Absolutely perfect. This recipe has just the right amount of everything. Moist, fluffy, deep rich color...it smelled heavenly while baking. I made this for my fiance for his birthday, its his favorite cake. I tweaked it a little for a bundt style cake by adjusted the baking time accordingly (slightly longer for bundts mine took roughly 30 mins vs the standard 25), converted the frosting to a poured glaze, added a little lemon zest, vanilla extract and used home made marshmallows, toasted the coconut and pecans for the topping. It is by far the best one I've used...ever. I still cant get over how perfectly deep blood red the cake is. The color was perfect! Thank you so much for sharing this, we enjoyed it immensely.

By Monique Robinson on May 10, 2012

I love your recipes and have been looking for a red velvet cake recipe for my sister's birthday cake. However, I do not want to use food flooring. Have you tried using beets and if so can you recommend how I can alter the recipe accordingly? Thank you so much!

By Gina on April 16, 2012

sooooo cool i love it but lay of on the shugar and the salt a little bit! ;0

By addison on March 14, 2012

awesome i love this recip doing it for a project at school!!!!!

By Anonymous on March 14, 2012

paula its my dear friends birthday march 13, her favorite cake is red velvet. iam never disapointed in your recipes. i look forward to making this for her. thanks again paula sincerely darla rector ps, maybe someday i can treat her to a meal at lady and sons. GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

By darla rector on March 10, 2012

English is not my first language and I couldn´t get the sense of the part of the recipe that says "Beat eggs; add sugar. Mix cocoa and food coloring. Add butter and egg mixture;" So I did beat the eggs, food color and half of the sugar in one mixer. Then in a separate bowl I beat the butter and the other half of the sugar, then I mixed the two mixtures together. I sifted the cocoa with the flour and salt. And because here we can´t get cake flour I took out one tablespoon per each cup of flour and substituted by cornstarch. The cake came out fluffy, moist and delicious. The color is beautiful. I have been looking for a good recipe and some other cakes were always dry and dense. Finnally I am 100% satisfied with this one. Thank you Paula

By Linda G. Stampfli on March 06, 2012

Hi to Paula, and everyone who helps her post these delicious recipes! I made this cake for my daughter-in-law's birthday. She had told me it was one of her favorites. I need to know if the melted marshmallows can be substituted with marshmallow cream. If so, what amount? I found that melting the marshmallows ended up being a real sticky situation! I did not eat any of the cake, but my family told me it was one of the best Red Velvet Cakes they had EVER eaten. I do plan to bake this one again, and this time...you can bet I'm going to eat it!!! Thanks for your response!

By Becky W B on February 16, 2012

Tried Grandma Paul's recipe for red velvet cake. I omitted the marshmallows in the icing. I have an individual who does not like coconut, so I frosted half the cake with plain icing and added coconut to the other half. With or without the coconut, the cake was excellent and it was quite beautiful.

By F. Randle-El on January 06, 2012

Paula I want to thank you for helping learn how to enjoy cooking at first and now I love being in the kitchen. I am 20 years old and this is my first Christmas contributing to the feast my mother cooks for my family and I every year. With this recipe for red velvet cake my family raved over it, which warmed my heart so. Thank you for giving me the gift of having the ones I love enjoy, request more CAKE, and bond on this wonderful celebration.

By Charnelle on December 25, 2011

Excited about trying this recipe but I have one individual in the family that doesn't like coconut...has anyone left it out and the cake still turn out?

By Dori on December 24, 2011

I am planning to try this recipe in hopes that it is better than others I have tried. I do have a question about the flour. The recipe calls for sifted flour. Is the amount of flour listed in the recipe measured before or after sifting? I typically measure after sifting but I would like to know what Paula does. Thank you for your assistance.

By Pat on December 17, 2011

Not sure what happened here but this recipe flopped for me. No one ate it. It was kind of dry and bland and I didn't care for the texture. I'm a seasoned baker so I'm not sure what the error was (if any). Won't bother to make this one again though.

By Melis on December 17, 2011

I just want u to know this Red Velvet cake was and is to die for.... Paula you are the BEST!!!!!! I LOVE YOU AND THE SHOW....

By TAMMI TURNER on December 15, 2011

Paula O have loved you and your cookin for years I just wish everyone could wise up. Grandma sure knew how to make Red Velvet cake. LIKE NO OTHER but that's the way it is. Thanks Pam G

By Pamela Goldstein on November 22, 2011

This is absolutely the best red velvet cake I have ever tasted/made. It's not that hard to make (follow the directions). We're not a fan of coconut so we don't normally put it in. But this icing is simply out of this world!

By Dan & Jason on November 21, 2011

Hi Sharon, Sometimes recipes are updated for the show from the time the books are printed. This recipe is correct as above.

By Jonathan Able on November 16, 2011

I just made this Cake today and in Paula's The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook, it calls for only 1 teaspoon of cocoa, and I see with above recipe it calls for 2 Tablespoons.I already have made the cake to take to my Son's for my Grandson's Birthday, hope it will be OK. Was it a error in printing?

By Sharon on November 11, 2011

I am very excited to try this recipe, I have never made a red velvet cake before, I'm just a beginner and open to any tips. @ nikita i know it's a family secret, but I'm not family , I promise i won't say a word! @ clay so, what is that old fashion recipe for the red velvet frosting (without cream cheese)....curious cuz it sounds delicious!!

By sinsumama on October 19, 2011

Ma'am, Paula Dean No Disrespect for you're cooking skills. But My Granny baked this cake for Christmas one year instead of her's. and it was a major dissapointment for us all. not for her but for everyone else. The Cake was dry, and dint tast the slightest bit better then her's or as good as her's. So im sticking With My Granny's Red Velvet Cake. Very Moist and Mouth Watering, plus she useing slightly different quantitys in her's. oh @Cathy Malta put the cake in the Freezer to make the moist get trapped into it plus makes it easyer to frost. :D every southern cook knows that.

By Kayla on October 17, 2011

Good Day All: I have baked this cake many times including her cupcake version which is slightly different. Both are equally delicious and have yet to turn out dense. This cake has always turned out moist and is a show-stopper at functions. However, I will admit that there are several tricks that I use to ensure it's moistness. One of which I cannot divulge because it's a family secret that I use with practically EVERY cake I bake. ....But the other trick that I use is in the sifting. Even though it's cake flour (the finest in texture around) I still sift!! Twice!! It makes a huge difference. Trust me. Also, my buttermilk, eggs and butter are at room temperature. I do this every single time. I must admit that you will have to test this a few times to get the hang if it. Just make sure that you level off your flour each time you measure. As far as the icing....I felt that the amounts of coconut and nuts were way too much so I just use a half cup of each. Sometimes I don't use them at all and opt for the cream cheese icing along....even leaving out the marshmallows. When icing I use a regular old butter knife! It works like magic and you will get a professional finish to boot. Cake baking is NOT an easy art....you have to keep at it again and again......but it's so worth it when every cake comes out the same every time....so worth it.... I will also add that the video on Food Network of Paula baking this cake is very different than what the recipe instructions call for? Is there a reason for this???? I know she can do this in her sleep so it may simply be a force of habit. Just a question..... Thank you again for such wonderful recipes!!! )) Nikita

By Nikita on September 27, 2011