Pink Velvet Cake {With Strawberries}
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Soft, moist, easy pink velvet cake recipe from scratch, homemade with simple ingredients. Paired with strawberry frosting and fresh strawberries. Perfect for Valentine’s Day.
I am sure all of you know about a red velvet cake but feast your eyes on this pink velvet cake now! This is the most romantic cake ever and it’s one of my most popular Valentine’s day cakes, just like my Moist Red Velvet Cake. By the way, many people don’t realize that red velvet cake is not just a red colored vanilla cake. It’s actually a red colored vanilla cake batter with a hint of chocolate. Over the years, these cakes have given rise to other types of velvet cakes. These new versions are simply vanilla cakes in different colors or at least that’s my understanding. The one I am sharing today is a pink iteration or some people like to call it a pink sponge cake recipe. For more pink themed treats check out this Pink Desserts {Valentine’s Day Desserts}.
UPDATE: I shared this pink velvet cake recipe a few years ago but it did not have pictures of the slices and those have been added now.
Table of contents
What is Pink Velvet Cake? Does it Have Cocoa Powder?
It’s a soft and moist buttermilk cake that is pink in color and frosted in pink buttercream icing. It has a very light and airy texture, and does not contain cocoa powder.
How to Make Easy Pink Velvet Cake Recipe From Scratch?
- Cream butter and sugar– Until light and fluffy.
- Mix in wet ingredients– Including eggs, vanilla and buttermilk.
- Whisk dry ingredients– Mix into the wet mixture.
- Bake– Let it cool.
- Frost it– Then, decorate with strawberries and coconut. Enjoy!
How to Color Batter Pink?
You can do this by adding pink gel food coloring or a little bit of red food coloring into the batter and mixing well. I suggest using gel food coloring instead of liquid food coloring since the color is stronger and you don’t have to add as much as the liquid variety.
Variations for Pink Cake
Make cupcakes– Instead of a cake, you can use this recipe to make 24 cupcakes.
Make a cake roll– You can bake this cake in a flat cookie pan, and it will be enough to make 2 rolls.
Try another frosting– I think the best icing or best frosting for this cake is strawberry frosting but my family and friends love it with Cream Cheese Frosting. You could even use Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting if you prefer.
Use a cake mix– I recently saw pink velvet cake mix boxes at my local grocery store, but I think they might be seasonal and they are probably not available all year. If you can find them, you can use them to make this cake or even cookies. I haven’t tried them and don’t know how they taste though.
Add other fillings– Such as Homemade Vanilla Custard {Easy}, How to Make Homemade Stabilized Whipped Cream, or even Chocolate Whipped Cream {3 Ingredients}.
Make it cherry flavored– Use Maraschino Cherry Frosting {Pink}, and use How to Make Cherry Pie Filling between the layers.
Tips and Techniques for Valentine’s day Heart Cake
Do not replace buttermilk with regular milk– Because it adds a lot of moisture to this cake and a very subtle tanginess.
Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature– Because this ensures they blend together properly and smoothly.
Don’t frost the cake until it has fully cooled down– Because otherwise the cake will crumble and frosting will melt.
What to do with leftover cake? You can also use leftover cake or cake scraps to make Cake Pops and Cake Balls or Cake Truffles.
Homemade buttermilk substitute– Simply add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a 1 cup measuring cup. Then, fill the remainder of the cup with whole milk. Stir the mixture gently and let it rest for about 5 minutes.
Don’t over-mix cake batter– Because it will make the cake dense and tough.
Don’t over- bake cake– Because the edges and tips will start to brown.
What size pan to use? Pour this batter into a greased/floured heart pan (Dimensions 8×3). You can also use two round 8×2 pans if you don’t want to make a heart cake.
Storage of Homemade Cake
Room temperature– This can be left out for 2-3 hours away from direct heat and moisture.
Refrigerate– In a sealed container for 2-3 days.
Freeze– Baked cakes and frosting can be stored in individual containers for up to 1 month. When you are ready to enjoy this cake, thaw to room temperature and assemble, as per instructions below.
More Valentine’s Day Cakes
- Love Letter Cake (Mini)
- Raspberry Mousse Cake
- Pink Easy Mother’s Day Cake Tower
- Easy Love Cake
- Pink Buttercream Ruffle Cake
- Cupcake Bouquet (Flower)
- Rosette Cake (Buttercream)
- Kit Kat Cake (With Strawberries)
Pink Velvet Cake (From Scratch)
Ingredients
Cake
- 2½ cups All-purpose flour
- 1¼ cups Granulated sugar
- 1 cup Butter, Unsalted
- 1 cup Buttermilk
- 3 Eggs, Large
- 1 tbsp Vanilla extract
- Pink gel coloring
- 1½ tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- ⅛ tsp Salt
Filling, Frosting, Decoration
- 2 cups Fresh strawberries, Washed, Cut into small pieces, Patted dry with paper towels
- 2 cups Strawberry frosting
- 1 cup Coconut, Shredded
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add butter, sugar and cream together until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, vanilla extract, buttermilk, pink gel coloring and mix until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt.
- Dump this dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until smooth. Do not over-mix!
- Pour this batter into a greased/floured heart pan (Dimensions 8×3). You can also use two round 8×2 pans if you don't want to make a heart cake.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for about 40-45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool completely.
- Cut it in half lengthwise and fill it with strawberry frosting and top it off with some strawberry pieces. Place the other half of the cake on top of the strawberries.
- Frost your entire cake with strawberry frosting.
- Cover the sides of the cake with finely shredded coconut.
- Use Tip 1M (star tip) to pipe the top of your cake and the cake board.
- Add more strawberries on top of the cake and sprinkle some coconut. Enjoy!
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- I highly recommend sifting the flour because it makes the cake more airy and soft.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
This looks so good! Do you use this frosting for any other recipes?
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
There is a clear storage section in the post. It can be left at room temperature for 2-3 hours and chilled in the fridge for about 3 days.