This Single Serve Red Velvet Cake recipe is a super small batch cake recipe that makes only one small cake with cream cheese frosting for 1-2 people. The cake is moist, tender and topped with an easy creamy frosting. Both the cake batter and frosting can be mixed up by hand without a mixer.
For other single serve dessert recipes, try this Single Serve Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie or Single Serve Brownie.
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⭐Why I Love It:
- Super Small Batch Cake Recipe - I love that this single serve cake recipe makes just one very small cake so I can satisfy my sweet craving without having to make an entire large cake and have lots of leftovers. Want to make a small batch cupcake recipe instead? Try this recipe for Single Serve Vanilla Cupcakes or Single Serve Chocolate Cupcakes that makes just two cupcakes!
- No Mixer Needed - Because it's such a small amount of batter and frosting, you can easily mix it all up by hand instead of needing to use an electric or stand mixer.
- Tender and Moist with Cream Cheese Frosting - The cake texture is super fluffy and moist and the creamy cream cheese frosting on top is the perfect pairing!
🥘Ingredients
- Oil - You'll want to use a neutral oil like canola oil, vegetable oil, or avocado oil. Oil helps keep the cake super moist!
- White Granulated Sugar
- Egg White - Using only the egg white makes the cake nice and fluffy.
- Distilled White Vinegar - You only use a little bit! It both gives the cake a little tang and also reacts with the baking soda to give it its rise.
- Buttermilk - This helps add both moisture and a slight tang to the cake. If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own by mixing a little vinegar with regular milk and letting it sit for a few minutes.
- Vanilla Extract - For flavor!
- Red Food Coloring - You'll need this if you want it to have the classic red color. Historically, red velvet cake got its red color from the reaction of the buttermilk/vinegar with the cocoa powder but today's cocoa powder is usually alkalized so this reaction doesn't happen anymore. You can skip the food coloring, if you prefer, and the cake will just have a slight brown color from the cocoa powder.
- All-Purpose Flour - When measuring flour, make sure to use the 'spoon and level' method. This is where you spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then level off the top. Instead of dipping the measuring cup directly into the flour bin which can lead to over measuring.
- Baking Soda - This is the leavener to help the cake rise.
- Kosher Salt - I like the Diamond Kosher Salt. A small amount of salt is so important to balance the sweetness in cookies. If you use table salt, then I would cut the amount by half.
- For the Cream Cheese Frosting - Softened Butter, Cream Cheese, Vanilla Extract, and Powdered Sugar. If you want to make a regular chocolate or vanilla frosting, you can use the single serve frosting recipes in the Single Serve Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting or Single Serve White Cake with Vanilla Frosting.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🔪Single Serve Red Velvet Cake - Step by Step
This recipe for a Single Serve Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is easy to mix up with no mixer and bakes in a ramekin or other small baking dish. For another individual red velvet cake, but made in the microwave, try this Red Velvet Mug Cake!
Photo 1 - In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, egg white, vanilla, and milk with a fork to combine.
Photo 2 - Mix in the sugar followed by the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Photo 3 - Well grease the ramekin with butter or cooking spray and pour in the cake batter.
Photo 4 - Bake for 22-26 minutes. It should be set on top, a toothpick in the center should come out with just a few moist crumbs (no wet batter), and if you gently press the top of the cake it slightly bounces back.
Photo 5 - While the cake cools, mix up the frosting. Stir together the butter and milk with a fork in a small bowl - it doesn’t need to be completely combined. Mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla and stir until creamy and combined.
Photo 6 - Pipe the frosting (or use a knife to spread) on the cooled cake and enjoy!
💭Recipe Tips
- Ramekin Size - I used one large ramekin (7-10 ounces and ~3.5-4 inches wide) but you can use a bigger ramekin or smaller ramekins and just adjust the bake time.
- Don't Over Bake - The key to a moist cake is to not over bake it! Cake is done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs and if you poke the top then it slowly bounces back.
- Softened Butter and Cream Cheese - It's important to use room temperature butter and cream cheese for the frosting so it can be easily mixed into the other ingredients. If your butter is too cold, it won't incorporate well.
- Use 'Spoon and Level' Method When Measuring Flour - When measuring flour, make sure to use the 'spoon and level' method. This is where you spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then level off the top. Instead of dipping the measuring cup directly into the flour bin which can lead to over measuring.
👩🍳Recipe FAQs
Using only an egg white in a cake gives it a fluffy and tender texture. It also helps keep the cake recipe super small. You can use the leftover egg yolk for the single serve cookie recipes like the Single Serve Sugar Cookie or Single Serve Chocolate Chip Cookie.
The spoon and level method is best for measuring flour because it reduces the risk of over measuring. Start by fluffing up the flour int the container then use a spoon to spoon it into the measuring cup and use a knife to level off the top. This is much more accurate than scooping the flour directly from the container with the measuring cup.
🍫Related Single Serve Recipes...
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PrintRecipe
Single Serve Red Velvet Cake Cake (Small Batch)
This Single Serve Red Velvet Cake recipe is a super small batch cake recipe that makes only one small cake with cream cheese frosting for 1-2 people. The cake is moist, tender and topped with an easy creamy frosting. Both the cake batter and frosting can be mixed up by hand without a mixer.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 1-2 servings
- Category: Dessert, Cake
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola oil or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 egg white
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 2-4 drop red food coloring, to your color preference
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon cocoa powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk, see note for substitute
Frosting
- 1 ounce cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 tablespoon salted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Prep - Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a large ramekin (see note) with butter or cooking spray.
- Mix Wet Ingredients (Minus Milk) - In a medium bowl, mix together the oil and sugar with a fork to combine. Add the egg white, vanilla, white vinegar, and food coloring. Mix to combine.
- Dry Ingredients - In a small separate bowl, combine the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt
- Add Dry Ingredients and Buttermilk - Add half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Add the buttermilk and stir to combine then stir in the rest of the flour mixture.
- Bake - Pour the batter into the greased ramekin. Bake for 24-28 minutes until the cake is set on top, a toothpick comes out with just moist crumbs, and if you gently press the top of the cake it slightly bounces back.
- Frosting - While the cake cools, make the frosting. Stir together the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla with a fork in a small bowl - it doesn’t need to be completely combined. Mix in the powdered sugar until combined, thick, and creamy.
- Enjoy - Either pipe on the frosting or spoon it on top of the cooled cake and enjoy!
Notes
Buttermilk - If you do not have buttermilk, use 2 tablespoons regular milk (whole fat or low fat) and add ¼ teaspoon of distilled white vinegar. Let it sit for a few minutes before using - it will look slightly curdled.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ frosted cake
- Calories: 519
- Sugar: 55.9 g
- Sodium: 291.3 mg
- Fat: 25.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 69.4 g
- Fiber: 0.8 g
- Protein: 5.1 g
- Cholesterol: 31.3 mg
Katie says
Love the red velvet and cream cheese frosting combo and this is the perfect size!