Easy Pink Velvet Cake

Pink velvet cake is moist and tender with a light cocoa powder flavor.  Made with buttermilk and vinegar; it has the velvet texture you expect from red velvet cake, but in a pretty pink cake!  Perfect for a Valentines cake or a pink birthday party.  

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Pink velvet cake came about as a bit of an accident. For little e's fourth birthday, she requested blue velvet cake. I started experimenting with variations of red velvet cake, but subbing out the red with blue.

The funny thing about blue cake though, is that well, it's blue. Or in my case, it was charcoal green and teal.😂 Mr. two sugar bugs flat out said that blue cake was "weird" and I kind of agree. In all the experimenting though, we came to fall in love with this cake; just not the blue color. The sugar bugs and I love pink, so pink velvet cake was born.

My pink velvet cake is frosted with a silky vanilla swiss meringue buttercream for those who prefer a cake without cream cheese frosting.

This post was originally published in June of 2019 and has been updated with helpful information and new photos. I have reduced the amount of frosting, but the recipe remains the same.

💗 why you will love this pink cake

• It has a velvety soft crumb.
• Easy to make from scratch.
• Has a hint of cocoa and a slight tang from the buttermilk.
• A single layer sheet cake, but can be made into layer cakes; see the recipe card.

what flavor is pink velvet?

I like to think of pink velvet cake as red velvet's posh younger cousin. It has a very mild chocolate flavor with a moist, soft and tender crumb.

📝 Ingredients needed and substitutions

Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.

• Cake flour ~ I prefer cake flour because it is lighter than all-purpose flour and creates a light and fluffy cake texture.  If you aren't using a kitchen scale, be sure to spoon and level your flour. {Fluff the flour in the container, then spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife}.
• Cocoa powder ~ unsweetened natural cocoa powder gives us just a hint of cocoa flavor without overpowering the butter and vanilla.
• Baking powder and baking soda ~ provide a little lift to the easy cake.
• Kosher salt ~  if you only have table salt, half the amount used.
• Butter ~ we want the unsalted butter room temperature, so pull it out 1-2 hours prior to making the pink velvet cake. If you only have salted butter, leave the salt out.
• Granulated sugar ~ provides the sweetness to the from scratch cake.
• Pink food color ~ gives the pretty dark pink color.  I recommend a concentrated food coloring as you will not need to use as much.
• Large eggs ~ 2 large eggs are needed; pull them out when you pull out the butter so they are room temperature.
• Buttermilk ~ I find store bought buttermilk works best, pull it out with the butter and eggs so it is room temperature.
• White vinegar ~ reacts with the baking soda to create tiny bubbles in the cake batter, which gives that fluffy cake texture we all love.
• Vanilla ~ pure vanilla extract is my favorite.

Remember to pin this recipe to Pinterest! Use the button on the recipe card or the share buttons on the side or bottom of this page.

🍰how to make pink velvet cake

Start by preheating the oven and prepare a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper.

Then sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt. The kosher salt isn't fine enough to fit through my sifter, so I whisk it in after the others have been sifted.

Next, using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the unsalted butter, granulated sugar and pink concentrated food coloring. I prefer to start with the color now, as to not overwork the batter while trying to add the color later. The ratio of sugar to butter is high, so this mixture doesn't get light and fluffy and you will mix until well incorporated.

Then you will beat in your eggs one at a time. In a measuring cup mix together the buttermilk, white vinegar and vanilla.

Now alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients. See the recipe card for specifics.

Finally, mix on low until  just a few streaks of flour remain.  Then use a spatula to finish folding in the dry ingredients as to not overwork the batter.

Pour/spread the cake batter into the prepared baking pan{s} and bake.

