Red Velvet Cake - Doctored Cake Mix Recipe
We loved the chocolate flavor of this cake so much that we didn't want to remove any of the cocoa. However, if you'd prefer a deeper red, you can remove some of the cocoa and add more coloring. It's up to you! (But we love it just as it is!)
Red Velvet Cake - Doctored Cake Mix Recipe
This delicious Red Velvet Cake is super moist and has just the right amount of chocolate flavor. I love red velvet year-round, but especially for Christmas and winter gatherings!
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix, sifted (15.25 box mix) plus 6 Tablespoons (45g) flour ( I used Duncan Hines Classic Yellow Mix)
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 5 Tablespoons (24g) unsweetened cocoa powder ( I sift the cocoa , then measure or weight
- ½ cup (107g) vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons (8g) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (121g) milk
- 1 cup (242g) sour cream
- 2 Tablespoons (24g) red food coloring ( if you want a brighter red color to your cake, add 3 Tablespoons)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease and flour 2 eight inch round pans
In the bowl of your mixer, place the cake mix plus flour, sugar, sifted cocoa. Whisk to blend these ingredients together. Then add all the remaining ingredients.
Begin mixing on low speed, increasing to medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Beat at medium speed for 1 more minute (longer if using a hand mixer.
Pour into prepared pans and bake for 30 - 35 minutes (check at 30 minutes). The cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean or with a just a few crumbs attached. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes then turn out.
Makes 6 ¼ cups batter
Works well for cupcakes
We frosted with our Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
*You may like to try our fantastic Red Velvet Cake recipe from scratch as we mentioned above! Print this one out for later: Delicious Red Velvet Cake from Scratch
Don't forget to check out our full collection of favorite cake and frosting recipes in our Recipes Section! Or, for free, fun, and simple cake decorating tutorials, don't miss our Free Cake Tutorials Section!
Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for your response. I didn't use the acutal high protien flour, it just that the KA All purpose has more protien than the standard AP flour. Next time I will use just regular AP flour -- or possibly skip it in this recipe. I know that when I make bread with KA flours, I usually have to have more liquid than if I use other flours.
Thanks again. Like I said, it was a hit, just the bottom was the issue.
(oh, I made it in a 13x9 pan since I was sending it in to my husbands work)
I don’t have quite enough sour cream. Can I use part nonfat Greek yogurt and some extra fat?
I’m trying to use up the cream cheese icing in the freezer and cake mix in the cupboard
Hi Judy, Yes, that should work well.
Hi Bebe,
Thank you or answering
Me!!!
I decided to make it easy on myself and do a half batch. I measure everything by grams, so dividing io in half was easy. It made 11 cupcakes.
I forgot to add the red color, but the plain one we tasted very good. I’m using up some of my cream cheese frosting in the freezer, which is great.
I’m going to deliver them to a few doctor offices tomorrow.
Hi!
Will this hold up under fondant?
Thanks!
Hi Allyson, Yes, it should hold up to fondant with no problem.
Hi instead of the sour cream can i use white chocolate pudding instead?
Hi Germaine, I think the recipe probably could be adjusted to use white chocolate pudding but I have not experimented so I can't be certain of the the adjustments. Sour cream is often used in cake mix recipes using pudding. If you do not have sour cream, you can substitute with regular or greek yogurt.
Can you doctor up a box red velvet cake, instead of a yellow cake mix?
Also my daughter is getting married in September, can I make my cakes ahead of time and freeze them, and frost them day before her wedding?
Hi Debbie, Using yellow cake is our preferred method but I think you could use red velvet cake mix, just leave out the red food coloring. Yes, you can make your cake layers in advance and freeze until needed. We have frozen layers for two months and they were fine. After we bake the layers we cool in the pans about 5 minutes, then turn them out on a cardboard cake circle (wrap the cake circles in aluminum foil so they can be reused). Let them cool another 5 minutes or so then wrap individually in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. It is important that they be kept air tight in the freezer. Freezing layers while still warm will give you a more moist cake. When you are ready to frost the day before the wedding, remove from the freezer. Place the wrapped layers on the counter top. When condensation forms on the aluminum foil, unwrap and allow to come to room temperature. You could frost the layers while partially frozen (you will have fewer crumbs). If you plan to smooth your frosting using the Viva towel method, the cakes will need to be fully thawed. Hope all goes well for the wedding. Best wishes!
Thank you for answering me back, I tried using the red velvet cake instead of the yellow, omitting the food coloring, I put the coco in it, I'm thinking I should omit that or cut back on it, it has too much of a chocolate taste instead of a red velvet taste, what is your opinion on it. Should I omit the coco or cut back on it?
Thanks
Hi Debbie, If you find the cocoa is too strong, I suggest cutting back to 3 Tablespoons instead of 5 T. I would not leave out the cocoa. Without cocoa it would taste like a yellow cake tinted red. The red food coloring does not add any flavor. I hope this adjustment will work for you.