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A slice of red velvet sheet cake topped with Ermine frosting, sitting on a plate.
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Red Velvet Sheet Cake with Ermine Frosting

A soft and tender red velvet sheet cake topped with silky and lightly sweet ermine frosting that is perfect for holidays, birthdays, or anytime you want a classic red velvet treat.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Cooling Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 642kcal
Author: Jessica Burgess

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
  • 1 ounce container red food color See notes for food coloring liquid/gel differences.
  • 1 cup buttermilk room temperature

For the White Ermine Frosting:

  • 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, 16 tablespoons - softened to room temperature
  • 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt until combined. Set aside.
    Dry ingredients in mixing bowl: flour, cocoa powder baking soda, and kosher salt.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar and 1 cup vegetable oil until smooth, about 1 minute. Mix in 3 large eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly combined.
    Sugar, oil and eggs in mixing bowl.
  • Stir in 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, and (1) 1-ounce container of red food coloring until the batter is a rich, even red.
    Vanilla and red food coloring in cake batter in mixing bowl.
  • Add half of the flour mixture to the batter, mixing just until mostly combined. Pour in 1 cup room temperature buttermilk and mix gently until incorporated. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix just until the batter is smooth, with no dry streaks remaining. Avoid overmixing the batter.
    Dry, flour mixture added to red cake batter in mixing bowl.
  • Pour the batter into your prepared 9x13 baking pan and spread it out evenly.
    Red velvet cake batter in 9x13 baking dish.
  • Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few soft crumbs.
    Baked red velvet sheet cake in 9x13 baking pan.
  • Set the pan on a wire rack and let the cake cool completely in the pan, about 1-2 hours.

For the Ermine Frosting Recipe

  • To make the ermine frosting, whisk 5 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and 1 cup whole milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly while it cooks until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency, about 3-5 minutes.
    Ermine white frosting in sauce pan to cook on stove.
  • Let the cooked flour and milk mixture cool completely at room temperature, about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until it feels cool to the touch. For quicker cooling, transfer to a shallow bowl and stir occasionally while it sits. Make sure the mixture is completely cool before using it, or the frosting will melt.
  • Once the flour and milk mixture has cooled completely, beat 1 cup (2 sticks) of softened unsalted butter and 1 ¼ cups of granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, then gradually add the cooled milk mixture one spoonful at a time while beating continuously until thoroughly combined and smooth.
    Vanilla, butter and sugar in mixing bowl for ermine frosting.
  • Beat for 2-3 minutes until silky, smooth, and spreadable. The texture should appear whipped, creamy, and light.
    White ermine frosting piped on to red velvet cake.
  • Spread the frosting over the fully cooled red velvet sheet cake with an offset spatula, slice, and ENJOY!
    Red velvet cake topped with ermine frosting and cut in to servings.

Video

Notes

Red food color – 1 ounce of red food coloring liquid or if using gel, it's more concentrated so start with 1 teaspoon of gel, and see if that gives you a vibrant red. My recipe tester used all of the 1 ounce Wilton red gel icing color and said it turned out great (as seen in images here on recipe).
I have used Great Value brand of the red gel tubes, and only used one (.67 ounce tube) and it worked great. It was a darker red but still great.
Remember that mixing flour, milk, and cocoa in will dilute the color. Adding too much red can make the cake turn dark/black.
Dark Metal Pan: I've also tested this cake in a dark, metal pan, and baked it at 325°F for 40 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 642kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 236mg | Potassium: 125mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 599IU | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2mg
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