Recursive Red Velvet Cake

Author

tastes delish
June 20, 2025

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🎂 Recursive Red Velvet Cake

A mind-blowing dessert for bakers who want to impress.

Ever sliced into a cake… and found another cake inside? That’s the magic of the Recursive Red Velvet Cake — three perfectly nested cakes, each layered with rich cream cheese frosting and baked to perfection.

It’s not just a treat. It’s a reveal.
Get ready to wow your dinner table, your followers — and honestly, yourself.

🍰 Full Recipe Below

📝 Ingredients (Makes one 3-tier recursive cake)

Mini Inner Cake (4-inch round):

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder

  • 2 tbsp sugar

  • 1/4 tsp baking soda

  • Pinch of salt

  • 1/4 cup buttermilk

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil

  • 1/2 tsp white vinegar

  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

  • Red food coloring

Mid Cake (6-inch round):

  • Double the mini cake recipe

Outer Cake (8 or 9-inch round):

  • Triple the mini cake recipe

Cream Cheese Frosting (for all layers):

  • 2 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese, softened

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

  • 3 cups powdered sugar

  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

  • Pinch of salt

🔥 Instructions

  1. Bake each layer separately:
    Prepare the mini, mid, and outer red velvet cakes in 4”, 6”, and 8” round cake pans.
    Bake at 350°F (175°C):

    • Mini: ~15 minutes

    • Mid: ~20–22 minutes

    • Outer: ~25–28 minutes
      Let all cakes cool completely.

  2. Level and frost inner layers:
    Frost the mini cake entirely with cream cheese frosting.
    Cut a hole in the center of the mid cake layer and insert the frosted mini cake.
    Frost the mid layer, then cut a hole in the center of the outer cake and insert the whole mid layer.

  3. Assemble the outer layer:
    Once assembled, frost the entire outer cake with cream cheese frosting. Decorate with red velvet crumbs or piped frosting details.

  4. Chill and slice for the reveal:
    Chill for at least 1 hour before slicing. When cut, you’ll see the mini cake inside the mid cake inside the outer cake — a triple-layer recursive surprise!

💡 Tips

  • Use a biscuit cutter or knife to make the perfect center holes for nesting layers.

  • Freeze layers briefly before stacking for cleaner handling.

  • Use gel food coloring for vibrant red without thinning the batter.