Sourdough Red Velvet Cake Recipe with Buttercream Frosting

Sourdough Red Velvet Cake has a moist and velvety crumb, with light chocolate flavors, and a few secret ingredients that make it beyond decadent. This from-scratch sourdough cake pairs beautifully with a rich almond buttercream frosting. Perfect for Valentine’s Day or any day of the year, really!

What is Sourdough Red Velvet Cake?

When it comes to Sourdough Red Velvet Cake, a common question that is asked is “Is it just a sourdough chocolate cake with red coloring?”

The quick answer – no!

As the name describes it to be, Sourdough Red Velvet Cake is just that – velvety. Traditionally, red velvet cake was known as chocolate buttermilk cake. The acidity in buttermilk reacts beautifully with the baking soda, creating a light, airy, and dare I say again, velvety cake.

Using natural cocoa powder gives this cake a slight tint of red, bringing on its iconic color.

Why bake with Sourdough Discard?

Just like buttermilk, sourdough discard is also acidic. Instead of using buttermilk, I swapped out one acidity for another.

I love using sourdough discard in cakes, like my sourdough lemon cake or sourdough banana cake, because the discard slows down the formation of gluten, which can make a cake tough. The acidity in the fermented flour reacts with the baking soda and puffs up the cake crumb to be tender and so moist.

Each bite will have you wanting more. The slight tang from the discard is perfectly balanced between the richness of the cocoa and the buttery sweetness from the frosting. Plus, the cake and frosting incorporate an additional secret ingredient – almond extract.

If you aren’t familiar with almond extract, it is fruity in taste, slightly sweet, and balances out the bitterness in dark chocolate beautifully. My grandma is a huge fan of anything with almond extract, and now so am I!

Though I highly encourage everyone to make it with almond extract, some might not be huge fans. In that case, swap out the almond for vanilla extract.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

SWEET TREAT:

Sourdough Red Velvet cake has a light and airy crumb, but a decadent chocolatey and almond flavor. Each bite will melt in your mouth and keep you coming back for more!

GREAT WAY TO USE UP DISCARD:

I love looking for new sourdough recipes to put my sourdough discard to use. From chicken tenders to pie crusts, I love adding sourdough discard to all my favorite recipes, including this sourdough red velvet cake.

TENDER CRUMB:

Adding extra sourdough discard starter to a cake batter slows down the formation of gluten, which means a more tender cake. Making recipes like this is a great use for any extra sourdough starter you may have.

Ingredients

Batter:

Butter: Unsalted or salted room-temperature butter adds a rich and creamy flavor to the cake.

Sugar – Granulated or cane sugar will work perfectly for this recipe.

Large eggs – Brought to room temperature and beaten.

Cake Flour – Cake flour has a lower protein content than most flours. This makes the cake lighter and more tender. If you don’t have cake flour, it can be substituted with all-purpose flour. Be sure to scoop the flour, sift it, and then remeasure the flour for the most accurate measurement.

Salt – To bring out the sweetness of the cake.

Cocoa Powder – I prefer using natural cocoa powder, over Dutch-processed cocoa powder, but use what you have.

Milk – Can be made with non-dairy options as well.

Almond Extract – Adding almond extract to this cake really compliments the chocolate flavor. It’s a tad fruity and sweet in flavor. If you dislike the flavor of almonds, you can substitute it with vanilla extract.

Red Food Coloring or Gel – To create a vibrant red color for this cake, I used red gel. Some have substituted this ingredient for red beet powder or omitted it altogether.

Sourdough Starter – The older the sourdough discard, the better. I will typically use a 1-2 weeks-old unfed sourdough starter.

Baking Soda – Since this is a no-wait recipe, we need help with getting the cake to rise. Baking soda will give us the lift we need.

White Vinegar – When mixed with baking soda, vinegar will cause a fizzing reaction. Fold this mixture into the batter to create a light and airy crumb.

Frosting:

Butter – For a rich and buttery consistency.

Confectioners Sugar – Gives all the sweetness to the frosting.

Almond Extract – Adding almond extract to this frosting really compliments the chocolate flavor. It’s a tad fruity and sweet in flavor. If you dislike the flavor of almonds, you can just add the vanilla extract.

Vanilla Extract – Beautifully compliments the buttery sweetness.

Heavy cream – Thins out the frosting just a tad for a smooth consistency.

Salt – Just a pinch to bring out the sweetness of the frosting.

