Festive Red Velvet Layer Cake with Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting
What is more festive for Christmas than a bright red velvet layer cake covered in delicious peppermint-y cream cheese frosting?! If you are looking for a fun holiday dessert that truly encompasses all of the flavors of the season, this red velvet layer cake is just the thing you need!
Ingredients
For the Red Velvet Layer Cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs (room temperature)
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup full-fat buttermilk (room temperature)
- 1 (1-oz) bottle of liquid red food coloring
- 1 tbsp distilled white vinegar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 oz. full-fat cream cheese (room temperature)
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 5½ cups powdered sugar
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 - 1½ tsp peppermint extract (use more if you want a stronger flavor)
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
For the Red Velvet Layer Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds. You can also spray with Pam for Baking, which is my favorite way to prep pans!
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Beat until just combined after each addition. Do not overmix.
- Stir in vinegar, vanilla and red food coloring. Divide batter evenly among the three pans.
- Bake for 28 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove the cake layers from the pans to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Once cakes are full cooled, use a serrated knife to level out cake layers. Reserve scraps to crumble on top of cake for a garnish.
- Prepare peppermint cream cheese frosting. Spread between the cake layers and then frost the outside of the layers with a thin coat of frosting (called a crumb coat). Put cake in freezer for 10 minutes to set the crumb coat.
- Continue frosting cake with remaining frosting. You may have some leftover frosting. If so, you can freeze and thaw for a different cake!
For the Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth (about 2 minutes).
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, peppermint extract and salt (to taste). Beat on low for 30 seconds and then increase the speed to high and beat for 3 minutes until completely combined and creamy. The frosting should be soft, but not runny. Add more powdered sugar if needed. Frost cake.
Notes
High Altitude Adjustments (please note, this recipe was tested at 5,800 feet)
- Decrease granulated sugar by 2 tbps.
- Increase flour by 2 tbsp.
- Decrease baking soda to 1/2 tsp.
- Increase baking temperature to 360° F
- Decrease baking time to 25 - 28 minutes