Red Velvet Cake with Beets
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Naturally dyed Red Velvet Cake with beets! Moist, tender crumb, cocoa flavor, and cream cheese frosting without artificial coloring.
This Red Velvet Cake with Beets is a delicious twist on the classic. Many people don’t realize that red velvet wasn’t always about vibrant red dye. The “red” originally came from a natural chemical reaction in cocoa based cakes.
My recipe brings beets into that tradition with a gorgeous, earthy-sweet boost of color that people are trying to achieve with food dye. Bonus, you won’t taste the beets!
Beets might sound unusual in cake, but they’re magic here. Puréed until smooth, they melt right into the batter, giving you that signature velvety crumb, natural color, and extra moisture without overpowering the flavor. Cocoa, vanilla, and buttermilk balance everything so you get the taste you expect from red velvet, only better.
Quick Bites About This Recipe
Flavor: Subtly chocolatey, slightly tangy, with creamy frosting finish.
Skill Level: Beginner-friendly with a few steps to follow.
Swaps: Roast beets instead of boiling for deeper flavor and color.
Make Ahead: Bake cake layers a day in advance and frost the next day.
Freezer Friendly: Unfrosted layers freeze well for up to 2 months.
Variations & Substitutions: Bake as cupcakes for individual servings or swap frosting for mascarpone for a lighter twist.
Red Velvet Cake with Beets Ingredients
- Beets: The secret ingredient! While you could boil the beets, roasting them makes them sweeter, thicker, and intensifies their color.
- Lemon juice: A bit of acidity from the lemons keeps the beet color bright and fresh.
- All-purpose flour: The base of the cake, giving structure while staying tender.
- Cornstarch: Softens the crumb, mimicking cake flour, which I rarely buy!
- Natural cocoa powder: Adds that subtle chocolate flavor. Stick with natural, not Dutch-processed, so the red tones stay vibrant.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Leavening agents that keep the crumb light.
- Kosher salt: Balances sweetness and enhances the flavor.
- Butter and vegetable oil: Butter adds richness and flavor while the oil keeps the cake moist longer.
- Sugar: Sweetens and also helps with structure.
- Eggs: Binds everything together and add richness. Room temperature eggs mix in smoothly.
- Vanilla extract: Adds much flavor, depth and warmth.
- Buttermilk: Tangy, tenderizing, and a flavor essential in red velvet. You can also make a faux buttermilk (how to make buttermilk).
- Cream cheese: The tangy star of the frosting.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens and smooths the frosting.
- Butter (for frosting): Adds richness and body.
- Vanilla extract (for frosting): Finishes the frosting with warmth.
How to Make Red Velvet Cake with Beets
Start by cooking the beets. Trim and rinse them, then either boil in a pot of water with a splash of lemon juice for about 30-35 minutes or roast them wrapped in foil at 400°F for 45-55 minutes. Boiling is quicker, but roasting brings out more sweetness and gives a bolder color. Once the beets are tender and cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and purée until smooth and thick, like applesauce. Measure out 1 cup for the cake.
Next, get your pans and oven ready. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease two 9-inch round cake pans, lining the bottoms with parchment paper to make sure the cakes release easily later.
Now whisk together your dry ingredients in a medium bowl; flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Keeping them combined ahead of time ensures the leavening agents are evenly distributed.
In your stand mixer, beat the butter with the sugar until it’s light and fluffy. Add in the oil and mix until the batter looks creamy and smooth.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, letting each incorporate before adding the next, then stir in vanilla extract. Blend in the beet purée until the batter takes on its natural rosy hue.
To finish the batter, gently mix in half of the dry ingredients, then all of the buttermilk, and finally the rest of the dry ingredients. Stir just until everything is combined, no need to overdo it, or you’ll risk a tough crumb.
Divide the batter evenly between the two pans, smoothing the tops with a spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes before turning them out onto wire racks to cool completely.
While the cakes cool, make the frosting. Beat the butter until creamy, then add the cream cheese and continue mixing until smooth. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar a cup at a time, then finish with vanilla extract. If the frosting feels too soft, chill it for about 20 minutes before spreading.
Once the cake layers are fully cooled, spread frosting between the two cakes and cover the outside with the remaining frosting. For a finishing touch, decorate with cake crumbs or a sprinkle of crushed freeze-dried raspberries for a pop of color.
Storing and Reheating (If There’s Any Leftovers!)
Refrigerate: Store covered in the fridge up to 4 days.
Freeze: Wrap unfrosted layers and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Let chilled slices sit at room temp 20 minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Roasting beets gives sweeter flavor and richer color.
- Use natural cocoa, not Dutch-processed, for the best color.
- Chill frosting briefly if too soft to spread.
- Wrap cake layers tightly if making ahead.
Red Velvet Cake with Beets
Ingredients
Beet Puree
- 3 medium red beets
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Red Velvet Cake
- 2 1/4 cups (290 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (30 grams) cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons (18 grams) natural cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup (120 grams) vegetable oil
- 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs 150 g, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 grams) beet puree applesauce consistency
- 1/2 cup (120 grams) buttermilk
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 18 tablespoons (254 grams) unsalted butter softened
- 14 oz (397 grams) cream cheese softened
- 6 1/4 cups (625 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Cook beets: Boil in lemon water for 30-35 minutes OR roast wrapped in foil at 400°F for 45-55 minutes until fork-tender. Cool, peel, and purée until smooth and thick. Measure 1 cup.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pans.
- Whisk flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add oil and beat until smooth.
- Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
- Mix in beet purée until evenly combined.
- Add half dry mixture, then buttermilk, then remaining dry mixture. Mix gently until just combined.
- Divide batter into pans. Bake 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks. Cool completely.
- Frosting: Beat butter until creamy. Add cream cheese and beat smooth. Add powdered sugar gradually, then vanilla. Chill if needed.
- Assemble: Frost between layers, cover cake with remaining frosting, and garnish as desired.
Notes
- Substitutions: Beets: Roast instead of boiling for sweeter flavor and a deeper red hue. You can also use vacuum-packed cooked beets if you’re short on time, but avoid pickled ones. Flour + cornstarch: Swap both for 2 1/2 cups (300 g) cake flour if you have it on hand.
- Storage: Store covered in the fridge up to 4 days. Freeze unfrosted layers for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: Not needed. Let chilled slices sit at room temperature before serving.
I tried the recipe in the Cake Boss cookbook. What a big disappointment.
That looks so yummy!
That looks yummy. I haven’t had red velvet cake in years.
Would like to try your recipe.