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Nothing says “love” like this Sky-High Pink and Red Velvet Cake! It’s alternating layers of moist red and pink velvet cake, filled with tangy cream cheese frosting, and decorated with sweet heart-shaped candies. You’re sure to fall in love with this cake!
By this point, I like to think that we’re friends. I mean, this beautiful friendship bracelet that I’m making for you certainly indicates that.
And, because we’re friends, you know me. You know that I like hot chocolate and bread pudding and deep-frying ridiculous things. You know that I shun cake mixes whenever possible, but I’m not mad at most brownie mixes. You might even know that I am macaron-indifferent but used to pretend to like them because I wanted to seem cool. I hope you also know that the only thing I like better than a big layer cake is a really REALLY big layer cake.
Well, my sweet valentines, have I got a really REALLY big layer cake for you.
Wait, I’m afraid that that picture doesn’t adequately give you a sense of scale. Cakes look like cakes look like cakes when they’re all stuck on a little cake stand, right? You need to see the inside of this bad boy to truly appreciate what’s going on in here:
Eight layers. EIGHT LAYERS! That sight makes my little heart go pitter-patter in a way that no paper valentine ever could.
This Sky-High Pink and Red Velvet Cake was born out of a dream. A dream to construct the biggest, the sky-highest, the pinkest and the red velvetiest cake the world has ever seen. I dreamed a dream, and then I ate that dream, and it was awesome.
The cake itself is the same recipe I use for all of my red velvet cakes and cupcakes. It’s based on a Paula Deen recipe, only I reduce the oil by about 30%, and increase the buttermilk. (When she’s not busy jamming unnecessary fat into things, that Paula knows her red velvet business.) I love that it uses oil instead of butter, because it stays incredibly soft and moist for days, even when it’s refrigerated. When one is making an 8-layer cake, one needs to be prepared for the possibility of having leftovers for a few days.
The cream cheese frosting is another old favorite of mine. It uses a little bit of marshmallow cream, and a slightly higher proportion of powdered sugar than usual, so it’s a touch sweeter than some other versions, with a wonderfully light and creamy texture.
And finally, I exercised my laziness creativity and decorated the cake with heart-shaped candies. These are Gimbal’s Cherry Lovers Candy, and they’re basically heart-shaped jelly beans in a variety of cherry flavors. They’re gorgeous, right? I chose them for their looks, but their flavor actually works well with the cream cheese and red velvet. Bonus! You can, of course, use any other sprinkles or candies you like.
We enjoyed this cake with a friend to celebrate her birthday, so don’t think of it as a one-trick Valentine’s pony. It can also be a birthday pony! An anniversary pony! A good-job-on-your-promotion pony! A you-learned-to-ride-a-pony pony! I’m losing the analogy, but you get the idea. It’s a wonderful cake and a striking showpiece for any celebration.
Don’t miss our collection of the 10 Best Valentine’s Day Cakes – see the whole web story here!

Sky-High Pink and Red Velvet Cake
Ingredients
For the Red Velvet Cake:
- 10 1/2 oz all-purpose flour, 2 1/2 cups
- 10 1/2 oz granulated sugar, 1 1/2 cups
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp red gel food coloring or 2 tbsp red liquid food coloring
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Pink Velvet Cake:
- 10 1/2 oz all-purpose flour, 2 1/2 cups
- 10 1/2 oz granulated sugar, 1 1/2 cups
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp pink gel food coloring or 2 tsp pink liquid food coloring
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 lb butter, at room temperature
- 2 lbs full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 1/2 oz marshmallow cream or fluff, 1/2 cup
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 lbs powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup cream, or milk
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
To Make the Cakes:
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line four 8-inch cake pans with parchment rounds, and spray the pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- Begin by making the red velvet cake: in a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa, and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla, and mix on medium speed with a paddle attachment until everything is smooth.
- Stop the mixer, add the dry ingredients, and mix on low until the flour streaks disappear. Turn the speed to medium and continue to mix until any lumps are gone and the batter is smooth. Divide the batter between two cake pans.
