butter, then beat it until everything is smooth. You can do this using a medium speed setting and a handheld beater, a stand mixer, or even a food processor.
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Add the confectioners' sugar and salt. Continue beating the mixture until the icing turns smooth. You are now ready to start frosting your cake.Advertisement
Part 3
Part 3 of 4:
Making Cream Cheese Icing (Option 2)
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Add the marshmallow crème into a microwave-safe bowl. Make sure that the bowl is big enough to fit the rest of your ingredients, including the cream cheese, butter, and sugar.
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Heat the marshmallow crème until it softens. You only want to soften the crème, not cook it or melt it. About 15 to 20 seconds on high will be plenty.
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Beat the cream cheese and butter together until they are evenly combined, then add them to the marshmallow crème. [9] X Research source In a separate bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until they are evenly combined. You can do this using a handheld beater, a stand mixer, or even a food processor.
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Fold the cream cheese mixture into the marshmallow crème using a rubber spatula. [10] X Research source Keep folding until the ingredients are just mixed, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl often. Do not overdo this, however, or the icing will lose its "fluffiness."
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Stir in the confectioners' sugar gradually. This will help everything mix in easier and give you a smoother texture. Be sure the scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl often so that everything mixes in evenly.
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Fold in the nuts and shredded coconut, if desired. If you do no like nuts of coconut, you can omit this step. Your icing is now ready to spread over your cake!Advertisement
Part 4
Part 4 of 4:
Finishing and Assembling the Cake
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Trim the tops off of the cake layers, if necessary. If your cakes are all relatively flat on top, you do not need to do this. If they have bumps, however, you may wish to trim these off with a knife or a piece of thread. [11] X Research source
- Save the tops for munching on later. You can also turn them into delicious blue velvet cake pops.
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Place a cake layer, top-side-down on a serving plate. If you trimmed the tops off of your cakes, make sure that you are using the untrimmed cake layer. The bump should be flat against the plate, and the bottom part should be sticking up.
- To make clean-up easier: place four 2-inch (5.08-centimeter) wide strips of parchment paper or wax paper your plate to form a square. Place your cake on top, so that the strips are partly visible. They will help keep your plate clean while you decorate. [12] X Research source
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Place the second layer on top, and spread another â…“ cup (75 grams) of frosting. If you trimmed your cake layers, place the cake cut-side-down. This will reduce the amount of crumbs that get mixed into the frosting. If the second layer goes on crooked, use your hands to gently center it before you add the frosting.
- Once again, if your cake is dry, gently brush it with a pastry brush to get rid of any loose crumbs.
- To prevent the second cake layer from breaking, consider picking it up using a large, offset spatula. [15] X Research source
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Place the third, and final layer, on top. Do not coat it with frosting yet. You can, however, brush the entire cake once more using a pastry brush. This will help get rid of any loose crumbs.
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Prepare the crumb coat by diluting â…“ to ½ cup (75 to 115 grams) of icing with some milk. You want to add just enough milk so that the icing becomes easily spread-able. The crumb coat helps seal in any crumbs, and makes your icing look smoother and neater. This is especially important considering your cake is blue and your icing is white. [16] X Research source
- If you are short on time, you can move on to frosting the rest of your cake using an offset spatula.
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Apply two layers of the diluted icing, letting each layer set before adding the next. Use an offset spatula to coat the entire cake with a thin layer of the diluted frosting. Let the cake chill in the fridge for 15 minutes before adding a second coat. [17] X Research source Once you have added the second coat, let the cake chill for another 15 minutes in the fridge. This sets the crumb coat.
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Use an offset spatula to coat the cake with the rest of the icing. Do the top of the cake first, then the sides. For added texture, gently tap the top of the cake with the back of a spoon to create "peaks."
- Consider placing the cake on a decorator's turntable. Spin the turntable as you frost the sides. This will make the coat more even. [18] X Research source
- If you added parchment/wax paper strips under your cake, carefully pull them out once you are done.
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Serve the cake. If you have any leftovers, cover the cake loosely with some plastic wrap, and store it in the fridge.Advertisement
Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow do you decorate velvet cake?Mathew Rice has worked in restaurant pastry kitchens across the country since the late 1990's, and currently owns Pink Door Cookies in Nashville. His creations have been featured in Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Weddings. In 2016, Eater named Mathew one of the top 18 chefs to follow on Instagram. In 2018, he appeared in season 18 of the Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay and won his episode.You could color the icing. If you opt to leave the frosting plain, consider decorating with an assortment of blue sprinkles in different shades and styles.
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Tips
- If you wish to get an ombre effect, mix all of the cake ingredients together, except for the food coloring. Divide the batter into three equal parts, then stir in the food coloring into each one. Vary the amounts of food coloring so that you have a light blue cake, a medium blue cake, and a dark blue cake. Pour each of these batters into separate pans. [19] X Research sourceThanks
- Omit the violet food coloring to get more of a turquoise-blue color.Thanks
- If you really love blue, consider mixing a drop or two of blue food coloring into the icing.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- Electric mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Rubber spatula
- Sieve
- 3 8-inch (20.32-centimeter) cake pans (spring-form recommended)
- Serrated knife
- Serving plate
- Offset cake decorating spatula
- Cake decorator's turntable (optional)
- Parchment paper or wax paper (optional)
References
- ↑ http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/blue-velvet-cake-recipe2.html
- ↑ http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/royal-blue-velvet-cake/bce7c4e4-8c6a-49cd-ac3f-9fe629722d9c
- ↑ http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/blue-velvet-cake-recipe2.html
- ↑ http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/blue-velvet-cake-recipe2.html
- ↑ http://addapinch.com/blue-velvet-cake-baby-shower-for-picky-palate/
- ↑ http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/blue-velvet-cake-recipe2.html
- ↑ http://cooking.nytimes.com/guides/20-how-to-frost-a-cake
- ↑ http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/royal-blue-velvet-cake/bce7c4e4-8c6a-49cd-ac3f-9fe629722d9c
- ↑ http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/blue-velvet-cake-recipe2.html
- ↑ http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/blue-velvet-cake-recipe2.html
- ↑ http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/royal-blue-velvet-cake/bce7c4e4-8c6a-49cd-ac3f-9fe629722d9c
- ↑ http://cooking.nytimes.com/guides/20-how-to-frost-a-cake
- ↑ http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/royal-blue-velvet-cake/bce7c4e4-8c6a-49cd-ac3f-9fe629722d9c
- ↑ http://cooking.nytimes.com/guides/20-how-to-frost-a-cake
- ↑ http://cooking.nytimes.com/guides/20-how-to-frost-a-cake
- ↑ http://cooking.nytimes.com/guides/20-how-to-frost-a-cake
- ↑ http://cooking.nytimes.com/guides/20-how-to-frost-a-cake
- ↑ http://cooking.nytimes.com/guides/20-how-to-frost-a-cake
- ↑ http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/vanilla-winter-cake-with-gushers/dcafffe3-2d02-4ee1-bf50-33e02e3423d2
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