Best Red Velvet Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting + Berries (2024)

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by Todd + Diane

We love loading our red velvet cake recipe with fresh berries. But it can also be served as a traditional layered cake without the berry-fuss. Enjoy!

Red Velvet Cake Recipe

Way back in 2003 when Todd was managing Zinc Cafe , we would often have staff parties at the house. It was always a blast because everyone was able to wind down, relax and be able to be fed food instead of having the role of feeding others all day long. Todd and I would spend a few days prepping, cooking and be in party-planning-mode, which is where we always loved to be.

Gatherings over at our house were actually an escape for us, to explore, cook and get creative in the kitchen. It never felt like work. Well, let’s take that back. It only felt like work when we had to wash all the wine glasses.

What made these staff parties a true success was because of a staff member named Nicole. She’s my baking hero and I’ll never, ever forget the impact she made on me when it came to baking cakes.

Nicole would arrive, bearingin her arms, with big bags of homemade candy, truffles, sweets and most importantly, at least 2-3 glorious cakes. She was a culinary student specializing in pastry, desserts and everything sweet. What she also specialized in was inspiring me to mind-blowing proportions. Quite frankly, she was just beyond talented. And I was always in a state of “uber-inspired”.

Her cakes were not only beautifully simple and elegant, but they were also delicious. Every cake was just as delicious tasting on the inside as it was beautiful looking on the outside. Her cakes weren’t too sweet, they were always tender and moiston the inside and the flavors of each ingredient came through wonderfully.

I’ve often found myself mesmerized by a beautiful looking cake, yet when it came time to tasting it, the look of the cake wasn’t on the level of the flavor. It always feel like a waste of calories and an un-inspired visit to the gym when I eat bad cake. But Nicole never left me in that state of disappointment. I was always on cloud 9 with great cake everywhere.

Because of Nicole, I soon started making my own cakes on a weekly basis. Because of her, my love of cake baking ignited months worth of baking, testing and eating. All of our parties afterwards had a homemade cake (or two) to share with all our friends.

Sadly, as that phase in our lives became the past instead of the present, I became so wrapped up in work that I stopped baking my bakes. But not any more.

I’m back to working on my love of cake baking and am starting with our favorite red velvet cake recipe. It’s a tested, tried and true recipe. Our bulging bellies are proof that we’ve eaten way too many red velvet cakes and it’s time for the gym.

Next cake on my list? To duplicate my favorite cake that Nicole made: a pistachio and almond cake that was to die for. Wish me luck! I’ll share it when it’s finished and after I’ve eaten a few cakes all for my self. Well, maybe more like a slice from several cakes. ha!

enjoy,

diane

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