I've seen there is a Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Red Velvet Cake Mix. I'd like to know if anybody has tried it and how it is? Or if you SWEAR BY scratch, what recipe do you like?

I tried it. It really didnt taste like anything to me. I like box mixes (usually doctored) but it tasted like wimpy chocolate cake to me. So I don't know if was the "box" or that I just don't really care for red velvet.

I have made it for friends that adore red velvet cake (which is actually devil's food cake with red food coloring) and they thought it was great.

i have used the red velvet cake mix and like it alot. a friend of mine always asks me to make the red velvet for her when she needs a cake.

I do not like RV box at all-I agree that it is a "wimpy chocolate" and nothing more. I LOVE scratch RV and maybe that's why-it's just not anything like the REAL thing. I really like Gale Gand's recipe-it is similar to mine.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_13237,00.html

It is very good. Some people (I think more from the south) swear by cream cheese icing with red velvet cake. I totally disagree and love cooked icing. Maybe just my own personal preference. Her icing recipe is very similar to what I use as well.

I agree that the mix tastes like "wimpy" chocolate. Paula Deen's recipe is pretty good!

I have always had a red velvet cake for my birthday every year since I can remember. It's is my absolute favorite cake. My mom always makes it from scratch. The one year she didn't have time she switched to the box mix and to me it tastes like a (not so very good) chocolate cake, tasted nothing at all like red velvet in my opinion.

I love box mixes for everything else so it's not that I'm anti-cake mix, this one is just blah for me.

Anya

I tried DH Red Velvet and thought it was icky!!!!!

The Cake Mix Doctor Cookbook has a great recipe using devil's food cake mix. I made it for a bridal shower where the bride told me it was the best RV she had tasted ever! PM me if you want that recipe.

I tried the DH RV once, doctored with pudding, extra egg, and sour cream. Person I made it for loved it.

Red Velvet really isn't a devils food cake. The best one I have found is Sara's recipe right here on CC. It's easy to make and very moist.

I misspoke. I should have said German Chocolate Cake. Sorry, I should have looked it up first.

Try the doctored mix cake from The Cake Doctor. I used that recipe, starting with a white cake mix, adding 1/4 cup of cocoa, with about 2 tsps of powdered red color isntead of the liquid coloring, and milk instead of the water. It was so beautifully velvety in texture and delicious! I don't usually do tastings, but I had three wedding cakes being ordered from friends at the same time, so I did a tasting day with red velvet/cream cheese, chocolate raspberry amaretto (my specialty,) and chocolate/choc chip/choc buttercream. Every single one ordered at least one tier of the red velvet! And we ate the rest of the tasting cake for dessert!
Mmmmmm! I'd love to try Paula Deen's recipe soon. I'll bet it has buttah!

A Red Velvet Cake from scratch can get a little pricey
and time consuming. I tried Martha Stewarts, Paula Deen,
etc. I"m sticking with the Duncan Hinds, following back
of the box directions, and adding 1 small box of instant
white chocolate pudding, 1 extra egg, 1/2 cup of sour
cream, and 1 T canola oil. I recently made a 3 layer for
my daughter-in-law's baby shower. It was very good,
and I have orders for more.

we had a neighborhood taste taste I made a box RV a scratch RV I mad the traditional RV frosting the one with flour in it..... I did not make the one with a white box and added stuff or the choc box with added stuff we all agreed those were 1970 ways of trying to do the scratch cake.


so we all sat down with 2 slices of cake... we all agreed they tasted exactly the same.... but the scratch cake was dense and the box fluffy.

Those who grew up eating red velvet cake said there was no question the scratch was the best just like grandma made..... Those who had not liked the box because the texture was fluffy and light.


so if someone wants red velvet I think you should always ask what the cake they remember was like and also the frosting..... do they remember the cooked flour one, cream cheese or something else. a memory is important.

Red velvet cake is very good and I think it deserves to be made from scratch. You won't be sorry.

I like box mixes except for the red velvet cake. It doesn't taste anything like the real thing.

I just made a rv cake using the duncan hines mix but I used the recipe for the white almond sour cream cake, but I omitted the almond extract and used all vanilla extract. It was very moist and everyone liked it.

I have a scratch RV recipe that is AWsome and no more expensive than any other cake recipe. It's not a chocolate cake at all, though. And it is so moist and wonderful that people can't stop eating it. We always joke that it tastes...red...but whatever it is, it's delish!

I'll share the recipe if you guys want it. I've been told it's the Real Thing by a lady who's grandmother has been making her RV for her birthday every year all her life, and she tasted mine and said "Oh...Grandma is so fired!"

Let me know if you want it and I'll dig it out and post it.

Here it is:

I've never had a bride taste this cake and not order it. In fact everyone who ever tries it, can't stop eating it...lol. You'll see what I mean.

I'm going to give you the standard recipe, and it says to use three 9" x 1-1/2" round pan), but I find that I use a 1.5 batch to fill two 8" x 2" round pan and the single recipe for two 6" pans, so it must not make much batter...I've never tried the three 9" pans...

Oven to 350. Grease and flour or grease and parchment in pans.

2-1/2 cup all purpose flour (not cake flour)
1-1/2 cup sugar
1 ts baking soda
1 ts salt
1 ts cocoa (yes, only 1)
1-1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, room temp
2 TB (1 oz) red food coloring (one bottle, usually)
1 ts white distilled vinegar
1 ts vanilla

Sift together all dry ingredients in stand mixer bowl. In another bowl, combine remaining liquid ingredients. With paddle attachment, slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and blend until just combined and smooth.

Divide between pans and baking until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Recipe says bake about 30 minutes for three 9" pans, but my oven is so unpredictable, and I've never done the three 9" pans, so I couldn't tell you how long I bake them--just till they're done I guess.

WIlliam-Sonoma is selling a red velvet cake mix by Sprinkles, the cup cake company out of California, and it is very good.

I use the recipe from food network that is from the Throwdown with bobby flay cupcake challenge. it makes enough batter for 3-8in layers. It is really good. the cream cheese forsting recipe that goes along with it is also very good. i used half butter half shortening instead of all butter.

I also just bought a HUGE bottle of red coloring from Smart & Final for $6.25 for 32oz. i was paying $3 for the small 1oz bottles.

Ive tried the DH RV mix and i agree it taste like a wimpy choc cake

Thank you, homecook, I have printed out the recipe to try.

A common item I'm seeing in all the RV recipes is BUTTERMILK! It must be some sort of key ingredient. I've never used it before in any recipe.