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This is the most delicious Red Velvet Loaf Cake and it is incredibly soft. It has a beautiful red velvet swirl throughout the loaf, giving a hint of cocoa flavor, and the most soft and fluffy texture plus it’s topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting giving a perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess. This loaf cake makes an elegant, yet simple dessert, perfect for special occasions or as an everyday treat.
This Red Velvet Loaf Cake is so delicious and has a beautiful red velvet cake swirl with a hint of cocoa flavor, to give that classic red velvet flavor. It is topped with a cream cheese frosting, which complements the red velvet loaf cake perfectly. This elegant and moist red velvet loaf cake is perfect to serve for special occasions, like Christmas or Valentine’s Day or simply as an everyday indulgence.
For more quick bread recipes, try One-Bowl Banana Bread, Lemon Pound Cake and Carrot Cake Loaf.
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Red Velvet Loaf Cake: This red velvet loaf cake is super soft and moist and has hint of cocoa for the perfect red velvet flavor.
- Cream cheese frosting: It is also topped with a delicious cream cheese frosting, giving a perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess.
- Perfect for any occasion: It is perfect to serve for any special occasions, like Christmas or Valentine’s Day.
INGREDIENT NOTES
These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour: Gives a light and airy cake. I prefer using all-purpose flour with a protein amount that is between 10-11%
- Granulated sugar: The sugar helps sweeten, as well as give moister to the cake.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Help leaven and rise the cake, so it has light and fluffy texture.
- Salt: Helps enhance the flavor of the cake.
- Egg: Take it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking, so it comes to room temperature. (depending how warm your kitchen is).
- Oil: Use a flavor neutral oil, such as canola oil.
- Sour cream: Sour cream gives lots of moisture and tenderness to the cake, as well as helps give the cake a great structure.
- Butter: The butter gives the loaf cake a delicious flavor and texture. Bring it out and let it come to room temperature.
- Red food colouring: Use red gel food coloring or vegan food coloring for the perfect red velvet color. My favorite brand is Sugarflair Colours.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Here is how to make and bake this Red Velvet Loaf Cake. This recipe needs a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or a hand mixer.
The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.
Preheat the oven at 175ºC/350ºF conventional oven and grease a 21,5 x 11,5 cm /8,5x4,5 inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
STEP 1: For the loaf cake, in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment or in a mixing bowl using a electric hand mixer add the granulated sugar and butter and mix it together on high speed.
STEP 2: Add the large eggs one at a time into the mixture and mix it in until combined. Continue by mixing in half the dry ingredients.
STEP 3: Then add the sour cream, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Then mix in the other half of the dry ingredients.
STEP 4: Pour a little under ½ of the batter into a separate bowl and add the cocoa powder, vinegar and red food coloring. Gently fold it together until combined. Alternate by adding a bit of each of the two batters into the prepared loaf pan and with a butter knife swirl the two batters together, to get that beautiful marble effect.
STEP 5: Bake it for 60-65 minutes or until the cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool on a wire rack.
STEP 6: For the cream cheese frosting, in your stand mixer, using the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, start by creaming the butter on high speed until light a fluffy.
STEP 7: Add the vanilla bean paste and cream cheese and cream it together. Add the sifted powdered sugar in 2 parts. Add the cream cheese frosting on top of the loaf cake and event it out.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
- Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.
FAQ
I recommend using a cake tester or toothpick. When the time has passed, per the recipe, insert the cake tester in the in the center of the cake and once it comes out clean, with no cake batter on it, then it's done.
Yes, I recommend wait, to add the cream cheese frosting until ready to serve it. Make the loaf as instructed and store it in an airtight container or covered by plastic wrap. Then add the cream cheese frosting when serving.
Yes you can replace it 1:1 with Greek yogurt.
HOW TO STORE
If the cream cheese frosting is added, store the Red Velvet Loaf Cake in an airtight container, in the refrigerator. Once you want to eat it, let it come to room temperature before eating, takes about 30-60 minutes. For the best result enjoy them within a 2-3 days.
Other Loaf Cake Recipes To Try
Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
Red Velvet Loaf Cake
Ingredients
RED VELVET LOAF CAKE
- 270 g all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 110 g butter room temperature
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 200 g sour cream 14-18% room temperature
- 30 g vegetable oil
- 1 ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- ½ - 1 teaspoon red gel food coloring or vegan food coloring amount depending on your food color, see if it needs more for a deep red color
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 100 g butter
- 50 g full-fat cream cheese
- 180 g powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
The US customary cup measurement serves as a rough estimate, as it can have uncertainties, so for precise results, it's recommended to weigh your ingredients using a digital scale in grams. Baking is both an art and a science, which most often requires precision and accuracy.
Instructions
RED VELVET LOAF CAKE
- Preheat the oven at 175ºC/350ºF conventional oven and grease a 21,5 x 11,5 cm /8,5x4,5 inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
- Sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set it aside.270 g all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add granulated sugar and butter to a large bowl and using a stand mixer, with a paddle attachment, or a hand mixer, mix it together on high speed for 3 minutes.110 g butter, 200 g granulated sugar
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs one at a time into the mixture and on medium speed mix until combined.2 eggs
- Continue by adding ½ of the flour mixture on low speed. Then add the sour cream, vegetable oil and vanilla extract and mix it in. Then add the other half of the flour mixture and give it a final mix until just combined. Scape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure all the ingredients have been incorporated.200 g sour cream 14-18%, 30 g vegetable oil, 1 ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add ½ of the batter into a separate bowl and add the cocoa powder, white vinegar and red gel food coloring. Gently fold it together with a rubber spatula until combined and it's all an even color.1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, ½ - 1 teaspoon red gel food coloring or vegan food coloring
- Alternate by adding a bit of each of the two batters into the prepared pans and with a butter knife swirl the two batters together.
- Bake it for 55-60 minutes.
- Let the cake cool on a wire rack. After 10 minutes, gently remove the cake from the loaf tin and let it cool down completely.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- Once the cake is completely cooled down, take the butter and cream cheese out of the fridge 10 minutes before starting. Cut the butter into cubes. Sift the powdered sugar.100 g butter, 50 g full-fat cream cheese, 180 g powdered sugar
- In your stand mixer, using the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, start by creaming the butter for 5 minutes on high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it another mix for 2 minutes.
- Add the vanilla bean paste and cream cheese and cream it together with the butter for 1 minute.½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and on low speed, mix the sifted powdered sugar in 2 parts, letting the powdered sugar mix in with butter and cream cheese before adding the next part. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it a final mix.
- Add the cream cheese frosting on top of the loaf cake and event it out. It's ready to be enjoyed.
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