Pink Velvet Cake Recipe (from scratch!)
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Pink Velvet Cake is like the sweet, springy cousin of Red Velvet. No cocoa here – just soft vanilla cake with a gorgeous blush-pink color and a tangy cream cheese frosting that’s hard to resist.
It comes together in under an hour, which makes it a total win for Easter, Mother’s Day, or any spring celebration where you want something pretty and homemade without a ton of fuss.
Try my strawberry cake mix cookies, my butterfly cakes or a decadent chocolate bundt cake!
What is Pink Velvet?
Pink Velvet cake doesn’t include cocoa powder, unlike its cousin, red velvet cake. The flavor profile of pink velvet cake is more of a subtle vanilla taste rather than the hint of chocolate found in red velvet cake.
It’s perfect for birthdays or mother’s day or just when you want something sweet. In this blog post, we’ll show you how to make your very own pink velvet cake that’s so yummy, you’ll want to share it with everyone you know!
Best of all? It’s very easy to make!
Step-by-step photos and instructions are below, but you can jump right to the recipe card if you wish!
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Why you’ll love this recipe:
- I like this pretty in pink velvet cake for its vanilla flavor and soft tender crumb.
- It is way more simple to make than it looks! I love a cake that looks like it was difficult or complicated to make, but really isn’t! It can be made in under an hour.
- A great all-occasion cake. This is the perfect layer cake for serving at lots of different occasions and themes. Whether it’s a birthday cake, baby shower cake, or Valentine’s Day celebration, the pretty pink color will be well received!
Frequently Asked Questions
Red velvet is flavored with chocolate, pink velvet is flavored with vanilla. Red velvet cake is usually dyed red to overpower the cocoa’s brown color, while pink velvet cake uses less red dye for a lighter pink cake.
I like to use cream cheese frosting, since it pairs so well with the vanilla cake flavor. But, vanilla frosting is also amazing.
I have included step-by-step photos and instructions, as well as tips and tricks in the post. If you’d rather skip all that, scoot right on down to the full recipe card located at the bottom of the post.
Kylee’s Notes
It’s important not to over-mix the batter once the dry ingredients are added. I suggest either lowering the mixing speed to low or folding the dry ingredients in. It’s better to have a few lumps than a smooth batter.
If you use salted butter instead of unsalted butter, cut the added salt to 1/4 teaspoon.
You can make a larger cake, simple divide the batter in 2 instead of 3 and use bigger pans.
Can’t find cake flour? Measure out 3 cups of all-purpose flour, remove 6 tablespoons of flour, then add 6 tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift the mixture together at least 4 times.
No buttermilk? Mix 1 tablespoon of white vinegar into 1 cup of regular milk.
Decorating Tips
For the frosting rosettes on top, I used a large star tip and made an ‘e’ shape as I piped.
I used pink sugar sprinkles on top, and a few large, white pearl sprinkles, too.
Storage
Room temperature: Because of the cream cheese in the frosting, if the cake is frosted, do not let the cake sit at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.
Refrigerator: Cover the whole cake in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container, and chill the cake in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing instructions
Cover the cake in plastic wrap and foil, to prevent freezer burn, or store it in an airtight container, and store it in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw the cake overnight in the fridge before serving.
Recipe Ingredients and Possible Substitutes
The full list of ingredients and quantities is found in the printable recipe card below.
- Cake flour. Cake flour works best for velvet cake because it creates a finer, softer tender cake crumb. It develops less gluten, so the textures are softer and smoother than using all-purpose flour. Cake flour gives a tenderness to the cake crumb. No cake flour? Measure out 3 cups of all-purpose flour, remove 6 tablespoons of flour, then add 6 tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift the mixture together at least 4 times.
- Baking powder. Cake leavening agent.
- Butter. Butter should be soft for easy creaming. If you use salted butter, omit the added salt from the recipe.
- Sugar. Plain white granulated sugar.
- Eggs. I use large eggs, at room temperature. It’s important to have all of the ingredients at the same temperature for the best baking outcome.
- Vanilla extract. This is important! Use good quality extract as this is the main flavoring of the cake. Almond extract can of course be used, but it changes the flavor. I sometimes add clear raspberry extract and make a raspberry cake.
