Smooth, velvety red sponges sandwich rich mascarpone buttercream that melts in your mouth. The cocoa hint cuts through the sweetness just right, while bright red colour pops against creamy white icing. Swirled sides and truffle dots make every slice look bakery-fresh. One bite, and you taste why Mary Berry calls it easy.
Prep: 30 mins to 1 hour
Cook: 25-30 mins
Serves: Serves 8
Dietary: Vegetarian
By Mary Berry
From Saturday Kitchen Recipes
This red velvet cake scores D overall. High sugar from muscovado and icing sugar, plus fats from butter and mascarpone pull it down. Per slice: around 550 kcal, 32g fat (18g saturates), 58g carbs (45g sugars), 1g fibre, 5g protein. Bright red colour. Cocoa tang. Creamy layers.
Equipment
Ingredients
For the red velvet cake
- 250g plain flour
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 250g light muscovado sugar
- 200ml buttermilk
- 150ml sunflower oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp red food colouring gel (or ¼ tsp paste)
- 2 large free-range eggs
- 8 white chocolate truffle balls, to decorate
- butter, for greasing
For the buttercream icing
- 250g butter, softened
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 300g icing sugar
- 250g full-fat mascarpone
Customise
- Swap light muscovado sugar for any soft light brown sugar; skip dark brown to keep red velvet cake colour vibrant.
- No buttermilk? Mix milk with lemon juice; mimics tangy kick for tender red velvet sponge.
- Use professional red food colouring gel – supermarket liquid fades or turns green in oven heat.
Method
Prep stage (10 mins – do this first or even day ahead)
- Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Butter up two 20cm sandwich tins generously, then line the bases with baking paper cut to fit. This stops sticking and makes turning out a breeze – trust me, nothing worse than a broken sponge.
- Gather and mix your dry team. Grab a big bowl and sift in 250g plain flour, 1 tbsp cocoa powder, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, plus all 250g light muscovado sugar. Whisk it together well. That cocoa gives the signature red velvet cake tang without overpowering – just a whisper. No lumps here means silky batter.
Wet mix, combine & bake (15 mins hands-on + 25-30 mins oven time – pop the kettle on while they bake)
- Whip up the wet ingredients in a jug. Pour in 200ml buttermilk (gives that tender crumb), 150ml sunflower oil for moisture, 2 tsp vanilla extract, your 1 tbsp red food colouring gel, and 100ml water. Crack in 2 large eggs, then whisk smooth. Eyeball the colour – vivid red? Brilliant. A drop more gel if it’s shy. This buttermilk-oil combo keeps the red velvet sponge so fluffy.
- Bring it all together. Slowly pour wet into dry, whisk gently till just combined – don’t overmix or it’ll toughen. Split evenly between tins and smooth the tops. Into the oven for 25-30 mins. They’re done when risen, pulling from tin edges, and a skewer comes clean. Cool in tins 10 mins (prevents sinking), then flip onto a wire rack, peel paper, cool fully. (You can make these ahead – wrap the cooled sponges in cling film they’ll be OK in the fridge 3 days or in the freezer for 1 month.)
Buttercream magic (15 mins – make while sponges cool, chill if needed)
- Start the mascarpone buttercream. In a large bowl, beat 250g soft butter with 2 tsp vanilla extract. Sift in half the 300g icing sugar, whisk till creamy. Sift rest, mix smooth. Now gently fold in 250g mascarpone with a spatula – key: no whisking here or it might split into curds. Spoon 150g into a piping bag fitted with fluted nozzle and set aside. This icing’s dreamy, not too sweet thanks to mascarpone.
Assemble & decorate (10 mins + 30 mins chill – overlaps if prepped ahead)
- Build your cake tower. Pop one cooled sponge on a plate, spread a generous third of buttercream over top. Stack second sponge. Now crumb coat: thin icing layer all over, traps crumbs. Chill 30 mins – firms up for pro finish. (Frozen sponges? They thaw perfectly here.)
- Final ice and flourish. Pile remaining bowl icing on top, spread smooth with palette knife down sides (wide upward strokes), swirl the top loose. Pipe rope border around top edge – squeeze steady, overlap swirls. Dot on 8 white chocolate truffles. Refrigerate overnight if making ahead; stand room temp 1 hour before slicing so sponge softens, icing creams up. Slice. Serve. You’ve just baked a showstopper.
Recipe Tips
- Pro red food colouring gel holds colour through heat – order online, don’t grab supermarket liquid.
- Freeze sponges 1 month; thaw on rack before icing.
- Store cut cake fridge 3 days; room temp slices best.