topic Re: Red Velvet Cake ~ What am I missing? in Kitchen

Red Velvet Cake ~ What am I missing?

house cat — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 17:27:52 GMT

Why add all that red dye to the cake? Does it affect the flavor or is it just for presentation? I'd rather have a white cake without all the dye.

I don't understand the popularity of red velvet.

Am I missing something?

Re: Red Velvet Cake ~ What am I missing?

brii — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 17:29:58 GMT

The red dye doesn't alter the flavor. But red velvet cake is not a white cake - it does contain cocoa.

It's one of my favorite cakes.

Re: Red Velvet Cake ~ What am I missing?

Mom2Dogs — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 17:30:38 GMT

If you don't add the red dye it is a very unattractive cake....the dye does not add flavor it's visual...for me the frosting is what makes the cake and if you make a layer cake, it is very pretty when you cut into it and present it........

Re: Red Velvet Cake ~ What am I missing?

ilovedaisies — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 17:31:14 GMT

For me, it's not really about the cake - it's all about the cream cheese frosting!

Re: Red Velvet Cake ~ What am I missing?

lovesrecess — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 17:48:30 GMT

DH loves the cream cheese frosting.....he prefers a bowl of it and a spoon and would skip the cake part if I let him!

Because there isn't a lot of cocoa in the cake, it is a pretty icky color without the food coloring; maybe that's why it requires it.....I agree with OP though....I don't want to make anything with a whole bottle of red food dye in it.

Re: Red Velvet Cake ~ What am I missing?

stevieb — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 17:51:53 GMT

If you are, house cat, I'm missing it too. I remember the first time I had it, the person who prepared it had given it a huge build up and while it was good and I sort of feigned exultation so as not to ruffle any feathers, I was sort of underwhelmed and have been ever since then.

Re: Red Velvet Cake ~ What am I missing?

stilltamn8r — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 18:05:38 GMT

Best cream cheese frosting I have ever made, came from my old "Joy of Cooking" cookbook- I could eat it on graham crackers, saltines, Ritz, the spoon, the knife ANYTHING!!!!

So easy that i sometimes make it and keep it in the fridge in a lock n lock!

Re: Red Velvet Cake ~ What am I missing?

RedTop — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 18:09:46 GMT

My first taste of Red Velvet cake was in 1973 at a birthday party. We were new high school graduates, and about a dozen of us gathered at my friend's house to celebrate with her and her family. My friend's mom carried in this beautifully decorated layer cake she had made, cutting generous slices of soft "red" cake for everyone, which I thought was divine! I got the recipe, and Red Velvet cake became a new favorite for my family. For me, it will always be a special cake, because I associate it with one of my best friend's 17th birthday party. While I have since used cream cheese icing for this cake, I generally stick with the cooked icing where you start with flour and milk, then beat in butter, sugar, and vanilla.

Re: Red Velvet Cake ~ What am I missing?

house cat — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 18:10:08 GMT

I agree with stevieb about being underwhelmed by it. I make a delicious cream cheese frosting for my carrot cake. I'm assuming it's the same or similar to that. I would consider that atop a devil's food cake, rather than eating all that dye. I put enough poisons into my body when I don't even realize it, I would hesitate to add them on purpose.

Re: Red Velvet Cake ~ What am I missing?

brii — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 18:12:08 GMT

There are white velvet cake recipes without all the red food coloring.

Re: Red Velvet Cake ~ What am I missing?

Ibby114 — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 18:15:45 GMT

I think this cake is lacking something also- when I want chocolate cake I want CHOCOLATE cake!

Re: Red Velvet Cake ~ What am I missing?

colliegirls — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 18:41:07 GMT

The BEST frosting that makes a red velvet cake special is the cooked milk and flour frosting. Its taste is fabulous, not cream cheese frosting for this cake!

Re: Red Velvet Cake ~ What am I missing?

fbm2lsm — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 18:44:02 GMT

On 3/2/2014 ilovedaisies said: For me, it's not really about the cake - it's all about the cream cheese frosting!

In total agreement! How can you go wrong with something that has both cream cheese and sugar?

Re: Red Velvet Cake ~ What am I missing?

rudy — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 18:47:51 GMT

Nothing. I'm with you; I find that mess disgusting. Blech.

Re: Red Velvet Cake ~ What am I missing?

chrystaltree — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 18:55:33 GMT

You need to find a recipe for genuine red velvet cake, not they phony fake they pass off as red velvet. Sadly, some people don't know there is a difference.

Re: Red Velvet Cake ~ What am I missing?

muttmom — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 18:57:41 GMT

So if I dump a bottle of blue food coloring into the recipe I can have a blue velvet cake? How about green velvet for St. Patrick's Day?

Re: Red Velvet Cake ~ What am I missing?

CluckCluck — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 19:03:28 GMT

On 3/2/2014 chrystaltree said:
You need to find a recipe for genuine red velvet cake, not they phony fake they pass off as red velvet. Sadly, some people don't know there is a difference.

I believe that in an original recipe, the red color comes from beet juice. We had an awesome cake from a local baker, and that's what she used....it was delicious!

Re: Red Velvet Cake ~ What am I missing?

birkin baby — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 19:04:17 GMT

On 3/2/2014 colliegirls said:
The BEST frosting that makes a red velvet cake special is the cooked milk and flour frosting. Its taste is fabulous, not cream cheese frosting for this cake!

That is my preference too.....the cooked icing is great on this and it is also good on any cake. Sometimes I will add lemon zest to go on a vanilla cake,or orange zest for a choc cupcake. It's just so good.

Re: Red Velvet Cake ~ What am I missing?

colliegirls — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 19:05:00 GMT

On 3/2/2014 muttmom said:
So if I dump a bottle of blue food coloring into the recipe I can have a blue velvet cake? How about green velvet for St. Patrick's Day?

Why not?? They color a lot of food for St Patrick's Day. I only make Red Velvet cake on Christmas for the color and the frosting (as my earlier post), its really similiar to chocolate cake with 2 oz of red food coloring added. Its a pretty cake for the holidays because the sides are not covered, the white frosting only hangs a little over the red cake edges.

Re: Red Velvet Cake ~ What am I missing?

house cat — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 19:05:01 GMT

On 3/2/2014 sixcatsaz said:
On 3/2/2014 chrystaltree said:
You need to find a recipe for genuine red velvet cake, not they phony fake they pass off as red velvet. Sadly, some people don't know there is a difference.

I believe that in an original recipe, the red color comes from beet juice. We had an awesome cake from a local baker, and that's what she used....it was delicious!

That makes so much more sense to me.