St. Patrick's Day Green Velvet Layer Cake

Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 10
Nutritional Info (per serving): Calories 880, Total Fat 49g, Saturated Fat 30g, Carbohydrates 103g, Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugar 74g, Protein 9g, Cholesterol 183mg, Sodium 321mg
Total Time: 1 hr 45 min
Inactive Time: 1 hr 15 min
Cooking Time: 30 min

Bring festive cheer to your St. Patrick's Day celebration with this stunning green velvet layer cake. Rich, tender layers infused with cocoa and tangy buttermilk create the signature velvety crumb, while a luxurious homemade boiled frostinglight, creamy, and delightfully fluffybrings back memories of simpler times. Perfect for impressing guests with its vibrant color and elegant presentation.

Ingredients

Cake:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk, well shaken
1 tablespoon green liquid food coloring
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Frosting:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Pinch of fine salt
Optional: green liquid or gel food coloring
Optional: green candies and sanding sugar for decoration

Instructions

Prepare the cake: Heat the oven to 375F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, then line them with parchment paper and grease the parchment as well; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a spouted measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, food coloring, and vanilla extract; set aside.
In a stand mixer or large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the sugar and butter on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl sides as needed. With the mixer running, gradually add the eggs and mix until fully combined. Lower the mixer speed to the slowest setting. Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture in portions: start with 1/3 of flour mixture, then half of buttermilk, then half of remaining flour, the rest of buttermilk, and finally the remaining flour. Scrape down the bowl and mix well. Distribute batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cakes are slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting: Place the flour in a small saucepan. Whisk in about 1/2 cup of milk vigorously to form a smooth, thick paste without lumps (this prevents clumping). Slowly pour in the remaining milk, stirring until smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes; even if lumps appear, keep whisking vigorously until they dissolve. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes until cool.
With a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until very light and fluffy, roughly 5 minutes. Add the chilled flour mixture one tablespoon at a time, beating until smooth. Switch to the whisk attachment (or continue with the hand mixer), add vanilla, salt, and if desired, 3 to 5 drops of green food coloring, then whip until the frosting is light, airy, and resembles thick whipped cream, which can take up to 10 minutes with a stand mixer or 12 minutes with a hand mixer.
To assemble: Place one cake layer on your serving plate, spread frosting on top, then repeat with the remaining two layers. Frost the sides evenly and decorate with green candies and sanding sugar if you like.

This recipe is also suitable for baking in two 9-inch layers or as 24 cupcakes.