Best Red Velvet Cake

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare three 8-inch cake pans by lining them with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, vegetable oil, and melted butter for 1-2 minutes until the mixture lightens in color.

Add the eggs and vanilla extract, whisking for another minute until smooth and creamy.

Mix in the buttermilk, vinegar, and red food coloring, whisking until well combined and the batter turns a vivid red color.

In a separate bowl, combine the Dutch-processed cocoa powder and boiling water. Stir this mixture into the wet ingredients until fully incorporated.

Sift together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, whisking gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing.

Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared cake pans.

Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out with moist crumbs. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the cream cheese frosting, beat together softened butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and salt on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy.

Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, while continuing to beat until the frosting is fluffy and smooth.

Once the cakes have cooled, frost the layers generously with the cream cheese frosting and stack them. Decorate as desired and serve.