- Pink Food coloring. I used Wilton Gel Food Coloring in Rose to color the cake batter to a pretty pink color. Go easy! If you can’t find pink just use a small bit of red.
- Buttermilk. No buttermilk? Mix 1 tablespoon of white vinegar into 1 cup of whole milk.
- Frosting: Butter, cream cheese (I use full fat), powdered sugar (aka confectioners’ sugar) and vanilla. If you want to make pink frosting, just add a drop of red food coloring.
Recommended Equipment/Tools
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- 3 (8-inch) round cake pans
- Butter or shortening for greasing the pans
- Medium mixing bowl
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Large mixing bowl
- Offset spatula (not required, but it works great for spreading the frosting)
- Digital scale (not required, but it’s great for making sure the cake layers are equal)
How to make this recipe
Scroll for Recipe
This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. The full list of ingredients, quantities and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below.
Get prepped
Preheat the oven and grease the cake pans (you can also line with parchment paper if you prefer. Set aside.
Make the cake batter
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or use a hand held electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs one at a time.
Mix together the vanilla extract and food coloring, then alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk until just mixed. Lumps are okay.
Pour and bake
Add the batter equally to the three cake pans, and smooth out. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Remove from the oven allow the cake to rest 10 minutes. Remove from the pans and cool on a wire rack until completely cooled.
Make the frosting
While the cake layers bake, blend the butter and cream cheese, then add in the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and thick, then add the vanilla extract.
Decorate the cake
Place one of the cake layers on a cake stand or serving platter, and pipe frosting on top of the first layer of cake, using a spatula to even out the frosting evenly.
Add the second layer of cake on top, and repeat. Add the final layer, frost the top of the cake and sides of the cake carefully.
Decorated the frosted cake with sprinkles and extra frosting if you wish.
More delicious cake recipes:
- Oreo Cupcakes with Cookies & Cream Frosting
- Banana Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Buttercream.
- Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream
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Pink Velvet Cake
Equipment
- Hand Mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 cups cake flour see notes
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt see notes
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened, see notes
- 1 cup white sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon pink gel food coloring
- 1 cup buttermilk
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup butter softened
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 5-6 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Get prepped
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with shortening or butter and set them aside.
Make the cake batter
- Whisk the 3 cups cake flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a medium mixing bowl.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, cream the 1/2 cup unsalted butter and 1 cup white sugar with an electric mixer until it is light and fluffy.
- Add 3 large eggs, one at a time, and beat until the last egg has been thoroughly mixed. Do not over-mix the batter from this point forward.
- Mix in the 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon pink gel food coloring, then alternate adding half of the dry ingredients and half of the 1 cup buttermilk until everything is just mixed. It’s okay if there are some lumps.
Pour and bake
- Divide the batter equally between the three cake pans, and smooth it out evenly. Bake the cakes for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the layers comes out clean. Rest the cakes for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the layers and place them on a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to blend 1 cup butter and16 ounces cream cheese. Gradually mix in 5-6 cups powdered sugar until the frosting is smooth and thick, then add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Assembly
- Place one of the layers on a large plate, platter, or cake stand, and pipe about 1/4” of frosting on top. Use a spatula (an offset spatula works best) to spread out the frosting evenly, then place another cake layer on top. Frost that layer, too, then add the final cake layer on top and frost the top and the sides of the cake carefully to avoid having too many crumbs.
- Decorate the cake with pink sprinkles, if desired, and serve.
Notes
- If you use salted butter instead of unsalted butter, cut the added salt to 1/4 teaspoon.
- No cake flour? Measure out 3 cups of all-purpose flour, remove 6 tablespoons of flour, then add 6 tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift the mixture together at least 4 times.
- No buttermilk? Mix 1 tablespoon of white vinegar into 1 cup of regular milk.
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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About Kylee Ayotte
I am a born and raised New Zealander (a Kiwi), now living in Phoenix, Arizona. I’m happily married to the love of my life – a hot American boy I met while traveling the world. I’m a mama to 2 awesome little boys and love red things, rugby, cheesecake, and bacon. Mmmmm. Bacon. Meet Kylee
Can I make this cake in a 13/9 glass baking dish?
You could, but I have not done it. I would assume the baking times would change though.