When you want red velvet cake without relying on a boxed mix, this pantry-friendly Red Velvet Cake Mix gets the job done. You can layer the dry ingredients in a jar for gifting or stash the mix in a bag for your own pantry, then turn it into a full, tender cake with applesauce, mayonnaise, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and a little red food coloring.
This is the kind of make-ahead mix that earns its shelf space. It saves time, keeps the measuring mess to one day instead of two, and gives you a reliable shortcut for birthdays, potlucks, or that last-minute “I said I’d bring dessert” moment.
Ingredients for Red Velvet Cake Mix
For the mix:
- 3 cups white flour
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
To make the cake:
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 3 cups white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 2 cups unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons red food coloring
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 1 pound cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
If you enjoy stocking your pantry with homemade shortcut mixes, you might also like Make Your Own Cake Mixes or save this one for holiday baking right alongside Grandma’s Red Velvet Cake.
How to Make the Jar Mix
Layer the dry ingredients in a wide-mouth 1-quart canning jar in the order listed, pressing each layer firmly in place before adding the next. If you’re keeping it for your own pantry instead of gifting it, a zip-top bag works just fine and takes up less room.
This makes 1 jar mix, which is enough for one full cake recipe.
How to Bake the Cake
Once your mix is ready, attach or save these directions with it so you can turn it into cake without hunting for a scribbled note later.
- Preheat the oven to 350F and prepare your cake pans.
- Beat together the mayonnaise and half of the sugar until fluffy.
- Add the eggs, remaining sugar, vanilla, red food coloring, and applesauce.
- Add the contents of 1 jar mix a little at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly touched in the center.
- Cool the cake completely before frosting.
The applesauce and mayonnaise keep the crumb moist and tender, so you get a soft cake without a fussy ingredient list. If you want a quick quality check, the center should spring back lightly when touched instead of sinking or feeling wet.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting belong together. You can argue with that if you like, but the cake will still win.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on low speed until combined.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat just until mixed.
- Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy.
- Reduce the mixer speed, add the vanilla, and mix lightly until incorporated.
- Spread over the cooled cake.
Because this frosting contains cream cheese and butter, refrigerate any frosted leftovers promptly. For safe leftover handling, USDA guidance on leftovers recommends refrigerating cooked foods within 2 hours and using refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days.
Helpful Tips
- Press the jar layers firmly. That keeps the mix compact enough to fit in a 1-quart jar without a flour avalanche on your counter.
- Use room-temperature frosting ingredients. Softened cream cheese and butter blend faster and give you a smoother frosting.
- Beat the dry mix in gradually. Dumping it all in at once usually means flour puffs and uneven batter.
- Do not frost a warm cake. Warm cake turns cream cheese frosting into a slippery mess.
Easy Variations
- Jar gift version: Layer the mix in a clean wide-mouth quart jar and attach the cake directions as a gift tag.
- Pantry version: Store the dry mix in a labeled zip-top bag or airtight container for your own make-ahead baking stash.
- Cupcake option: Use the same batter for cupcakes and start checking a little earlier since smaller portions bake faster than full cake layers.
- Different finish: Skip the full frosting swirl and spread a thinner layer if you want a less-sweet finish.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this cake as classic layers with cream cheese frosting, or slice it into smaller squares for potlucks and holiday trays. It pairs especially well with coffee, cold milk, or a simple fresh fruit side if you want to cut the richness a bit.
If red velvet is your thing, you can branch out later with Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies for the same flavor in cookie form.
Storage and Make-Ahead
Dry mix storage: Store the jar mix or bagged mix in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months for best quality. That is a practical estimate based on the shorter pantry life of cocoa powder compared with the other dry ingredients. Keep it away from heat, moisture, and direct sunlight.
Baked cake storage: Once baked and frosted, refrigerate the cake within 2 hours. Store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze unfrosted or frosted slices tightly wrapped for up to 2 months for best quality.
Make-ahead tip: Mix and store the dry jar mix well before you need it, then bake the cake the day before serving if you want the work split into manageable steps instead of one long kitchen session.
💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Red Velvet Cake Mix
Ingredient |
Walmart Item |
Pkg Price |
Amount Used |
Cost Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
White flour |
$2.96 |
3 C. |
$0.47 |
|
Unsweetened cocoa powder |
$2.68 |
2/3 C. |
$0.67 |
|
Baking soda |
$0.92 |
1 t. |
$0.01 |
|
Baking powder |
$1.24 |
1/2 t. |
$0.01 |
|
Salt |
$0.62 |
1/8 t. |
$0.01 |
|
Mayonnaise |
$3.28 |
2/3 C. |
$0.58 |
|
White sugar |
$2.98 |
3 C. |
$0.99 |
|
Eggs |
$1.47 |
3 |
$0.37 |
|
Vanilla |
$5.94 |
1 T. |
$1.49 |
|
Unsweetened applesauce |
$3.44 |
2 C. ≈ 1 count ≈ 0.9 cup(s) |
$0.96 |
|
Red food coloring |
$1.12 |
2 t. |
$0.37 |
|
Cream cheese |
$1.98 |
1 pound |
$3.96 |
|
Sifted confectioners' sugar |
$2.24 |
4 C. |
$1.19 |
|
Unsalted butter |
$2.98 |
2 sticks |
$1.49 |
|
Vanilla extract |
$5.94 |
1 t. |
$0.50 |
💸 |
Cost |
|---|---|
🧾 Total Batch Cost (makes 12 slices) |
$13.07 |
👨👩👧👦 Cost Per Serving (~1) |
$1.09 |
📅 Walmart prices last verified August 26, 2026. Prices may vary by location and are subject to change. Learn how to calculate the cost of a recipe on your own!