Supplies

Stand Mixer or Electric Mixer

Kitchen Scale

Rubber Spatula

Two 9-inch cake pans

Parchment Paper

Cooling rack

How to Make Sourdough Red Velvet Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.

Grease two 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray, then line the bottom with a circle piece of parchment paper. Finally, spray with pan spray one more time.

Using parchment paper is a full-proof way of removing your cake from the pans!

MAKE THE BATTER

First, sift 2 cups of cake flour into a bowl. Then spoon the sifted flour into a measuring cup and level off with a knife. This will give you the most accurate flour measurement.

In a medium bowl, mix cake flour, cocoa powder, and salt until combined. Set the dry ingredients to the side.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the milk, sourdough discard, almond extract, and red food coloring until smooth.

If you are not a fan of almond extract, substitute with even amounts of vanilla extract. Also, omit the red food coloring if you prefer.

Set to the side.

Mix

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the room temperature butter and sugar until creamy on medium speed, about 2 minutes. Stop to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl when necessary.

To the butter/sugar mixture, add the beaten eggs. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is fluffy and a pale yellow color, about 3 minutes.

Now, alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients to the stand mixer.

First add a third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the liquid ingredients. Be sure not to over-mix the cake batter! This can lead to a tough crumb. Stop mixing once the flour mixture is just combined.

In a separate bowl, mix the baking soda and vinegar. It will bubble and fizz. Fold this into the batter. You will notice the batter will look fluffy.

Bake

Divide and pour batter into the twp prepared pan. Tap the pans on the counter to release any air bubbles in the batter.

Place both cake pans into the oven on the middle oven rack. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cakes.

Cool the warm cake on a wire rack completely before frosting.

Almond Buttercream Frosting

With a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the soft butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl when necessary.

Add the powdered sugar, almond extract, vanilla extract, heavy cream, and salt and mix until combined.

If the frosting is too thick, add up to 1 T of heavy cream. If the frosting is too thin, add up to 1/2 cup of extra powdered sugar until it has reached the desired consistency.

Assemble the Sourdough Red Velvet Cake

Before decorating, double-check that the cakes are completely cooled! If they are even slightly warm, the frosting will melt into a sugary mess.

Level

If the cake is domed, slice off a thin piece of the top of the cake with a serrated knife. This helps the cake to lay evening when layered.

Layer

First, place the bottom layer on the cake stand. Top with about a cup of the almond buttercream frosting and spread with a flat knife or offset spatula until it is evenly covered.

Place the 2nd cake layer on top and cover evenly with another cup of frosting. Cover the edges of the cake with the remaining frosting.

Decorate

I crumbled the leftover cake pieces and sprinkled them on top. You could also decorate this cake with beautiful piping or shavings of white chocolate or dark chocolate or even melted chocolate.

How to Store

If you have leftover Sourdough Red Velvet Cake, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and store it in an airtight container. Place the cake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Remove from the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.

This cake also freezes beautifully! Once the cake has cooled, cover it tightly with plastic, place it in a freezer-safe bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, bring the room temperature and decorate as shared.

FAQs:

What kind of sourdough starter should I use to make Sourdough Red Velvet Cake?

Typically, red velvet cake is made with buttermilk. The acidity found in buttermilk reacts with baking soda, which gives red velvet cake a beautiful rise and its velvety texture. In this recipe, however, I’ve removed buttermilk for sourdough discard.

The unfed sourdough starter contains a high amount of acidity from the fermentation process. That being said, discard that is over 1-2 weeks old will do! The discard will react with the baking soda and help the cake rise to a fluffy and moist finish. I have used fresh discard, as well, and it works beautifully.

What kind of cocoa powder should I use to make Sourdough Red Velvet Cake?

I prefer using natural cocoa powder over Dutch-processed cocoa powder. Natural cocoa powder is more acidity and helps to aid in this cake’s natural red tint. Natural cocoa powder also has a richer flavor.

Do I have to use almond extract in the buttercream frosting?

Traditionally, red velvet cake is topped with an ermine frosting, which is a boiled milk frosting. Today, many home bakers love to top red velvet cakes with tangy cream cheese frosting. I, however, prefer an almond buttercream frosting over the rest. You really can’t lose with any of these options. Whatever you prefer, choose your favorite frosting!

More Sourdough Discard Recipes Like This:

Sourdough Lemon Cake

Blueberry Coffee Cake Made with Sourdough Discard

Sourdough Banana Cake