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Sweets by Elise

Home » Cakes

February 28, 2023 1 Hour

Green Velvet Cake

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This Green Velvet Cake is a soft, moist, one-bowl cake topped with a 3-ingredient cream cheese glaze. It's a fun and festive version of red velvet cake for Christmas or St. Patrick's Day.

green velvet bundt cake slices stacked on top of each other.
Contents hide
1 Why You'll LOVE This Recipe
2 Ingredients
3 Step-by-Step Cake Process
4 Cream Cheese Glaze
5 Frequently Asked Questions
6 Expert Tips
7 How to Store
8 Related Recipes
9 Green Velvet Cake
9.1 Description
9.2 Ingredients
9.3 Instructions
9.4 Notes
9.5 Did you make this recipe?

This Green Velvet Cake is a spin of a classic red velvet cake. If you are a red velvet fan, give some love to this Red Velvet Bundt Cake, this Red Velvet Cookie Dough, and these Red Velvet Oreo Cookies.

If you are looking for another St. Patrick's Day bake, check out these Lucky Charms Cookies. Or, if you are baking this for the holiday season, these Reindeer Cupcakes or these Grinch Cookies could be the perfect addition to your spread!

Why You'll LOVE This Recipe

  • made in two bowls with a whisk and fork AKA no mixer needed!
  • soft, moist, and light cake texture
  • velvety and smooth 3-ingredient cream cheese glaze
  • festive for St. Patrick's Day or Christmas
green velvet cake ingredients in glass bowls.

Ingredients

  • Vegetable Oil: Vegetable oil creates moisture that lasts in this cake. You can substitute for any unflavored oil if necessary.
  • Eggs: You need 3 large eggs at room temperature. If you forget to put them out on the counter ahead of time, put them in a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes before using.
  • Granulated Sugar: Granulated, white sugar adds moisture, structure, and sweetness to this cake!
  • Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract rounds out the flavor in this cake.
  • Buttermilk: Buttermilk is SO important in this recipe, as it creates the light and tender texture and red velvet flavor. You’ll need it at room temperature. Read “Expert Tips” to learn how to make a homemade buttermilk.
  • All Purpose Flour: You’ll need plain, white all purpose flour for this cake. Make sure to measure the flour properly by using a kitchen scale or by spooning the flour into your measuring cups. To learn more on this, read “Expert Tips” below.
  • Baking Soda & Baking Powder: Both of these leavening agents work together to help the cake rise. Do not substitute one for the other and measure properly.
  • Salt: Salt completes the flavor in this cake!
  • Cocoa Powder: You’ll need ⅓ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder. I use natural cocoa powder.
  • Distilled Vinegar: Distilled vinegar helps create the slightly tangy flavor and deepened color in this cake.
  • Red Food Coloring: Green velvet cake will need a touch of red food coloring for a true and deep red color. I use Americolor Leaf Green, as just a few drops creates a dark green.

Step-by-Step Cake Process

STEP 1: Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and then heavily spray a 10-inch bundt pan with cooking spray.

wet ingredients in a glass bowl.
mixed wet ingredients with dry ingredients on top.

STEP 2: In a large bowl, whisk vegetable oil, room temperature eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and room temperature buttermilk together until smooth.

STEP 3: Add properly-measured flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder to the bowl and mix only until you see the dry ingredients disappear.

cake batter with green food dye and vinegar.
green velvet cake batter in a bundt pan.

STEP 4: Add the distilled vinegar and red food dye to the batter and mixed until dispersed. Add red food dye until desired color is reached.

STEP 5: Then, transfer the batter to your prepared pan. Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes until the top is domed, the top springs back when poked quickly with your pointer finger, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs.

STEP 6: Then, allow the cake to cool for at least 1 hour before removing.

Cream Cheese Glaze

cream cheese glaze ingredients.
mixed cream cheese glaze.

STEP 1: In a medium bowl, use a fork or electric mixer to combine softened cream cheese and powdered sugar.

STEP 2: Pour 2 tablespoons of milk into the mixture and combine until smooth. The glaze should be thick but should fall from the fork when lifted out of the bowl. Add additional milk by the ½ tablespoon to create a smoother glaze or additional powdered sugar by the tablespoon to thicken the glaze.

STEP 3: Pour the glaze over the fully cooled bundt cake after it has been removed from the pan.

cut bundt cake.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is green velvet cake?

Green velvet is basically red velvet cake with green food dye instead of red! It has a hint of chocolate flavor from the addition of unsweetened cocoa powder. However, it has a slightly tangy taste and is traditionally topped with a cream cheese frosting.