- Wash your bowl and paddle, and repeat the process to make the pink velvet layer cakes. They will be made in exactly the same way, except the pink velvet doesn’t contain any cocoa powder, and the amount of food coloring used is less. Bake the pink and red velvet cakes for 30 minutes, until the tops spring back when touched lightly and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes completely on a wire rack, then turn them out of the pans and wrap them well in plastic wrap. Place the cakes in the freezer to chill for at least 1 hour before assembling the cake. They don’t need to be frozen solid, but it will be much easier to assemble if they are partially frozen and firm. If you do want to make them in advance and freeze them for several days or several weeks, that’s fine—they will keep well. Just let them sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before trying to slice them so they’re easier to cut.
To Make the Frosting:
- Combine the butter, cream cheese, and marshmallow cream in the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream them together until they’re light and fluffy, without any chunks of butter or cream cheese. Add the vanilla and salt, and mix it in.
- Add the powdered sugar and cream, and mix on low speed until the sugar is moistened. Turn the speed to medium-high and whip until the frosting is fluffy and light. Add more cream or sugar as desired, to get your optimal texture. Use immediately, or store in the refrigerator until ready to use. If it’s too cold straight from the fridge, beat it briefly until it’s a workable texture.
To Assemble:
- Working with partially frozen cakes, cut each one in half so you have 4 red velvet rounds and 4 pink velvet rounds. Place a red velvet round on a cardboard cake circle, and top it with about 1/2 – 2/3 cup of frosting. Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting to the edge of the cake. Place a pink velvet round on top, and top it with more cream cheese.
- Continue to layer the cakes and frosting until you have stacked all 8 cake layers. Cover the sides and top of the cake with frosting, and decorate with candy or sprinkles, as desired. Keep cake refrigerated until ready to serve. This cake keeps well and should stay moist for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
Recipe Notes
MEASURING TIPS
Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.
Click here to learn more about baking measurements and conversion.
It would be impossible not to fall in love with such cake!
Thanks Medeja! We swooned for it pretty hard at my house. 🙂
That is just an explosion of Valentine’s Day loving right there. Love those heart-shaped jelly beans!
Haha, thanks Erin! The idea of exploding cakes has never sounded so good. And yes, the jelly beans are awesome–I found them ages ago and bought them in preparation for Valentine’s Day. I wasn’t really sure what I’d use them for–I just knew they needed to be featured!
I couldn’t take my eyes off that amazing cake!!! Wow!!!
Thanks so much, Ela!
I know the focus of this cake is supposed to be the eight layers, but we ARE friends, and you must know the only thing I can possibly focus on right now is the jellybeans. Be still my cherry flavored jellybean heart.
Haha! I actually didn’t know you were such a jelly bean fan, but since you are, you need to get on these cherry hearts, stat! They’re pretty legit.
Gah, how do you do these amazing things? I think if i saw this cake I’d cry! It’s beautiful!
Oh noooo, don’t cry! Have a piece of cake, it’ll make everything all right. 🙂
I am also macaron indifferent, but totally not indifferent to this cake. Bigger is better when it comes to layer cakes!
Agreed! And don’t waste my time with a teensy layer of frosting, either–I need to see an equal cake-to-frosting ratio!
How did you know I wanted a friendship bracelet? I bet it’s green too, huh? #friendsforreal
That Paula Deen, I swear. SOMEBODY has to plunk a stick of butter into a pot of stock, right? Or maybe not….
Love those layers! Mesmerizing. I can imagine all the oohs and aahs a showstopper like this inspires.
Green friendship bracelet headed your way! You wanted the little dangly cupcake charm too, right?
And yes, Paula Deen is out of control. I love indulgence like the next person, but if the oil can be safely reduced by a THIRD, perhaps you are putting a wee bit too much in your baked goods…
Now you see that is why I mention you on my blog.. look at this recipe!! Wow this cake looks good!! I also like making my red velvet with oil, the texture is so much better.. actually I have come to like making most of my cakes with oil and using butter in my frosting.. (a good balance).
Happy Valentines Day chica!!
xoxo
Haha, I like that oil-butter balance! Seems like the perfect compromise. I think the only exception for me is white cake, because they’re pretty boring without the butter flavor. But yeah, oil for moisture is the way to go!
Oh my gosh, this truly looks like a labor of love, and worth every minute you spent on it. It is a BEAUTY! Love the increased buttermilk in the cake batter – I’m sure it’s nice and tangy! Yum!
Thanks Lori! I like the extra buttermilk because I had to decrease the cocoa (to get bright colors) so buttermilk is doing a lot of heavy lifting, flavor-wise.
oh my goodness! that is lovely!
Thanks so much, Dina!
