RED VELVET CAKE
Red Velvet cake is a type of rich and sweet chocolate cake with a distinctive dark red, bright red or red-brown color most popular in the Southern United States.It was discovered that the reaction of acidic vinegar and buttermilk tends to turn cocoa a reddish-brown color. This natural tinting may have been the source for the name "Red Velvet". Common ingredients in different recipes include buttermilk, butter, flour, cocoa powder, and often either beets or red food coloring. Why beets? While foods were rationed during World War II, some bakers used boiled grated beets to enhance the color of their cakes and boiled beets or beet baby food can still be found in some recipes today.
When more-alkaline "Dutch Processed" cocoa became widely available, its use caused the red color to be less pronounced so, red dye was probably incorporated into recipes in
order to replicate the earlier color.
The most typical frosting for a Red Velvet cake is a butter roux icing, but cream cheese buttercream frostings are also popular. _____________________________________________________________________ 
From THE FRUIT CO. Three layers of moist red cake and delicate buttercream, surrounded by a sour cream frosting. $46.95
From SHARI'S BERRIES All natural, deep red cake cupcakes filled with a creamy chocolate center and topped with cream cheese-buttermilk fluff frosting. Yow! 4 for $24.99
_____________________________________________________________________ A couple of urban legends surround the ever-popular Red Velvet Cakes: #1: Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York #2: Eaton's of Canada 
Trivia: The 1989 film Steel Magnolias, in which the groom's cake is a Red Velvet cake made in the shape of an armadillo, is partly responsible for a resurgence in the popularity of this cake. Important Note: Traditionalists believe that these cakes must contain cocoa, although recipes are available that do not contain any chocolate flavoring. Return to the Home Page |
