Red Velvet Ombre Cake

Looking for a fun red velvet dessert idea?  Bake up this Red Velvet Ombre Cake!  It’s a tasty dessert with a unique ‘wow’ factor when you slice into it!

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Looking for a fun red velvet dessert idea?  Bake up this Red Velvet Ombre Cake!  It's a tasty dessert with a unique 'wow' factor when you slice into it!

As I’ve referenced many times before, my wife is a scientist.  I am not.  I am a liberal arts guy.  I studied public policy and classical studies in college.  I wrote a dissertation on college athletics at small, Division III colleges and universities.  Her dissertation?  “The fabrication of thin-walled steel alloys through the gas carburization…”  Oh, the title continues on.  tl;dr.  (I kid…well sorta!)

Looking for a fun red velvet dessert idea?  Bake up this Red Velvet Ombre Cake!  It's a tasty dessert with a unique 'wow' factor when you slice into it!

I bring up my wife’s complete nerdiness for a legit reason here.  This Red Velvet Ombre Cake (indeed, all red velvet cakes) is the perfect combination of our skills.  It obviously involves baking, so you can put a checkmark next to my name.  However, red velvet cakes involve a bit of science, too.  Red velvet cakes are made with cocoa powder, buttermilk and vinegar.  Those are essential elements that should be found in any red velvet cake recipe.  Red velvet is more than just red food dye!

Cocoa powder reacts with acids, and vinegar is an acid.  This reaction is what produces the iconic red color of red velvet cakes.  Well, I should say traditionally produced.  Red velvet cakes used to be more of a deep maroon color, but nowadays they are typically bright red.  That’s thanks to the addition of red food coloring.  I do use red food coloring in this Red Velvet Ombre Cake, but I also stay true to the flavors of red velvet by including cocoa powder, buttermilk and vinegar.

Looking for a fun red velvet dessert idea?  Bake up this Red Velvet Ombre Cake!  It's a tasty dessert with a unique 'wow' factor when you slice into it!Red Velvet Ombre Cake

I often associate red velvet desserts with Valentine’s Day because of the, well, red color.  Obvi, right?  And that association is so strong in my brain that I actually start craving red velvet desserts as soon as the calendar rolls over to February 1.  The brain and its’ associations are funny like that!

Looking for a fun red velvet dessert idea?  Bake up this Red Velvet Ombre Cake!  It's a tasty dessert with a unique 'wow' factor when you slice into it!

For this version, I hit the kitchen with the goal of creating a Red Velvet Ombre Cake.  One layer of red velvet.  One layer of white.  One layer somewhere in-between.  I had fun with this recipe!  The concept was rather simple – divide the cake batter into 3 bowls and add different amounts of ingredients to each.  The red velvet layer got the most cocoa powder and food coloring.  The middle layer got some.  The white layer got none.  (I feel like I’m telling Robbie the nursery tale of “This Little Piggy!”  Fortunately, this cake doesn’t involve roast beef…)

In addition to the layers of cake, I was tempted to shade the frosting from white to red in true ombre cake fashion.  However, most red velvet cakes use an entirely white cream cheese frosting.  Red (or pink) frosting isn’t traditional for red velvet cakes.  Thus I went with an all-white frosting.  (The truth is I had already cleaned enough bowls that day.  I wasn’t in the mood to clean more!)

Looking for a fun red velvet dessert idea?  Bake up this Red Velvet Ombre Cake!  It's a tasty dessert with a unique 'wow' factor when you slice into it!

If you’re looking for a fun dessert for Valentine’s Day (or really any day…), then put this Red Velvet Ombre Cake on the list.  It was a huge hit here in our house!  Happy baking!

Did you make this Red Velvet Ombre Cake at home?  Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!

Looking for a fun red velvet dessert idea?  Bake up this Red Velvet Ombre Cake!  It's a tasty dessert with a unique 'wow' factor when you slice into it!

Red Velvet Ombre Cake

Looking for a fun red velvet dessert idea?  Bake up this Red Velvet Ombre Cake!  It's a tasty dessert with a unique 'wow' factor when you slice into it!
4.58 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 622kcal

Ingredients

For the Cake

For the Frosting

Instructions

For the Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Grease or spray (3) 9” round baking pans. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper.
  • Using a countertop mixer, cream together butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (~3-4 minutes).
  • Add eggs to the bowl; mix on low speed until fully combined.
  • Using a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, vinegar, and vanilla extract.
  • Add ½ of the dry mixture to the bowl of the countertop mixer; mix on low speed until fully combined.
  • Add ½ of the liquid mixture to the bowl of the countertop mixer; mix on low speed until fully combined.
  • Repeat with remaining dry and liquid ingredients. Once all ingredients have been added, scrape the sides of the bowl down with a spatula and mix on low speed until batter is smooth.
  • Divide batter evenly into 3 mixing bowls.
  • Add 2 tsp of cocoa powder and 4 tsp of red food coloring to one of the bowls; whisk together until well combined. Transfer batter into one of the prepared baking pans. This will be the “red layer.”
  • Add remaining 1 tsp of cocoa powder and remaining 1 tsp of red food coloring to another bowl; whisk together until well combined. Transfer batter into one of the prepared baking pans. This will be the “pink layer.”
  • Transfer the batter from the final mixing bowl into the remaining baking pan. This will be the “white layer.”
  • Bake at 350°F for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each layer comes out clean.
  • Let cakes cool in pans for 15 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack until completely cool. (Note: Remove parchment paper from bottom of cakes when transferring them to the cooling rack.)