🛒 Walmart Grocery List
- All-Purpose Flour, 5 lb
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, 8 oz
- Baking Soda, 1 lb
- Baking Powder, 8.1 oz
- Salt, 26 oz
- Mayonnaise, 30 fl oz
- Granulated Sugar, 4 lb
- Eggs, 12 count
- Vanilla Extract, 2 fl oz
- Unsweetened Applesauce, 46 oz
- Red Food Coloring, 1 oz
- Cream Cheese, 16 oz
- Confectioners’ Sugar, 32 oz
- Unsalted Butter, 1 lb
- Vanilla Extract, 2 fl oz
Not sure exactly what this batch costs you per serving? Here’s how to break down the real cost of any recipe so you know before you shop.
Frequently Asked Questions about Red Velvet Cake Mix
Stored airtight in a cool, dry pantry, the mix keeps best for about 6 months. That timeline is a quality estimate based mostly on the cocoa powder, which loses flavor before flour and sugar do, so label the jar with the date and use the oldest one first.
Absolutely. A zip-top freezer bag or any airtight container works fine if you’re making this for your own pantry and not wrapping it up as a gift. The real job is keeping out moisture and pantry odors, not winning a beauty contest.
One jar mix makes one full cake recipe using the listed wet ingredients. Since the batter includes 3 cups flour, 3 cups sugar, eggs, applesauce, and frosting, it comfortably fills standard cake pans for a layer cake or a 9×13-style party cake.
Mayonnaise adds fat and eggs in an easy, already-emulsified form, which helps keep the cake moist and tender. You won’t taste sandwich spread, so no need to panic, but you will notice a softer crumb.
You can, but the cake will turn out sweeter because the batter already uses 3 cups of sugar. If sweetened applesauce is all you have, it still works, just expect a slightly more sugary finish instead of the cleaner balance you get with unsweetened.
Start checking at 25 minutes and look for a center that springs back lightly when touched. If the middle sinks, looks glossy, or leaves wet batter on your finger, give it a few more minutes and check again rather than guessing and hoping for the best.
Yes, this batter can be baked as cupcakes. Since smaller portions bake faster than cake layers, begin checking earlier than the full 25 to 30 minute cake time so you don’t dry them out.
Cover it and refrigerate it within 2 hours, then use it within 3 to 4 days. The cream cheese frosting is the reason this isn’t a leave-it-on-the-counter-all-week kind of cake.
Yes, freeze the cake well wrapped for up to 2 months for best quality. Slice it before freezing if you want easy single servings later, because thawing one piece is a lot less dramatic than wrestling with a whole frozen cake.
Cream cheese frosting is the classic choice because its tang balances the sweet cake and cocoa flavor. This recipe already includes a full frosting formula, so you don’t need a second dessert plan unless you just like extra dishes.
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Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment and tell us how you used your mix, whether you baked layers or cupcakes, or if you tucked a jar into your pantry for later.
🖨️ Print-Friendly Red Velvet Cake Mix
Red Velvet Cake Mix
Ingredients
- 3 cups white flour
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise
- 3 cups white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 2 cups unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons red food coloring
- 1 pound cream cheese softened
- 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
- 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Equipment
Instructions
- Layer the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a wide-mouth 1-quart canning jar in the order listed, pressing each layer firmly in place before adding the next. Alternatively, place the dry mix in a zip-top bag for pantry storage.
- Preheat the oven to 350F and prepare the cake pans.
- Beat together the mayonnaise and half of the sugar until fluffy.
- Add the eggs, remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla, red food coloring, and applesauce.
- Add the contents of 1 jar mix a little at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly touched in the center.
- Cool the cake completely.
- For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter on low speed until combined.
- Add the confectioners' sugar and beat just until mixed, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy.
- Reduce speed, add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and mix lightly until incorporated.
- Frost the cooled cake and serve.
Recipe Size Alteration
💡 If you altered the ingredients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cook time.
Notes
Servings are estimated as 12 slices from one frosted cake.
Prep time is estimated and includes layering the jar mix, mixing the batter, and preparing the frosting.
Store the dry mix airtight in a cool, dry pantry for up to 6 months for best quality.
Refrigerate frosted cake within 2 hours and use within 3 to 4 days.
Freeze wrapped cake or slices for up to 2 months for best quality.
