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Pink Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting Recipe

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★★★★★

4.5 from 55 reviews

This Pink Velvet Cake recipe features tender, moist cake layers in varying shades of pink, layered and frosted with a creamy, smooth cream cheese buttercream. Perfect for celebrations and special occasions, this cake is beautifully decorated with piped heart details in three different pink hues. The recipe includes detailed steps for making the cake layers, frosting, and assembling a stunning multi-layered cake.

Ingredients

Scale

Pink Velvet Cake Layers

  • 3 cups cake flour (360g)
  • 3 cups granulated sugar (600g)
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder (10g)
  • 1 tsp fine salt (6g)
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (226g)
  • 1 cup egg whites or carton egg whites, room temperature (235g)
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature (360g)
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil (30g)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (4g)
  • Pink gel food coloring (as needed)

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

  • 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature (452g)
  • 1 cup cream cheese, room temperature (226g)
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (12g)
  • 1 tsp fine salt (6g)
  • 11 cups powdered sugar (1375g)
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature (60g)
  • Pink gel food coloring (as needed)

Instructions

  1. Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line four 7-inch or three 8-inch cake pans with parchment rounds and grease them with non-stick spray or homemade cake pan release.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a mixer bowl, combine cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt with a paddle attachment or hand mixer until fully blended.
  3. Add Butter: Slowly incorporate the room temperature unsalted butter on low speed until mixture resembles moist sand without large butter chunks.
  4. Add Egg Whites: Pour in the egg whites and mix on low until just incorporated, scraping bowl sides as needed.
  5. Add Liquids and Vanilla: Mix in buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract on low speed until combined. Scrape the bowl and beat on medium for 30 seconds for a light texture; batter will be thin.
  6. Color Batter: For four 7-inch layers, divide batter evenly into two bowls (~900g each). Tint one light pink and the other deeper pink with gel food coloring. Pour into pans evenly. For three 8-inch layers, divide into two portions (two light pink and one darker pink).
  7. Bake: Bake for 33-37 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs. Rotate pans halfway through baking for even results.
  8. Cool Cakes: Let pans cool 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around pan edges. Freeze layers for 30 minutes to speed cooling. Carefully remove cakes from pans once cooled.
  9. Level Cakes: Use a serrated knife to level tops and trim caramelized edges. Optionally, torte layers horizontally for thinner cakes. Wrap and freeze if preparing ahead.
  10. Prepare Frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed for 30 seconds until smooth. Add vanilla extract and salt on low speed. Gradually add powdered sugar and heavy cream on low until desired consistency is reached. Adjust with additional cream or sugar as needed. Cover and set aside to prevent crusting.
  11. Assemble Cake: Place first cake layer on a greaseproof board using a dab of frosting to secure. Spread an even layer of buttercream between each layer with an offset spatula.
  12. Crumb Coat and Chill: Apply a thin crumb coat to cover the cake. Smooth with a bench scraper and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or freezer for 10 minutes until firm.
  13. Final Frosting Layer: Apply a thicker layer of frosting, smoothing the sides carefully with a bench scraper for a polished look.
  14. Color and Pipe Decorations: Divide remaining frosting into three portions. Tint with varying shades of pink gel color. Place each color in separate piping bags fitted with round tips. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter as a guide to pipe hearts around the cake with each color. Swap to a smaller tip to pipe dots and smaller hearts filling gaps.
  15. Serve or Store: Enjoy immediately or store the cake at room temperature for a few hours, or refrigerate up to one week. Thaw refrigerated cake for about 15 minutes before serving for best texture.

Notes

  • For consistent cake layer heights, use a kitchen scale to evenly distribute the batter between pans.
  • Torting the layers for thinner cakes is optional but creates a more elegant multi-layer effect.
  • The frosting consistency can be adjusted with additional cream or powdered sugar depending on humidity and temperature.
  • Chilling the cake after crumb coating helps achieve smooth final frosting and easier decorating.
  • Gel food coloring is preferred for vibrant color without altering the batter consistency.
  • Use a serrated knife gently to avoid tearing when leveling and torting cakes.
  • Room temperature ingredients ensure smooth batter and frosting without lumps.

Keywords: Pink Velvet Cake, Cream Cheese Buttercream, Layer Cake, Valentine's Cake, Pink Cake, Celebration Cake

Find it online: https://www.cheftara.com/pink-velvet-cake-with-cream-cheese-buttercream-frosting-recipe/