AI think it has the most impact when baked into the shape of an animal or human body part. Ha!
Would Sarah's recipe adapt well as a pink velvet, for those who don't want all the food coloring?
Thanks,
Liz
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My understanding of red velvet is a cake that is flavoured with coco and beetroot. I have never used red colouring because it does not give the right texture. I have a fantastic recipe that always works well and is a family favourite. Happy to supply it here if requested.
Yes, please, Sugarflorist... if you don't mind sharing, I'd love another recipe to try! 
If at all possible, would you have quantities for an 8" round, please? That's my "starting point" for all recipes and then I have a chart that scales up or down accordingly for me.
Thank you
Suzanne x
AOk Suzanne give me a couple of days to get it typed up. Can't remember off hand what size it cooks up - it must be 6 months since I last baked it as me and my OH are both on a diet at the moment ;)
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Ok Suzanne give me a couple of days to get it typed up. Can't remember off hand what size it cooks up - it must be 6 months since I last baked it as me and my OH are both on a diet at the moment
Thanks so much - really appreciate it!
Oh, and the remainder of the first red velvet I baked is in the freezer... I cut about a quarter away to get the photo and then split that between hubby and my younger son and me. And it was only a 6" cake... I, too, am on a diet! LOL!!!!
I think people are in love with the idea of red velvet. I completely agree with the comments that it does't taste like much. I can imagine if you cake is more a vehicle to get frosting in your mouth this might appeal to you, but definitely not my style. Besides, whether a slice or two will kill you or not, anything with that much coloring for no good reason just is NOT appealing. I'm always amazing when people order in in spite of being told just how much food coloring is used. Blech!
as promised
i got this from a cooking site but have changed it a bit. the original baked the beets but i found that they were a bit woody so i boiled them and it worked a lot better. i also swap out the caster sugar for dark brown sugar and put less salt in because my OH has a heat problem.
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 135g beetroot, boiled and grated
- 310g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
- 400g caster sugar
- 50g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 285g unsalted butter, melted
- 4 eggs, beaten
- Grease one 9 inch tin . grate the beets Sprinkle lemon juice and set aside.
- Combine flour, 1 teaspoon salt, bicarbonate of soda, caster sugar, cocoa, melted butter, eggs, honey, milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Stir in beetroot. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of mixer. Pour into prepared dish.
- Bake at 180 C / Gas 4 about 40 minutes.
I tried Sarah's red velvet recipe and used 1/2 tsp. Americolor deep pink (in place of red coloring), with the rest of the recipe as written. It turned out a very natural looking red velvet - a mid toned rusty red. I was shooting for pink, and to achieve that, I think you would need to back down the cocoa by a Tbsp. or two, along with 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. of pink.
It was a moist cake, with a nice texture, but I'm just not a fan of the flavor - too nondescript to evoke any kind of response, good or bad. Just my 2 cents.
Liz
A
Original message sent by sugarflorist
My understanding of red velvet is a cake that is flavoured with coco and beetroot. I have never used red colouring because it does not give the right texture. I have a fantastic recipe that always works well and is a family favourite. Happy to supply it here if requested.
I'm looking for a good red velvet recipe that can hold well under fondant and also taste good. Recipes I have tried are nothing special taste wise and come out too fluffy.
A
Original message sent by Fatemah
I'm looking for a good red velvet recipe that can hold well under fondant and also taste good. Recipes I have tried are nothing special taste wise and come out too fluffy.
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It's supposed to be dense and kind of heavy, with a slightly tangy flavor that has just a hint of chocolate. It's not for everyone, that's for sure. I make Martha Stewart's recipe but modify it a bit.
That's interesting. I was always under the impression that it was really light and fluffy so was somewhat devastated at my last two attempts which were, well, uninspiring to say the least. The first was a scratch recipe (Hummingbird Bakery) and I thought I had something wrong as it was pretty dense compared to what I expected (I also looked like something out of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre at the end of baking). The second was a Betty Crocker packet mix (I figured that i couldn't possibly screw that up) and wasn't much lighter, nor did it taste of much. Hmmm... Ow well, I'll just have to find an excuse to visit the Southern States for some 'product research'. 
Yep I just made one for a birthday at work last week and it was doorstop heavy and dense. But it was moist and everyone tore it up and said it was the best red velvet ever.
A
Original message sent by AnnieCahill
Yep I just made one for a birthday at work last week and it was doorstop heavy and dense. But it was moist and everyone tore it up and said it was the best red velvet ever.
I agree, I'm not a fan of red velvet cake, but tons of people request it for their cakes. I dont understand why, it doesn't taste like much. Like you said its "meh"
I used Cakeman's with a couple of modifications. I cut the oil back 1/4 cup and use three teaspoons of dark cocoa powder. I usually use Martha Stewart's recipe but I didn't have any cake flour. The two recipes are very similar.
