I would like to know if the colour of the cake originally comes from the vinegar and chocolate interaction why most of the best recipes for a red velvet on this site do not have any vinegar and use copious amounts of red food colouring?
I will go back and look again at all the ingredients (in all the recipes) but is there not an original recipe that actually relies on the chemical interaction and does not add tons of red food colouring?
Please let me know. I made my MIL's 75th birthday cake out of a red velvet (delivered it to Canada) and blew them away. Now everyone wants a recipe but I want to send them one that is original and pure. I am having to mail DH box mixes north but would like a better option.
Thank you for all your advice
Claire
Hi there
I haven't made this recipe, but I found it on the web for you - it has only 2tablespoons of colouring, and does have vinegar in it...
http://www.joyofbaking.com/RedVelvetCake.html
HTH
-- Fi
thanks,
I will post the original recipe if ever I find it. I know we used to have a baker on this site named Risque Business who in her baking sciences classes had explained that it was the interaction between the vinegar and the chocolate that originally made this cake red. So I am hoping that someone would have a recipe like that.
If it were an oil or extract it would not be so bad but I am hoping to remove the colour altogether.
Thank you for trying on my behalf.
Claire
The information about the chemical interaction between the vinegar and cocoa is in a lot of sources I found on Google. It seems that perhaps cocoa may have been "different" when the original recipe was developed. Here is a quote from a Google source:
"A Southern specialty, the Red Velvet Cake owes its red color to history. Originally, its deep red color was thought to be due to a reaction between early varieties of cocoa and baking soda. But this reaction also gave the cake a soapy taste. Thereafter, cooks and bakers must have opted for food color or an edible red dye to get the effect. In the Southern states, where the Devils Food Cake originated, it was made with cocoa and beet, hence the original red color effect." buzzle.com
Sooo, my guess is that you won't find a good, useable recipe that doesn't have red food coloring in it.
If I read you right, it sounds like you used DH Red Velvet mix for your cake and that the family loved it. If that's the case, a scratch recipe may not be exactly what they're expecting, either.
JMHO
Rae
Here's my recipe. It does include vinegar, but also uses red food color.
Red Velvet Cake
Note: this is a recipe that I developed; please credit me when sharing with others! Thanks, Promise Whitley 
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temp ½ cup Crisco
1 and ½ cups granulated white sugar
3 large eggs, room temp
1 envelope Dream Whip
1 and ½ cups buttermilk, room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ounce (1 tablespoon) red food color
2 and ½ cups cake flour (I use Swans Down)
¼ cup cocoa powder (I use Hersheys)
1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Preheat oven to 350
Cream butter and shortening, then add sugar and beat until light and fluffy
Beat in eggs, one at a time
Beat in Dream Whip, buttermilk, vanilla extract and food coloring
Over wax paper, sift together flour, salt and cocoa
Add flour mixture slowly to the wet ingredient and bet to combine
In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar, stirring until baking soda dissolves then add to batter and beat the batter on high for 3 minutes.
For an 8 or 9 inch round cake, divide between 3 prepared pans (I use Pam with Flour)
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, check for doneness with toothpick
Cool for 10 minutes in pans then turn out on wire racks and cool completely before frosting
Ice with Cream Cheese Frosting or Flour Frosting
Garnish sides with either flake coconut or toasted chopped pecans (optional)
thanks to everyone who helped me with this research. I will send a few boxes north and then also a copy of a few recipes for them to try.
I know that it is a southern thing but Canada will see red when they get hooked on this one! ha! ha!
thanks ever so much again.
Claire
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