As I’ve gotten older, Valentine’s Day has become less about me and my husband and more about my kids. This pink velvet cake is the sweeter, cuter little sister to romantic red velvet cake, and it’s perfect for a kid-centric V-Day celebration. I colored the cake neon pink and iced it with pink and white frosting to create a beautiful heart on top that’s equal parts fun, flirty, and delicious. With just 10 ingredients, this Valentine’s Day cake is super fun and easy to make!
Valentine’s Day Cake
This pink velvet cake is a fun and flirty twist on my favorite easy red velvet cake recipe. I kept things simple with boxed cake mix so I had time to work on getting the decorations just right. I went for a cute heart on top of my cake for Valentine’s Day, but you could definitely keep things more simple with all-white, all-pink, or marbled white and pink icing.
The cake is melt-in-your-mouth fluffy thanks to tenderizing buttermilk and white vinegar, and I topped it with a tangy cream cheese frosting for a bit of zing. I achieved the electric pink color with gel food coloring, which is so fun!
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How to Store
Store leftover pink velvet cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Tips for Success
- You can use yellow or vanilla cake mix, but the color may not turn out as vivid.
- For this vivid pink, I used Chefmaster Liqua-gel in the color Neon Pink.
- You can use water-based food coloring, but the pink will be more muted.
- Use room temperature ingredients for the best results.
- Take care not to overmix the batter; otherwise, the cake will turn out dry and rubbery.
- If the frosting starts to soften up too much, place it in the fridge to firm up before continuing.
Pink Velvet Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 26.5 ounces white cake mix (2 boxes)
- 1½ cups buttermilk room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 drops pink gel food coloring
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature (1 brick)
- ¾ cup unsalted butter slightly melted (1½ sticks)
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 drops pink gel food coloring
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- 2 8-inch Round Cake Pan(s)
- Hand Mixer
- Piping Tip Set
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray and line the inside bottom of each pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Place the cake mix in a large bowl and set aside.26.5 ounces white cake mix
- In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the buttermilk, eggs, vegetable oil, white vinegar, vanilla extract, and pink gel food coloring together on low speed just until mixed.1½ cups buttermilk, 3 large eggs, ½ cup vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1-2 drops pink gel food coloring
- Pour the wet mixture into the cake mix and beat on a low speed just until mixed. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix.
- Divide the cake batter evenly between both prepared cake pans (about 691 grams per pan).
- Bake in the preheated oven for 33-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in the pans for 15 minutes before removing and cooling completely on wire racks.
- Once cakes have cooled to room temperature, wrap each cake layer separately in food-safe plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Make the cream cheese frosting: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract on high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth, about another 2 minutes.8 ounces cream cheese, ¾ cup unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, 5 cups powdered sugar
- Once the cakes have chilled, use a large serrated knife to cut the dome tops off both cakes so they both have a flat top. You don’t need these dome tops so these can be used for snacking.
- Place a thin layer of frosting (about 2 tablespoons) in the middle of a cake board or cake plate then place one cake (cut side facing up) on top of that frosting.
- Add a generous layer of frosting on top of that first layer of cake then place the second layer of cake (bottom facing up) on top of the first layer of cake.
- Frost a thin layer of frosting around the top and sides of the cake to crumb coat. Use a tool like a cake scraper to smooth the icing out.
- Place the lightly frosted cake in the freezer for 10 minutes so the first layer of frosting firms up a bit.
- Remove cake from freezer and apply the second layer of frosting. Spread this layer as smoothly as you can using the cake scraper.
- Take the remaining frosting and color it pink. Place 1 cup of pink frosting in an icing bag fitted with a small star tip (like a Wilton 32) and pipe a heart on the top of the cake in the middle. Then pipe small stars around the bottom outer edge of the cake.1-2 drops pink gel food coloring
- With the remaining pink frosting, place it in an icing bag fitted with a small round tip (like a Wilton 12) and frost circles around the top of the cake. Keep in mind that this icing may be a bit thin when warmed up in your hands through the icing bag. Don’t pipe the circles too close to the edge or it may drip down the sides of the cake.
- Place the cake back into the freezer for about 10 minutes just to firm up those icing details.
Notes
How to Make Pink Velvet Cake Step-by-Step
Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F, spray two 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray, line the inside bottom of each pan with parchment paper, and set aside. Place 26.5 ounces (2 boxes) of white cake mix in a large bowl and set aside.
Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, beat 1½ cups of buttermilk, 3 large eggs, ½ cup of vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar, 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract,1 and -2 drops of pink gel food coloring together on low speed just until mixed.
Combine the Batter: Pour the wet mixture into the cake mix and beat on a low speed just until mixed. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix.
Bake the Cakes: Divide the cake batter evenly between both prepared cake pans (about 691 grams per pan). Bake in the preheated oven for 33-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Cool and Chill the Cakes: Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in the pans for 15 minutes before removing and cooling completely on wire racks. Once cakes have cooled to room temperature, wrap each cake layer separately in food-safe plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting: In a large bowl, beat 8 ounces (1 brick) of cream cheese, ¾ cup of butter, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract on high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in 5 cups of powdered sugar until smooth, about another 2 minutes.
Level and Secure the Cake: Once the cakes have chilled, use a large serrated knife to cut the dome tops off both cakes so they both have a flat top. You don’t need these dome tops so these can be used for snacking. Place a thin layer of frosting (about 2 tablespoons) in the middle of a cake board or cake plate then place one cake (cut side facing up) on top of that frosting.
Stack the Layers: Add a generous layer of frosting on top of that first layer of cake then place the second layer of cake (bottom facing up) on top of the first layer of cake.
Crumb-Coat the Cake: Frost a thin layer of frosting around the top and sides of the cake to crumb coat. Use a tool like a cake scraper to smooth the icing out. Place the lightly frosted cake in the freezer for 10 minutes so the first layer of frosting firms up a bit.
Decorate the Cake: Remove the cake from the freezer and apply the second layer of frosting. Spread this layer as smoothly as you can using the cake scraper. Take the remaining frosting and color it pink with 1-2 drops of pink gel food coloring. Place 1 cup of pink frosting in an icing bag fitted with a small star tip (like a Wilton 32) and pipe a heart on the top of the cake in the middle. Then pipe small stars around the bottom outer edge of the cake. With the remaining pink frosting, place it in an icing bag fitted with a small round tip (like a Wilton 12), and frost circles around the top of the cake. Place the cake back into the freezer for about 10 minutes just to firm up those icing details.
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