AThe thing about red velvet that I don't get is why people would choose to use colouring when beetroot gives it flavour and texture. I get that commercial bakers would go the colouring root based on cost. But a home or artisan baker is more about the wonderful product.
The thing about red velvet that I don't get is why people would choose to use colouring when beetroot gives it flavour and texture. I get that commercial bakers would go the colouring root based on cost. But a home or artisan baker is more about the wonderful product.
The original red velvet cake was NOT colored with beetroot. It was an interesting novelty cake that turned reddish "because...Science". :D
Adams Extracts decided to tart it up with food coloring as a way to sell more of their product (and it worked). Now very few people eat the "traditional", less vivid red velvet cake. Beet juice came into it during war rationing. I have _NO IDEA_ why red dye would be rationed, but it was. Maybe to dye flags?
Anyway, the point of it today is the same reason it was eaten before Adams dyed it. It looks nice. It's a reddish cake with pale frosting, which is visually striking. It doesn't have a strong flavor. It's fairly light and soft with a hint of chocolate and it's supposed to have a light, gentle cooked flour frosting.
It's the sort of cake that would have been served with tea or coffee during an afternoon visit and chat with your female friends. Or, as they used to serve it in Canada, as a snack to nibble on in a full service department store. It's supposed to be delicate and comfortable, _not_ rich and imposing.
Yes, I love red velvet cake and no, I don't think it should be used for wedding cakes. To fancy it up for wedding cakes it needs enough chocolate flavor added to stand up to the strong/sweet cream cheese frosting.
Betty's red velvet cake
She uses self rising flour and sour cream instead of milk.
~~Ingredients:
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened to room temperature
2 1/2 cups sugar
6 eggs 3
cups self-rising flour (If you use plain flour, for each cup of plain flour, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder to covert to self-rising flour.)
8 oz. sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
(2) 1-oz. bottles red food coloring
Beat 1 cup butter at medium speed with electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add 2 1/2 cups sugar, continuing to beat until light and fluffy. Add 6 eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Stir together 3 cups self-rising flour and 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder. Add to butter mixture alternately with 8 oz. sour cream, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla and (2) 1-oz. bottles red food coloring. Stir until well blended. Divide batter into 4 equal parts, and pour batter into (4) 9-inch cake pans that have been greased and floured. Use 2 racks to bake the 4 layers in a 350 oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in each comes out clean. Remove cake pans from oven and set aside and cool to room temperature before frostin
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I've been asked so often for red velvet cake, that I thought I ought to give it a go. It's still relatively new to the UK... it's been around for a couple of years, but it's certainly not a staple, as far as cake flavours go.
I don't "get" it....
... it's not a lovely chocolatey chocolate cake.
... it's not a light, fragrant vanilla sponge.
It's just 'meh', really.
.....................""
Today, Out of curiosity, I bought a small 6" one to try. I'm with you Relznik.....I don't get it.
It has little fragrance or taste, and the frosting was bland. No identifiable flavor.
When I wiped up a few crumbs that fell on the counter there was a huge smear of bright red food coloring all over the counter and the dish cloth. I had to clean it up quickly before it stained everything.
There must be something that makes it so popular. ??
here is a link on wilton forum for original.
http://www.wilton.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=8&threadid=118439&FTVAR_MSGDBTABLE=
This thread is old, but this is my grandmother's recipe. Everyone loves it. It always comes out moist and delicious. Well, for red velvet anyway, and according to my customers. I am not a huge fan either.
1/2 cup crisco
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3 TBS cocoa
1 cup buttermilk
2 oz. red food color
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 TBS vinegar
Cream crisco and sugar. Add eggs and beat. Mix flour, salt, and cocoa in a bowl. Mix buttermilk, red food color and vanilla in another bowl (or logically, right in the liquid measuring cup). Alternate/add dry and wet into creamed crisco, sugar, egg mixture, starting with dry and ending with dry. Mix baking soda and vinegar (right into the now-empty liquid measuring cup). Use a spatula to get every last bit and fold into batter. Bake at 350.
I usually make my own buttermilk with milk and vinegar (because I rarely have it on-hand. The homemade works like a charm.), and I only use 1 oz. of food color. I add water to the empty bottle to make the 2 oz. (It gets every last bit of red out of the bottle and is plenty of red to make the cake red.) I don't have baking times because I use different size pans at different times.
The classic cooked icing that, imo, is supposed to go on a red velvet cake is this:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup flour
cook on stovetop, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly. Cool
Add 1/2 cup crisco (I use butter. I despise crisco in icing/frosting. It won't be as white, but you can always use whitener, which I also despise.)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Beat 5 to 7 minutes or until light, fluffy and sugar crystals are dissolved.
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