This Single Layer Red Velvet Cake is the perfect small cake to enjoy solo, share with someone special, or gift as a surprise. It’s incredibly moist and tender, with a subtle chocolate note and a vivid red hue. Paired with a simple cream cheese frosting it’s truly delicious; for an even easier finish, dust with powdered sugar instead of frosting.
This single layer red velvet cake is a welcome addition to any collection of small-batch cakes. The cake is matched with a perfectly balanced small-batch cream cheese frosting that complements the cake’s texture and flavor.
Key ingredients for the cake’s moistness and tenderness are buttermilk and vegetable oil. Cake flour and a touch of white vinegar help produce a light, tender crumb. A small amount of unsweetened cocoa powder contributes a subtle chocolate note while the red food coloring gives the classic red velvet appearance.
This cake is ideal for holidays, Valentine’s Day, or any time you want a special single-layer dessert.
Table of Contents
- Homemade Cake Flour Substitute
- What Can I Use as a Buttermilk Substitute?
- Helpful Tips
- Decorations
- Recipe FAQs
- More Small Batch Recipes!
- Single Layer Red Velvet Cake Recipe
Homemade Cake Flour Substitute
If you don’t have cake flour on hand, make your own with all-purpose flour and cornstarch. This yields a lighter texture similar to store-bought cake flour.
To make 1/2 cup cake flour substitute:
- Add 1 tablespoon cornstarch to a 1/2 cup measuring cup.
- Fill the rest with all-purpose flour.
- Sift once (twice for extra fineness).
Double the amounts if you want more on hand.
What Can I Use as a Buttermilk Substitute?
If you don’t keep buttermilk, make an easy substitute since this recipe calls for only 1/4 cup. Add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice to the 1/4 cup measuring cup, then fill with milk (any milk will do). Let it sit for 5 minutes, stir, and use immediately.
Alternatively, powdered buttermilk works as well and can usually be found in the baking aisle.
Helpful Tips
Follow these tips for the best single layer red velvet cake:
- Prep your buttermilk: If using the lemon-juice method, let it sit for about 5 minutes and stir before adding to the batter.
- Use a mixer: A hand or stand mixer with a paddle attachment gives the creamiest frosting and a well-blended cake batter.
- Don’t overmix: Combine wet and dry ingredients just until blended to avoid a dense texture.
- Control food coloring: Start with about 7–8 drops of red food coloring and add one drop at a time if you want a deeper color.
- Use cake strips: Cake strips help produce a flat, even surface when baking.
- Cool completely: Chill the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and cool fully before frosting or storing.
Decorations
For a snowflake or piped design, use an offset spatula to smooth frosting and a piping bag with a small round tip to pipe shapes. Reserve about 1/3 cup of frosting for piping details and, if desired, sprinkle white sparkling sugar for a festive finish. As a simple alternative, sift powdered sugar over the top instead of frosting.
Recipe FAQs
This recipe was tested with unsweetened cocoa powder; other types were not tested and may alter flavor or color.
The recipe was tested with one large egg; egg substitutes were not tested and cannot be recommended.
Common causes are incorrect oven temperature, underbaking, or adding too much leavening agent.
Overmixing the batter can create a dense cake—mix until ingredients are just combined.
Sifting isn’t required but helps prevent lumps and yields a smoother frosting.
White vinegar reacts with cocoa and helps brighten the red color while contributing to a tender crumb. Apple cider vinegar is an acceptable substitute.
More Small Batch Recipes!
Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream
Mini Strawberry Sheet Cake
Individual No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecakes
Small Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake
If you tried this Single Layer Red Velvet Cake Recipe, please leave a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Single Layer Red Velvet Cake
Ingredients
6 inch single layer red velvet cake
- 1/2 cup Cake Flour
- 1/8 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1/8 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Large Egg, room temperature
- 1/8 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1/4 tsp White Vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Red Food Coloring, approximately 7–8 drops (more if preferred)
- 1/4 cup Buttermilk or homemade substitute
Small batch cream cheese frosting
- 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 4 oz Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3/4 cup Sifted Powdered Sugar
Additional ingredients
- 2 tbsp Sifted Powdered Sugar (optional topping instead of frosting)
- White Sparkling Sugar (optional garnish if piping a design)
Instructions
6 inch single layer red velvet cake
- Position the oven rack just above center and preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a 6-inch cake pan or use a flour-based baking spray. Optionally add a parchment circle and cake strip.
- Whisk together cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.
- In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter and granulated sugar until combined. Add the egg and beat until blended.
- Add the vegetable oil, white vinegar, vanilla extract, and red food coloring.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and add half the dry ingredients, then the buttermilk, then the remaining dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and cool completely.
- Once cooled, dust with powdered sugar or frost with the small-batch cream cheese frosting.
Small batch cream cheese frosting
- Beat the unsalted butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add the vanilla extract.
- Turn mixer off and add the powdered sugar. Mix on low–medium until incorporated. Scrape the bowl, then beat on medium-high for 1 minute. Add 1 tbsp powdered sugar at a time if you want a thicker frosting.
- Frost the cooled cake with an offset spatula.
Video
Notes
- Store frosted cake in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.
- Sifting powdered sugar helps prevent lumps in the frosting.
- The red food coloring used in testing does not contain artificial dyes; alternative natural colorings were not tested.
- White vinegar helps react with cocoa to enhance color and contributes to a tender crumb; apple cider vinegar can be used as a substitute.
Nutrition
| Carbohydrates: 45 g
| Protein: 4 g
| Fat: 24 g
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary based on specific ingredients used.