Red Velvet Sheet Cake

Red Velvet Sheet Cake is a party-sized crowd pleaser. Moist and tender old fashioned red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. Try today!

This no-fuss sheet Cake Recipe is just as moist and delicious as Red Velvet Layer Cake, without the extra work and it’s the perfect size to feed a crowd. The cheery, bright red color makes it the perfect cake for holidays like Christmas and Valentine’s Day. For more red velvet desserts, try my Red Velvet Cupcakes and Red Velvet Bundt Cake.

Sabrina’s Red Velvet Sheet Cake Recipe

I love an old-fashioned Red Velvet Cake that brings joy to any dessert table! Even with your eyes closed, one bite of the melt-in-your-mouth tangy, moist cake will have you smiling from ear to ear. My Red Velvet Sheet Cake is tender and fluffy, with just a hint of cocoa flavor and the perfect amount of cream cheese frosting to cake ratio. The best part is whether you have a baking addiction or you just dabble, you probably have everything you need on hand to make this cake tonight!

I’ve included my go-to quick recipe for cream cheese frosting in this post along with alternative topping ideas. And for those who want a way to make Red Velvet Cake with no food coloring, I included a section for how to do that too. Truly this post has all you need to know to make a delicious, moist Red Velvet Sheet Cake in about an hour.

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups Cake Flour: Cake flour is a little different because it has a lighter texture compared to all-purpose flour which you could still use in a pinch.
• ⅓ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Natural cocoa powder helps the red stand out and helps to flavor the cake.
• 2 cups Sugar: I’m using regular granulated sugar that sweetens the cake and adds structure.
• 4 large Eggs: Room temperature eggs mix better for a lighter cake crumb.
• 1 cup Sour Cream: Helps the cake to be more moist and tender so it melts in your mouth.
• ½ cup Buttermilk: This adds acidity and is needed because it reacts with the baking soda for leavening. It’s worth going out of your way to get some for this recipe.
• 1 ounce Red Food Color: I used gel food coloring because you get a more vibrant color without using as much. You can also use liquid food coloring or a natural coloring alternative.
• 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract is highly recommended for the best taste.
• 3 cups Cream Cheese Frosting: Homemade creamy frosting is preferable and tastes better, but you can use store-bought if preferred. I included my recipe in the post and notes section for the recipe card.

Kitchen Tools & Equipment

• Sheet Pan: This Red Velvet Sheet Cake is baked in a 9×13 pan, but you can also use a regular sheet pan or jelly roll pan. Reduce the cooking time to 15-20 minutes, checking at 15 minutes to ensure it doesn’t overcook.
• Baking Spray: Baking spray has a little flour in it which adds a barrier between the cake, the oil, and the pan so it doesn’t stick but also isn’t greasy.

How to Make

Recipe Card

Chef’s Note: Red Velvet Flavor

Did you know that the base flavor of a Red Velvet Cake recipe is actually chocolate? It’s not a rich, strong flavor of chocolate like in Chocolate Cake, but more like a tangy, smooth milk chocolate thanks to the buttermilk and cocoa powder combination! Originally the red came from how old-fashioned cocoa powder turned red with the acid in buttermilk. Nowadays cocoa is processed differently so you don’t get the same effect, so bakers add red food coloring to mimic the original cake coloring. I’ve included a red-dye natural alternative for those with artificial food coloring allergies below.

Can This Be Made Ahead?

Yes, this cake can be made ahead. Bake the cake up to two days in advance, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and store it at room temperature. The frosting can be made and refrigerated for up to three days; just bring it to room temperature before completing.

Nutritional Facts

Toppings for Red Velvet Cake

• Cream Cheese Frosting: In a stand mixer, beat 8 ounces of softened cream cheese, ¼ cup of softened unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons of sour cream, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add 4 cups of powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and continue beating until the frosting is smooth and fully incorporated.
• More Toppings: Dress up your cake during special occasions by topping the frosting with sprinkles or heart shaped candies. For more chocolate flavor, top with mini chocolate chips or a Chocolate Ganache drizzle. Swap the tangy frosting for Classic Buttercream Frosting or try a chocolate peanut butter combo with Peanut Butter Frosting.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Part of the red color comes from the combination of acidic buttermilk and sour cream plus the cocoa powder. You don’t want to swap just plain milk or your cake will be duller and darker.
• If you don’t have buttermilk, use ½ cup whole milk plus ½ tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice. Allow to sit 5-10 minutes before adding to the cake batter.
• This recipe uses gel food coloring because you need less of it than liquid food coloring. If you use liquid food coloring, use a full bottle.
• To prevent the frosting from sticking when you cover the cake, place toothpicks throughout the surface to create a barrier between the frosting and the covering.
• If you don’t want to use red food coloring, check out the beet puree substitute below for an all-natural Red Velvet Sheet Cake. While it won’t be as vibrant, it will still be a beautiful red color.

How to Store

• Store: If frosted, your leftover cake will need to be refrigerated after no more than 2 hours at room temperature. Unfrosted, the sheet cake can be at room temperature for up to 3 days. Cover the cake pan with plastic wrap or put into an airtight container and refrigerate Red Velvet Sheet Cake for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature to serve for the best taste.
• Freeze: Freeze a frosted or unfrosted Red Velvet Sheet Cake for up to 3 months. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil to store. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before bringing it to room temperature to serve.

Red Velvet Cake with Beets (no food coloring)

• Scrub 10 ounces red beets really well.
• Wrap beets in parchment paper and microwave 8-10 minutes, until tender.
• Cool beets before peeling and chopping.
• Add beets and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice to a food processor and process until smooth.
• Prepare cake batter as usual, using only ¼ cup sour cream.
• Gently fold in 1 cup beet puree after the flour mixture is added.
• Bake cake according to recipe card.

Frequent Questions

Variations

• Coffee: Just like a chocolate cake, you can add a tablespoon of espresso powder or instant coffee to bring out the chocolate flavor.
• Nuts: Fold in a ½ cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the cake batter or use the nuts as a garnish to the frosting.
• Chocolate Chips: Add a ½ cup of semisweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips to your cake batter. You can also sprinkle the mini chocolate chips over the frosting.
• Vanilla: Make a Red Velvet Vanilla Sheet Cake by simply leaving the cocoa powder out of the dry ingredients and increasing the flour to 2 ¾ cups.
• Cake Mix: Substitute all the dry ingredients with 1 box red velvet mix and 1 box white chocolate instant pudding. Use the same amount of eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Replace the butter with ⅓ cup vegetable oil and use ½ cup sour cream.

Related Recipes

More Red Velvet Cake Recipes

Cakes & Cupcakes

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake

Cakes & Cupcakes

Red Velvet Bundt Cake

Cakes & Cupcakes

Red Velvet Cake

Cakes & Cupcakes

Red Velvet Cheesecake Bundt Cake

Photos used in previous versions of this post.