This Red Velvet Layer Cake with Bourbon Cream Cheese Buttercream is EPIC! Layers of perfectly tender red velvet cake between a silky, smooth whiskey Cream Cheese Buttercream!
Bourbon and I are having a moment. I put it in truffles, I may or may not have spiked my hot chocolate, and I poured it up in the buttercream. It just made sense to pair it with a Red Velvet Layer Cake!
I had a sneaking suspicion that whiskey would accentuate the subtle chocolate flavor in the red velvet cake, and I was correct! The combination is a flavor powerhouse. I am not sure I’ll ever be able to go back. If you aren’t down with a boozy cake, that’s cool, and this would be just as epic with my Favorite Cream Cheese Buttercream.
Plus it’s easy. We all need a dose of easy baking right about now. Just me?
Life has its ups and downs but cream cheese buttercream will always be awesome. How many people do you know who say, “I love red velvet cake for the frosting.” I can't disagree.
Also please observe the perfect tower that is this cake. I was photographing it and all I could think about was the Flatiron building in NYC. ? Tell me I’m wrong. Lol.
Red Velvet Layer Cake Bourbon Cream Cheese Buttercream
Ingredients
- 330 g sugar
- 227 g Butter (room temperature)
- 127 g light brown sugar (firmly packed)
- 4 eggs (room temperature)
- 25 g red food dye (2T )
- 12 g vanilla
- 227 g sour cream
- 112 g water
- 310 g cake flour
- 55 g cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the buttercream:
- 600 g cream cheese (2 ¾ cup + 3 t, room temp)
- 250 g butter (1 cup + 1 ½ T, room temp)
- 220 g powdered sugar
- 20 g whiskey (2 T)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Grease 3, 8 or 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a bowl, whisk together cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Sift. I know, this is one of those rare times when it is absolutely essential.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and water until no lumps remain.
- Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time just as combined. Add the food dye and vanilla with the last egg.
- Alternately add dry and sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour.
- Divide between the three prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven until cake tester or toothpick comes out with clinging crumbs and center of the cake springs back to the touch, approximately 18-20 minutes.
For the buttercream:
- Cream together cream cheese, butter, and sugar until smooth.
- Add whiskey and extract. If it gets too warm, chill it. Just pop the whole bowl and attachments in the fridge and give it an hour.
- Beat with a paddle. 🙂 Breathe. It’s just buttercream.
For Assembly:
- Place first layer on your favorite cake stand or cake plate. Mound about ½ cup butter cream on top, spread smooth.
- Repeat with second layer. Refrigerate before proceeding or your layers will be uneven. If you aren't concerned, carry on!
- Place the remaining butter cream on top and spread evenly over the top and down the sides. Leave as it is for a regularly frosted cake. For a thick layer of butter cream, make a 1.5 x recipe of the buttercream above.
- If you would like a naked cake, like my photos, run a bench scraper or bowl scraper around the outside to reveal the layers underneath.
Video Instructions
Notes
Yield: 8 or 9 inch, 3-layer cake
Leave a Comment!