Absolutely gorgeous! That’s some real love in that cake. Your creations are amazing.
Thank you, Norma! My secret ingredient IS love…and sugar. 🙂
What the heck!?!? I’m speechless! This cake IS a dream!
Haha, thanks Dee! Sorry to strike you speechless…allow me to make it up to you with some cake!
You have definitely outdone yourself with this cake!! This is the best valentine’s day recipe I’ve seen! So, so awesome…
Thank you Ashley! My secret is just to keep adding cake layers until it looks ridiculously tall, then add 2 more…
You are SO talented! Another gorgeous dessert!
Thanks so much, Liz! It helps when the jelly beans do most of the heavy lifting. 🙂
This is my kind of cake! Red velvet is my favorite, and I love all the red and pink layers you’ve got going on here. A little marshmallow cream in the cream cheese frosting sounds like the best idea! Also, love those heart-shaped jelly beans!
Thanks Beth! Those heart-shaped jelly beans were such a lucky find– a total impulse buy, but they worked!
It looks incredible. I don’t ever dare to think about how good it must taste…
Thank you Olga! It’s definitely one of my recent faves!
Ok ok ok ok. This has to be one of the most beautiful layer cakes I’ve ever seen! How is it that it’s so ridiculously pretty?? I don’t think I’d be able to eat it, to be honest ;–)
Now now, let’s not say things we can’t take back! Because a pretty cake is pointless if it also can’t be enjoyed. Thanks Consuelo!
wow! this cake is amazing and so pretty! i should try to make this one of these days and hope it turns out as pretty!
Thanks so much, Ays! I’d love to hear what you think if you give it a try!
This looks so perfect and amazing! Seriously, how did you make this so perfectly? You seriously rock! Thanks for sharing with us!
Thanks so much, Danielle! I wouldn’t say it’s perfect, but a decade of practice has made cake assembly a little easier. 🙂 I appreciate the kind words!
Gorgeous cake. I’ve only made a few cakes over the years (cheesecakes, crepes and cream puffs are more my thing) but I could never hope to make anything like this in my wildest dreams. I’d love to have a slice though. 🙂
Thank you! I have to disagree, though–if you can make crepes, cream puffs, etc, you can definitely make this cake! The candy does the hard work of making it look complicated. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
This cake is gorgeous. I just sent my roommate the link and told her I found my next birthday cake. Too bad that’s 8 months away! This looks so good.
Thanks so much, Stephanie! Maybe you should celebrate your half-birthday in 2 months! 🙂
Can I ask if this cake would do ok if it was covered in fondant?
Hi Sue! I think the cakes themselves would do okay, but I wouldn’t recommend using cream cheese frosting under fondant. In my experience it’s just too soft and tends to droop and cause problems. I would try a stiffer buttercream (American or Swiss meringue) if you wanted to go the fondant route. Let me know how it goes!
thanks elizbeth, im going to try this for my daughters first birthday!! it looks amazing
Pinned this a year ago, bought the Gimbal’s and FINALLY BAKED THE LAYERS YESTERDAY. Waiting for the butter/cream cheese to soften and I’ll finally get it put together. Hope mine looks as good as yours! I have been eating the jelly bean hearts, so I hope I still have enough to decorate!
Oh yay! Let me know how the cake turns out! Aren’t the Gimbal’s just the prettiest??
I really love the cake idea but which frosting should i use instead of cream cheese for someone who doesnt take cheese
Any buttercream will work! My most popular frosting is this Easy Swiss Meringue that people LOVE. It’s light and fluffy and not crazy-sweet:
https://www.sugarhero.com/the-easiest-swiss-meringue-buttercream/
Hi what size cake tins do you use please?
Drooling over this cake. Looks so perfect.
Hi Marie, thank you so much! I really appreciate that!!
Loving all your recipes i’ve tried. Simply amazing
Hi Marie, that makes me so happy! Thank you so much for your response!
What can be used as a substitute if you can’t get buttermilk
Hi Madiha! If you have sour cream, you can use half sour cream and half milk and whisk them together before adding to the cake batter. Or you can make sour milk yourself: add 4 tsp white vinegar or fresh lemon juice to a measuring cup, then fill it up to 1.5 cups with milk. Let it sit for 5-7 minutes, then gently stir. The acid will curdle the milk a bit and it will act like buttermilk in the recipe. Hope this helps!