Want to give someone a virtual kiss this year? This Red Velvet Cake Recipe is delicious and make the perfect addition to your Valentines Day Party spreads! Covered in faux lipstick kisses – this cake makes everyone that sees it do a double take! Did you kiss the cake all over they will ask? Only you will know the Red Velvet Kiss Cake trick below!
Why Red Velvet Cake for the Kiss Cake?
While you can decorate any flavor of cake as a Kiss cake, I think there is nothing prettier than a a dark red center when you slice the kiss cake! It’s like the lipstick color is inside too! It’s perfect for a Valentines Day Cake or celebrating with your girlfriends. This is the ultimate ‘Galentines Day‘ Cake! And I don’t know about your friends, but the gals I know LOVE chocolate! And this cake delivers that chocolate goodness as well as a beautiful red color!
What is the difference between Red Velvet Cake and Chocolate Cake? Is it just the color?
There’s so much more to red velvet cake than just the color! And while most Red Velvet Cake does use food coloring to enhance the color, the real difference is in the ingredients. A true Red velvet is made with cocoa powder, vinegar, and also buttermilk. It’s the chemical reaction between those 3 ingredients that help give the cake red/maroon color.
This is a cake no one will be sad to see you bring to an event! Your recipient will truly feel like you gave them a smooch…
What Ingredients do I need?
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 Tablespoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 oz. red food coloring (gel or liquid)
What are the Red Velvet Cake Directions?
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat sheet pan with nonstick spray. Cut parchment rectangle to fit inside the bottom of your pan. Spray parchment with nonstick spray also.
- Add the oil, eggs, buttermilk, vinegar, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until fully combined. Add in your sugar and mix until combined.
- Add the cocoa powder, salt and baking soda, mixing on medium speed for 30 seconds, or just until no lumps remain in the cocoa.
- Mix on low and slowly add in the flour and your red food coloring until you like the color achieved. Mix until smooth.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes (or until a knife in the center of the cake comes out clean.)
- Cool inside the pan for 10-15 minutes. Then turn your cake gently out onto a cooling rack and let it get to room temperature before frosting. Cream Cheese frosting is traditional!
*TIP* Slice a tiny bit of your finished cake and crumble it. Then gently press the crumbs around the outside of your cake. I stole this tip from our neighborhood grocery store. Seeing crumbs helps people see what kind of cake is inside before they cut the cake open. And it also hides a less than perfect frosting job!
How do you make the lip marks on the Kiss Cake?
After trying several ways to make kiss marks on my Red Velvet cake – I found the easiest way to put lip marks on frosting was to use a Food Marker! These are easy to find at grocery stores or cake supply stores. I used one red marker and went over my work more than once for darker lips, and left a single pass for lighter looking lipstick marks. The marker makes it easy to vary color! But you could also buy pink and red markers.
*TIP* – Cake frosting is MUCH easier to write on when it’s smooth, and when it’s gotten cold. Put your cake in the refrigerator or freezer briefly before you try to decorate. And then draw lips of all sizes!
Add real lipstick marks on balloons and poster board to complete the look!
Happy Red Velvet Kiss Cake making! I hope everyone you feed it to feels loved! <3
Want to make this cake for a party? Here is how to throw a Galentines Day party!
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