👩🏻‍🍳 tips for the perfect velvet cake

• Use a scale to measure your ingredients for the best results. If you do not have a kitchen scale, see the notes in the ingredient section on how to measure the flour.
• Don’t skip the cake flour; it gives you the best soft and tender pink velvet texture!
• For the perfect velvet flavor, use store bought buttermilk.  It will give the cake more flavor and moisture than a homemade version.
• Sift the cocoa powder, flour and leaveners together to eliminate any lumps of cocoa or flour in the cake.
• Don't over mix the cake batter. Use low speed when combining the wet and dry ingredients and mix until everything is j.u.s.t. combined. I usually stop when just a few streaks of dry ingredients remain and use a spatula to finish the mixing.
• The cake batter is thick so an off-set spatula works great to smooth it into the pan.
• Don't over bake the cake. Remember your oven is different than mine and baking times may vary a little. The easy pink velvet cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
• Allow the cake or cake layers to cool completely before frosting. Otherwise the buttercream will melt off it.

How to decorate a sheet cake

Decorate simply by spreading frosting onto a completely cooled cake. You can use an off-set spatula or spoon to create some texture to the frosting.

You can also dress up a simply frosted cake with a few sprinkles.

If you are feeling adventurous and want to add some piping to your single layer cake, you can create a pretty design by using a Wilton 1M, Wilton 4B, Wilton 6B, Wilton 104 and Wilton 32. I created the rosettes with the 1M. While this design looks impressive {at least to me!}, it is quite quick to create. The piping took me about 10 minutes for the whole cake.

For more decorating ideas, check out my grapefruit poppy seed cake, lemon white chocolate cake, sugar cookie cake or homemade vanilla snack cake.

💡 frosting variations

I have included my vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream in the recipe card; the silky smooth, not overly sweet frosting is a perfect pair to this pink velvet cake. 

Cream cheese frosting: If you prefer a more classic velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, double the frosting recipe from my pumpkin snack cake.

Chocolate frosting:  use my small batch chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream.  This post also has all the details on how to make the best Swiss meringue buttercream.

American buttercream: double the recipe from my vanilla snack cake for a not-too-sweet version of American buttercream.  This buttercream can be dyed pink if you prefer a pink velvet cake with pink frosting!

💬 frequently asked questions

what is the difference between pink velvet and red velvet cake recipes?

In my recipe, pink velvet is made with less cocoa powder and uses pink food coloring instead of red food coloring.

Both cakes also use buttermilk and vinegar, which gives the tender and fluffy velvet texture.

can this cake be baked in other sizes?

Yes! The recipe can be made into a three layer 6-inch cake or a two layer 8-inch cake instead of a 9 x 13 sheet cake. I've tested it all ways and it comes out fabulous whichever one you choose!  

The bake times will vary slightly, so start checking the cake around 20 minutes into baking. You could also bake the batter into cupcakes; bake time will likely be between 16-20 minutes.

what makes it a velvet cake?

Pink velvet cake is made with baking soda, vinegar and buttermilk. The chemical reaction of these ingredients creates bubbles which results in a fluffy and smooth cake.

can I use natural food color?

You need to use a strong food color to cancel out the chocolate color of the cocoa powder.  I have not tested this recipe with any natural substitutions.  Many people swear by beet powder for red velvet cake, which may work, you will need less for the pink cake. 

If you don’t want to use food coloring, just leave it out.  The cake flavor will stay the same, but it will have a light cocoa hue instead of pink.

how to store

The cake can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

It can also be stored tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

The pink velvet cake can be frozen with the frosting for up to 2 months. You can either chill the cake well; then wrap the whole thing tightly in a double layer in plastic wrap. Or cut the cake into individual slices and chill; then wrap each slice tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap. Allow to defrost at room temperature before serving.

This velvet cake tastes best at room temperature.

Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make this Pink Velvet Cake. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!

more from scratch cakes to try:

• Red Velvet Loaf
• Cookie Butter Cake
• Raspberry Almond Cake
• Homemade Raspberry Cake
• Italian Almond Cake
• Graham Cracker Cake

If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating.  I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!

Recipe shared with Weekend Potluck, Full Plate Thursday, and Meal Plan Monday