Red velvet cake has been a favorite dessert for decades. And we can see why. It's a moist cocoa-flavored cake topped with fluffy homemade frosting. Put a twist on the classic and make this blue velvet cake. We've kept the beloved cake flavor and dressed it up with blue food coloring and a fluffy cream cheese icing. Here's how to make blue velvet cake.
What Is Blue Velvet Cake?
Blue velvet cake is made with cocoa powder, buttermilk, butter, sugar, eggs, flour, vinegar, and blue food coloring. The combination of the cocoa powder, buttermilk, and vinegar ensures the finished cake is moist with a fine crumb. This texture helped earn the "velvet cake" moniker. The flavor isn't overly chocolately, instead our recipe testers found it tasted more like vanilla with a hint of chocolate.
What's the Difference Between Blue and Red Velvet Cake?
To be honest, the biggest difference between red and blue velvet cake is food coloring. Some recipes may call for slightly more vinegar rather than buttermilk. Often blue velvet cake is flavored with almond in addition to the vanilla and cocoa powder. Our classic Better Homes & Gardens red velvet cake recipe calls for buttercream icing, while our blue velvet cake is finished with a homemade cream cheese frosting.
How to Make Blue Velvet Cupcakes
Line twenty-eight 2 1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups. Prepare as directed through Step 2, except divide batter among prepared muffin cups. Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in muffin cups on wire racks 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups; cool on wire racks. Frost with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting. Makes 28 cupcakes.
How to Store Blue Velvet Cake
Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Before serving, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the frosting to soften.
Ingredients
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3 large eggs
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3/4 cup butter
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3 cups all purpose flour
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1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
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1 teaspoon baking soda
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3/4 teaspoon salt
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2 1/4 cups sugar
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1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
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2 teaspoons royal blue paste food coloring
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1/8 teaspoon violet paste food coloring
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1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar
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1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
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8 ounces cream cheese, softened
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3/4 cup sugar
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2 teaspoons vanilla
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2 cups (1 pint) cold whipping cream
Directions
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Let eggs and butter to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of pans with waxed paper. Grease waxed paper and flour the pans. (Or grease one 13x9x2-inch pan.) In a medium bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
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Preheat oven to 350°F. In an extra-large bowl beat butter with a mixer on medium 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium until combined. Scrape bowl; beat 2 minutes more. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Beat in vanilla and blue and violet food coloring. Stir vinegar into buttermilk. Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately, beating on low after each addition just until combined. Spread batter into prepared pan(s).
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Bake 35 minutes for 9-inch round pans or 40 minutes for a 13x9-inch pan, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake layers in pans 10 minutes. Remove layers from pans. Remove and discard waxed paper; cool completely on wire racks. Or place 13x9-inch cake in pan on a wire rack; cool completely.
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Meanwhile, prepare frosting. (Cut frosting recipe in half if making a 13x9x2-inch cake.) In a large mixing bowl beat together cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and 2 tsp. vanilla on medium speed until well mixed and sugar has dissolved (about 1 minute). Gradually add cold whipping cream. Continue beating on medium-high speed until the mixture becomes thick, like whipped cream, 1 to 2 minutes. (Makes 4 cups frosting)
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For a layer cake, place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread 1 cup frosting over cake layer. Repeat with remaining layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. (If making 13x9x2-inch cake, spread frosting over cake in pan.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 484 | Calories |
| 26g | Fat |
| 58g | Carbs |
| 6g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 16 | |
| Calories 484.2 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 25.6g | 33% |
| Saturated Fat 15.6g | 78% |
| Cholesterol 106.6mg | 36% |
| Sodium 356.7mg | 16% |
| Total Carbohydrate 58.5g | 21% |
| Dietary Fiber 0.7g | 2% |
| Total Sugars 40.2g | |
| Protein 6.2g | 12% |
| Vitamin D 0.7mcg | 3% |
| Vitamin C 0.4mg | 0% |
| Calcium 71.9mg | 6% |
| Iron 1.4mg | 8% |
| Potassium 124.4mg | 3% |
| Fatty acids, total trans 0.7g | |
| Vitamin D 26.7IU | |
| Alanine 0.2g | |
| Arginine 0.3g | |
| Ash 1.4g | |
| Aspartic acid 0.4g | |
| Caffeine 0mg | |
| Carotene, alpha 0.1mcg | |
| Choline, total 44.9mg | |
| Copper, Cu 0.1mg | |
| Cystine 0.1g | |
| Energy 2025.7kJ | |
| Fluoride, F 2.7mcg | |
| Folate, total 51.2mcg | |
| Glutamic acid 1.5g | |
| Glycine 0.2g | |
| Histidine 0.2g | |
| Isoleucine 0.3g | |
| Leucine 0.5g | |
| Lysine 0.3g | |
| Methionine 0.1g | |
| Magnesium, Mg 12.5mg | |
| Manganese, Mn 0.2mg | |
| Niacin 1.4mg | |
| Phosphorus, P 99.4mg | |
| Pantothenic acid 0.5mg | |
| Phenylalanine 0.3g | |
| Phytosterols 0mg | |
| Proline 0.6g | |
| Retinol 252.8mcg | |
| Selenium, Se 13.7mcg | |
| Serine 0.3g | |
| Starch 0g | |
| Theobromine 0mg | |
| Threonine 0.2g | |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 0.8mg | |
| Tryptophan 0.1g | |
| Tyrosine 0.2g | |
| Valine 0.3g | |
| Vitamin A, IU 922.1IU | |
| Vitamin A, RAE 256.9mcg | |
| Vitamin B-12 0.2mcg | |
| Vitamin B-6 0.1mg | |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 2.1mcg | |
| Water 58.6g | |
| Zinc, Zn 0.5mg | |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