For the Frosting

  • Using a countertop mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter until fully combined.
  • Add vanilla extract and 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time until frosting reaches desired consistency.
  • Place “red layer” of cake on large platter. Spread ~1 cup of frosting on top.
  • Place “pink layer” on top. Spread ~1 cup of frosting on top.
  • Place “white layer” on top. Spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake.
Looking for a fun red velvet dessert idea?  Bake up this Red Velvet Ombre Cake!  It's a tasty dessert with a unique 'wow' factor when you slice into it!

Looking for more red velvet desserts?  Check out some of these other favorites, too:

1 layer of cheesecake + 2 layers of red velvet cake = 3 layers of awesome!  This Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake is a tasty way to celebrate Valentine's Day...or any other day of the year!

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching! Let's celebrate with Red Velvet Cupcakes...and a Shakespearean insult or two!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

These Red Velvet Donuts are a fun way to put a festive spin on the classic baked powdered sugar donuts.  Bake up a batch for Valentine's Day!

Red Velvet Donuts

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22 Comments

  1. Cant wait to make this soon for me for the cake can i use vegan butter / coconut milk and cream and frosting can i use vegan cream cheese and butter i never had red velvet ombre cake before perfect for my after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work

    1. I do think you could use vegan substitutes for this recipe, Ramya! I haven’t tried it myself, but I would guess it would work just fine. Happy baking!

    1. This is indeed a fun Valentine’s Day dessert! And the best part is you don’t realize that there is an ombre cake hiding inside until you slice into it. Great for that ‘wow factor!’ 🙂

  2. this looks like fun david. An ombre cake always looks marvellous. I remember a chef saying once that they were so hard for the home cook to make! And I thought whaaat? Simple isn’t it? Just less colouring in each bowl … And it looks fab.

    1. Exactly! Ombre cakes really aren’t that difficult to make. Think about it – what equipment do they have in a professional bakery that we don’t have at home? Sure, ours might be smaller versions, but it’s the same thing! This red velvet ombre cake turned out really well, too! 🙂

  3. 5 stars
    This is one GORGEOUS ombre cake – tho, you made cake and didn’t send me a memo to come pick up the leftovers???? What???? I guess it the memo got lost in the mail, 😉 No worries – am on my way over to grab a slice or 3 and some of that marshmallow cream cheese frosting you are planning on selling! Happy FriYAY my friend!

    1. Hahaha – I have a confession to make here, Shashi. This cake was made back up in New York, but things got shifted and so it had to wait a year before posting. I WISH I still had this cake sitting on the countertop. Maybe it’s time to make another one…I mean we can’t let Valentine’s Day slip by without a red velvet cake of some sort!

  4. 5 stars
    Does Laura know you refer to her as a “Nerd” ha ha?! Seriously though David what an epic looking fun dessert for Valentine’s Day! Love its rich red colour. Lynne would love this! (And she’d enjoy it more than flowers. The flowers would probably last longer though. Ha!

    1. Oh, Laura fully embraces her role as the nerd of the house. (Although to be fair, I give her a fun for her money on that title. Haha!) You’re right that flowers last longer, and flowers are definitely healthier…but sometimes you just need a good slice of cake! 🙂

  5. 5 stars
    “The fabrication of thin-walled steel alloys through the gas carburization…”
    Hmm, please speak human language, David! LOL
    Also, this cake is a perfect example of what happens when baking meets with science – so fun, stunning, and delicious!

  6. You really nailed the red intensity David, absolutely gorgeous and photogenic. I would love a slice. Too hot here to contemplate making anything too fancy and with cream, I have a book suggestion for your wife and you, as she is involved in the kitchen as well, Lessons in Chemistry, essentially how a female scientist educates through her kitchen.Great read.

    1. I did have fun making this cake, Pauline! I do understand what you mean about hot weather, though. When it’s summer here, I usually crave ice cream or citrus-flavored desserts. Thanks so much for that book recommendation – I’m going to check it out on Amazon right now!!

  7. 5 stars
    Wow, what a delicious and creative twist on the classic red velvet cake! The concept of making an ombre cake with red, white and a shade in-between sounds amazing. The science behind red velvet cakes is also fascinating. I love how you combined your knowledge of liberal arts with your wife’s scientific background in making this cake. Overall, I think this Red Velvet Ombre Cake would be a perfect dessert for Valentine’s Day or any special occasion. Happy baking!

    1. Thanks so much, Raymund! I really had fun making this cake. And the cool thing is you can’t tell that the layers are ombre until you slice into the cake – so it makes for a fun surprise when serving this to guests! 🙂

  8. 2 stars
    I followed the recipe to a tee and the layers did not rise and were very dense. I make a lot of cakes so wondering what may have gone wrong?? I don’t see in any of the comments anyone that actually made the cake. So,,,curious?.

    1. Hey Carrie! Hmmm – I’m sorry the layers were dense and didn’t rise. I’ve made this cake twice (the 2nd version is the one in the photos here), and the layers weren’t overly dense. I will say the red layer was a little moister due to all of the food coloring…but the other layers were fine.

      I’m looking over the ingredient list – since you bake often, I’m assuming you creamed the butter and sugar together long enough? Was the leavener (baking soda in this case) too old by chance? I did realize that the recipe card looks a little funny in the way it listed the red food coloring. It should be 5 tsp of food coloring, not 5 tsp AND 1 ounce. I’m going to change that now. Other than those simple ideas, I’m not sure what else could’ve gone awry here. Sorry that happened!!

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