By now many people know the purported origin story of red velvet cake—a nerdy tale involving a chemical reaction between natural cocoa powder and baking soda. While that may have been the case in ancient times, the red velvet of this century is defined by its startling color, a fire engine red so bright it stains your tongue for hours. Somewhere along the way the flavor began to matter less than the hue. Red velvet was no longer just a cake—it was a lifestyle. It was a cheesecake, an air freshener, a candle to be lit while you luxuriate in the bath. And this is a shame because red velvet wants to be more, to do better, to go beyond just being a vehicle for cream cheese frosting and red dye 40.
Here then is our apogee of red velvet cake. It’s red, yes, but subtly so, like the flocked lining of a luxury bag. Most importantly, it tastes perceptibly of chocolate. Nothing like the bitter intensity of fancy dark chocolate, more like the warming milkiness of hot cocoa in a cup. Unsweetened chocolate proves to be a winner: The cocoa butter in the chocolate makes the cake extra fudgy and rich, with just the right amount of squishiness. We like Guittard, Ghirardelli, or Lindt.
Bleached all-purpose flour is an absolute imperative. In a cake as soft and tender as this one, with a higher amount of sugar than flour (called a high-ratio cake in professional circles), only bleached flour can absorb and withstand the extra moisture. With unbleached flour, the cake will be dense, bearing a visible band of gumminess toward the bottom.
The amount of cream cheese frosting, lightened by a generous pour of heavy cream, is modest, designed to show off the cake. Double up if you prefer a thicker blanket of icing.
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Ingredients
12 servings
Cake
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
3
oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
¾
cup sour cream
1
Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. liquid red food coloring
2
tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
2
tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
2
cups (250 g) bleached all-purpose flour
1¾
cups (packed; 350 g) light brown sugar
1
tsp. baking powder
1
tsp. baking soda
¾
cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1″ pieces, room temperature
3
large eggs, lightly beaten to blend
Frosting and Assembly
8
oz. cream cheese, room temperature
½
cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2
tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1
tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt
1
cup (110 g) powdered sugar
¼
cup chilled heavy cream
Flaky sea salt and sprinkles (for serving; optional)
Preparation
Cake
Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Lightly coat bottom and sides of a 13×9″ metal baking pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper. Place 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped, in a medium bowl. Pour 1 cup boiling water over chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Add ¾ cup sour cream, 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. liquid red food coloring, 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract; whisk to combine.
Step 2
Beat 2 cups (250 g) bleached all-purpose flour, 1¾ cups (packed; 350 g) light brown sugar, 1 tsp. baking powder, and 1 tsp. baking soda in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-low and beat in ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1″ pieces, room temperature until mixture resembles breadcrumbs, about 1 minute. Scrape in chocolate mixture and beat until batter is smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in 3 large eggs, lightly beaten to blend, in 3 additions, beating until incorporated between additions and scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed; batter should be smooth and creamy. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth surface with an offset spatula.
Step 3
Bake cake until set and top springs back when lightly pressed (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should register 200°), 35–40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cake cool in pan, about 1 hour. If you prefer to serve the cake unmolded, invert cooled cake onto rack and carefully peel away parchment, then invert cake, right side up, onto a platter.
Frosting and Assembly
Step 4
Beat 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature, ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, 2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the clean paddle attachment on medium-high speed, scraping down sides of bowl halfway through, until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Turn off mixer and add 1 cup (110 g) powdered sugar and ¼ cup chilled heavy cream. Starting on low speed and gradually increasing to medium, beat until frosting is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Step 5
Spread frosting evenly over top of cake, working all the way to the edges with an offset spatula. Using a spoon or offset spatula, create decorative divots and swirls in frosting if desired. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and sprinkles if desired.
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