Featured in our Holiday 2025 Food + Entertaining article, A Touch of Decadence for Christmas, the Waldorf Astoria Red Velvet Cake is rich, velvety, and dressed in holiday cheer. Pair with a festive Geese A’Laying cocktail that’s as elegant as it is merry.
Waldorf Astoria Red Velvet Cake
Course: DessertServings
16
servingsIngredients
- For the cake:
½ cup shortening
2 eggs
2 ounces red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1½ cups sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
2¼ cups cake flour
¾ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
- For the frosting:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
½ cup shortening
½ cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three cake pans.
- Mix cocoa and food coloring until the cocoa has dissolved.
- Cream together shortening, sugar, and eggs. Add cocoa and food coloring mixture. Mix well.
- Dissolve baking soda in the vinegar, then combine with buttermilk.
- Combine flour and salt. Add a little at a time to creamed mixture, alternating with the vinegar mixture. Mix batter only until combined.
- Fold in vanilla by hand.
- Pour batter equally into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove cake layers from pans and cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting:
- To make a roux, combine flour and milk in a saucepan and cook until thick. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
- Beat shortening, margarine, sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add milk and flour mixture a little at a time and beat thoroughly.
Notes
- All ingredients should be at room temperature.
- Dissolve the cocoa in the food coloring and the baking soda in the vinegar.
- Don’t overmix the batter.
- Cool cake layers and roux for the frosting completely.
- Beat frosting thoroughly.
- Recommendations and special notes from cake master Connie Cline.