Ah, the classic red velvet woes! Here’s a checklist: freshness of baking soda/powder, room temp ingredients, proper creaming of butter & sugar, gentle folding in of dry ingredients, not overbeating, and careful measuring of buttermilk & vinegar for that signature tang but not OVER tang. If you want to troubleshoot further, happy to help!

Don't panic! Sometimes the first try doesn't go as planned. Are you at high altitude? That can affect the rise too. If you're up for trying again, I've got a no-fail recipe you can use. But there's nothing wrong with buying one! Sometimes it's the backup we all need 🎂💕

buy a cake lol why bother when you've already bombed it this bad

The flour taste makes me think the ratio of flour to fat/sugar might be off, or it's possible you didn't cream the butter and sugar enough before adding other ingredients. Creaming adds air to the batter, helping the cake rise better. One more thing, make sure to check your oven temp with an oven thermometer. Inaccurate temps can cause baking disasters!

red velvet is suchhhh a pain sometimes. Maybe your oven temp is off, which could deflate the cake. But hey, no shame in a store-bought cake. It's the thought (and not giving your bestie a weird floury brick) that counts, right?

I get the stress, birthdays are a big deal. But honestly? If you're out of time, get a box mix. They’re foolproof and still super tasty. Save the scratch baking for a less high-stakes day 😅

This has happened to me before!! Check your baking soda/powder, they might not be fresh and can totally ruin the texture of cake. Don’t give up! Red Velvet is tricky but so worth when you get it right 😩🍰

Hey! It sounds like you might’ve overmixed the batter or maybe your leavening agent was expired? That can cause cakes to come out dense instead of fluffy. Make sure you don’t beat the batter too much after adding flour, just fold it in gently. And for that weird tang, red velvet should have a bit of a tang from the buttermilk and vinegar, but if it's off, maybe check your measurements or the quality of your ingredients!