Help! I've been asked to do one tier of a three tier wedding cake in red velvet. A friend warned about it bleeding through the icing, so now I'm worried...especially since only one tier will be red velvet (I sure don't want the cake to look 2 different colors). Are there any tricks to keep this from happening (I'll be using buttercreme icing)? Or should I discuss with the bride-to-be and recommend another flavor???

I've never had red velvet bleed through and I've done lots of red velvet. This cake had two tiers of RV and two in vanilla pound. Can you tell the difference? ...and this was assembled for 24 hrs before I took the pic.

I cant' say I've ever had bleed thru (maybe a spot here or there where I got the icing thin).

bleed thru is caused when moisture from the cake mixes with moisture in the icing. If you remember those boring 4th grade science lessons on how water will find the easiest route to anywhere, apply it here.

If you crumb coat your cake well, and let the icing REALLY crust before applying your topcoat, you should be find. Your top coat is in contact with a dry, crusted icing, not in contact with the moist red cake. Ergo no red moisture is getting thru the crumb-coat-dry barrier to be able to bleed thru the final coat.

If you're unsure, then do 2 thin crumb coats and THEN a final icing.

But letting it crust well is the key.