Description
This Easy Pink Velvet Cake is a delightful twist on the classic red velvet, featuring a subtle cocoa flavor and a charming pink hue achieved with gel food coloring. Moist and tender, this cake is perfect for celebrations or any occasion where a beautiful, flavorful dessert is desired. The recipe includes a fluffy cake base and a rich, creamy frosting made from egg whites and butter, ensuring a luscious finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 2 ¾ cups cake flour (316g)
- 1 tablespoon natural unsweetened cocoa powder (6g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (113g)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300g)
- ¾ – 1 teaspoon pink gel food coloring
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature (240mL)
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Frosting
- 3 large egg whites (about 90-100g)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (170g)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350° F (175° C) to prepare for baking the cake.
- Prepare Pans: Butter a 9 x 13 baking pan (or three 6-inch round baking pans or two 8-inch round pans). Line the bottoms with parchment paper and butter again, especially if you plan to lift the cake out after baking. If serving directly from the 9 x 13 pan, the parchment can be omitted.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Set this dry mixture aside.
- Cream Butter, Sugar & Color: Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, granulated sugar, and pink gel food coloring on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until well combined. The mixture should be thick due to the sugar to butter ratio. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add Eggs: Beat in eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, white vinegar, and vanilla extract.
- Combine Dry & Wet: With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the sifted dry ingredients and the buttermilk mixture to the creamed butter and sugar, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Begin with about a third of the dry, then half the wet, another third of the dry, the remaining wet, and then finish with the last dry portion. Stop mixing while a few streaks of flour remain and fold them in gently using a spatula to avoid overmixing. Assess the color and add additional pink gel food coloring during the second wet addition if desired.
- Bake the Cake: For a 9 x 13 pan, spread the batter evenly and bake for 25-35 minutes. For layered cakes, divide batter equally among either three 6-inch pans or two 8-inch pans and bake 25-35 minutes. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the Cake: Cool the cakes in the pans on a wire rack until room temperature. For the 9 x 13 cake, chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to help firm it before removing from the pan. For layer cakes, remove from pans after 10-15 minutes and cool completely on wire racks.
- Prepare Frosting: (Not detailed in the original instructions but required) Whip egg whites with sugar and kosher salt over a double boiler until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm, then beat in room temperature butter gradually and vanilla extract to form a smooth, fluffy buttercream.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients for best mixing and texture results.
- Adjust pink gel food coloring to get the desired shade; start with less and add more as needed.
- Do not overmix the batter after adding flour to keep the cake tender.
- For the 9 x 13 cake, chilling before removing from pan ensures the cake holds its shape.
- The frosting method involves making a Swiss meringue-style buttercream, which requires careful temperature control.
- Make sure to test doneness with a toothpick to avoid over or under baking.
- Using parchment makes cake removal easier and prevents sticking.