Do I need to use buttermilk?

Buttermilk interacts with the ingredients differently than regular milk and creates a lighter, more tender texture. I do not recommend substituting with regular milk, but you can make homemade buttermilk in a pinch!

Can I make this cake into cupcakes?

Yes! Divide the batter, adding between ¼-1/3 cup of batter to each liner. Bake the cupcakes for 16-20 minutes or until the tops are domed, the centers spring back when poked with your pointer finger, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with some moist crumbs.

green velvet cake slices laying on each other.

Expert Tips

Homemade Buttermilk: Add 1 ½ tablespoons of distilled white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Then, pour room temperature milk into the measuring cup to reach the 1 ½ cup (360g) mark. Use a spoon to mix the two before letting it sit for 5-10 minutes. The milk will become slightly chunky in texture.

Measuring Flour: You will end up with dry cake if you do not measure your flour correctly. Measure out 350g of flour exactly using a kitchen scale or simply use a spoon to carry flour into your measuring cups before using a knife to sweep the flour across the top in order to level the flour.

Food Dye: I prefer to use gel food coloring, as it’s more concentrated and allows you to use less while still achieving a deep color. I use Americolor because I only need a few drops compared to other brands.

single green velvet cake slice surrounded by crumbs.

How to Store

You'll want to store this cake tightly covered, in an airtight container, tightly wrapped in cling wrap, or with the slices individually wrapped to preserve freshness.

You can store the cake before decorating at room temperature for 2 days or in the freezer for 3 months. You can store the frosted cake at room temperature for up to a day, in the fridge for 3 days, or in the freezer for 3 months.

Related Recipes

RED VELVET
BUNDT CAKE
RED VELVET
COOKIE DOUGH
LUCKY CHARMS
COOKIES
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Green Velvet Cake

  • Author: Elise
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 10 inch bundt 1x
  • Category: Bundt, Green Velvet
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This Green Velvet Cake is a soft, moist, one-bowl cake recipe topped with a 3-ingredient cream cheese glaze. It’s a fun and festive version of red velvet cake for Christmas or St. Patrick’s Day.


Ingredients

Scale

For the Cake

  • 1 ¼ cups (250g) vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs (150g), room temperature
  • 2 cups (430g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon (4g) vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups (360g) buttermilk, room temperature
  • 2 ½ cups (350g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon (14g) distilled vinegar
  • Green food gel, as desired

For the Cream Cheese Glaze

  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (30g) milk

Instructions

For the Cake

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and heavily spray a 10 inch bundt pan with cooking spray. Ensure the entire pan is coated, as the cake will not come out cleanly after baking and cooling without.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk vegetable oil, room temperature eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and room temperature buttermilk together until smooth.
  3. Add properly-measured flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder to the bowl and mix only until you see the dry ingredients disappear. Do not mix past this point to avoid creating a dense cake.
  4. Add the distilled vinegar and green food dye to the batter. Add green food dye until desired color is reached. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl with a spatula to ensure the batter is fully combined throughout.
  5. Transfer the batter to your prepared pan. Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes until the top is domed, the top springs back when poked quickly with your pointer finger, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs. Allow the cake to cool for at least 1 hour before removing.

For the Cream Cheese Glaze

  1. In a medium bowl, use a fork or electric mixer to combine softened cream cheese and powdered sugar.
  2. Pour 2 tablespoons of milk into the mixture and combine until smooth. The glaze should be thick but should fall from the fork when lifted out of the bowl. Add additional milk by the ½ tablespoon to create a smoother glaze or additional powdered sugar by the tablespoon to thicken the glaze.
  3. Pour the glaze over the fully cooled bundt cake after it has been removed from the pan.

Notes

Removing the Cake: Do not remove the cake until it has had at least an hour to cool in the pan. Before removing, use a knife around the edge and around the center of the pan to help remove the cake. Then, firmly tap the top of the pan to help loosen the cake.

Storing: Store this cake tightly covered, in an airtight container, tightly wrapped in cling wrap, or with the slices individually wrapped to preserve freshness. You can store the cake before decorating at room temperature for 2 days or in the freezer for 3 months. You can store the frosted cake at room temperature for up to a day, in the fridge for 3 days, or in the freezer for 3 months.

Keywords: Green Velvet Cake, Green Velvet Bundt Cake, Cream Cheese Glaze

Did you make this recipe?

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Hi, friends! I'm Elise- a recent university graduate who loves all things sweet. I am the baker, recipe developer, photographer, and writer behind Sweets by Elise. I'm here to bring you easy, quick, and approachable recipes that are comforting and indulgent!

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