Description
Enchanting red velvet tree cake brings festive holiday magic to dessert tables with its whimsical design. Rich cocoa layers draped in creamy frosting create a delightful centerpiece you’ll cherish making and sharing with loved ones.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Cake Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups (360ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
Flavoring and Coloring Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) red food coloring
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
Leavening and Seasoning Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Calibrate oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare graduated cake pans by lightly coating with cooking spray and lining with parchment paper to ensure smooth cake release.
- Combine all dry ingredients through a fine-mesh sieve to eliminate potential lumps, creating a uniform base mixture for the cake.
- Whisk liquid components vigorously in a separate vessel, ensuring complete integration of color and emulsification of ingredients.
- Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients, stirring gently with a spatula until batter achieves a silky, uniform consistency without overmixing.
- Distribute batter evenly across decreasing pan sizes, filling each approximately two-thirds full to allow proper rising during baking.
- Position pans in preheated oven, maintaining consistent spacing for balanced heat circulation.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating midway through cooking process to guarantee even browning and thorough internal cooking.
- Test cake doneness by inserting a slender toothpick into center – it should emerge clean with minimal crumbs.
- Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool completely on wire racks before attempting removal from pans or layering.
Notes
- Achieve a perfect red color by using gel food coloring instead of liquid, which provides more vibrant and concentrated pigmentation without altering batter consistency.
- Create a moist texture by ensuring ingredients are at room temperature, especially eggs and buttermilk, which blend more evenly and produce a smoother cake.
- Prevent cake layers from sticking by using parchment paper rounds and generously greasing pan sides with butter or non-stick spray.
- Adjust sweetness for dietary needs by reducing sugar slightly or substituting with alternative sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit for low-carb variations.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 286 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 179 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 37 mg