Red Velvet Cake Recipe Without Buttermilk

What a surprise we have for you. Your gonna love this delicious simple red velvet cake recipe without buttermilk from scratch and smothered in buttercream cheese frosting.
This old-fashioned southern red velvet cake recipe is popular in Ireland, UK, South Africa, Caribbean. Jamaican red velvet cake recipe is very similar to traditional Red velvet cakes but may contain some added spices or alcohol.
Our easy-to-make vintage real red velvet cake recipe without buttermilk from scratch is soft, moist, and perfectly sweetened then finished off with our famous buttercream frosting. Wow Soooo Good!!
As they say, the buttercream cheese icing is the cream on the top that elevates this moist red velvet cake to another level. Doesn’t matter the occasion, this delicious cake will always stand out in a crowd.
Ready to make this Simple Red Velvet Cake Recipe with Butter Cream Cheese Frosting? Let’s do it!
Ingredients For Red Velvet Cake
- 2 cups cake flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup of water or milk
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter or oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 tablespoon red cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4-6 drops red food coloring
Ingredients For the Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 3 3/4 cups of Icing Sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
How To Make Moist Red Velvet Cake?
- Preheat oven to 180°C (356°F) and spray a deep 8 inch round cake with oil.
- Add the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl, and using a whisk, blend the ingredients together.
- Pour in the milk, eggs, butter, and a few drops of red coloring and beat on low speed for 60 seconds then increase speed to medium-high and beat until batter is creamy and smooth about 4-5 minutes.
- Add more food coloring if needed to achieve a dark red batter color.
- Transfer the batter into a round cake pan and slight tap on the counter to even out the batter on the surface.
- Bake cake for approximately 40-45minutes. To check if the cake is ready, insert a toothpick, it should come out clean.
- Remove cake from the oven and gently remove it from the pan and let it cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime prepare the cream cheese frosting.
- Add the cream cheese, icing sugar, butter, vanilla, and orange zest into a bowl and beat on high speed until frosting is fluffy and light.
- Finish the cake, Place the cake onto a plate, and using a serrated knife, shave off the top and slice the cake into 3 discs.
- Fill the bottom cake layer with cream cheese frosting then top with the second layer and repeat.
- Add the top layer and the top and sides of the red velvet cake with the frosting. Crumble the shaved pieces of cake and add them to the center of the cake and the bottom sides.
- Lastly added some finished piping decoration around the crumbled part of the cake as soon in the picture.
- Serve and Enjoy!

Red Velvet Cake No Buttermilk
Ingredients
- 2 cups cake flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup of water or milk
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter or oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 tablespoon red cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4-6 drops red food coloring
- Ingredients For the Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 3 3/4 cups of Icing Sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
- How To Make Moist Red Velvet Cake?
- Preheat oven to 180°C (356°F) and spray a deep 8 inch round cake with oil.
- Add the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl, and using a whisk, blend the ingredients together.
- Pour in the milk, eggs, butter, and a few drops of red coloring and beat on low speed for 60 seconds then increase speed to medium-high and beat until batter is creamy and smooth about 4-5 minutes.
- Add more food coloring if needed to achieve a dark red batter color.
- Transfer the batter into a round cake pan and slight tap on the counter to even out the batter on the surface.
- Bake cake for approximately 40-45minutes. To check if the cake is ready, insert a toothpick, it should come out clean.
- Remove cake from the oven and gently remove it from the pan and let it cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime prepare the cream cheese frosting.
- Add the cream cheese, icing sugar, butter, vanilla, and orange zest into a bowl and beat on high speed until frosting is fluffy and light.
- Finish the cake, Place the cake onto a plate, and using a serrated knife, shave off the top and slice the cake into 3 discs.
- Fill the bottom cake layer with cream cheese frosting then top with the second layer and repeat.
- Add the top layer and the top and sides of the red velvet cake with the frosting. Crumble the shaved pieces of cake and add them to the center of the cake and the bottom sides.
- Lastly added some finished piping decoration around the crumbled part of the cake as soon in the picture.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Hi Marcela.
This cake tastes amazing. But I have a problem. I couldn’t find anymore red cocoa powder and I used my last red cocoa powder for this recipe. Can I put regular cocoa powder instead as a substitute?
Hi Lily, yes you can.
Cheers,
Marcela
Hi Lily, Thanks for reaching out to us! Absolutely yes you can use regular cocoa instead of red cocoa, it should affect the crumb texture or color of the cake.
Cheers,
Marcela
Hi, this recipe looks delicious! Is the 3/4 unsalted butter means 3/4 c or 3/4 lb? Please advise. Thank you!
Hi Lala, Thanks for stopping by Gimme Yummy! 3/4 mean 3/4 cup.
Cheers,
Marcela