Contrary to popular belief , the brightly - colored , cocoa - flavored afters is not just red - dyed chocolate cake . So what is flushed velvet patty ?
What isred velvet cake ? It ’s one of the most vulgar sweet - related questions . While it ’s widely regard as red - dyed chocolate bar , red velvet cake is its own unique confection . So what exactly is the crimson - color in sweet , and why is it such a vivid chromaticity ? We ’re breaking down all there is to know about the democratic U.S. cake , including its inception , color , and flavour .
Carson Downing
Credit:Carson Downing
A Brief History of Red Velvet Cake
To understand what red velvet patty is and how it differs from cocoa cake , we require to revisit its history — which began several hundred years ago during the Victorian era .
The Origin of Red Velvet Cake
During the priggish geological era ( or so 1837 to 1901 ) , bread maker began hold cakes " velvet bar " when they were made with element and technique that lead in a all right crumb and a soft , smooth , and rarefied texture . Almond flour , cocoa powder , and cornstarch were vulgar components of velvet bar , as were vinegar and buttermilk , which were used to tenderize cake beforecake flourexisted .
Around this time , bakers noticed that if they blended acidic ingredients — such as acetum or buttermilk — with the most common chocolate uncommitted at markets — non - Dutch refined cocoa — the cake batter would naturally turn slenderly reddish - colored . When the antioxidant called anthocyanins in stark naked cocoa powder reacts with anything acidulent , it turns black crimson - brown due to the alteration in pH.
In the dessert world , this was ab initio call in a " mahogany cake . " It delivered a short chocolate spirit and appeared mahogany - colored due to the chemical reaction between bake sodium carbonate , buttermilk , acetum , and rude cocoa powder . A sepia cake was similar to a chocolate cake , but the latter was made with chocolate or a mix of cocoa and cocoa powder . It ’s believed that a combination of a reddish brown cake and adevil ’s food for thought cakewas billed as a " velvet-textured cocoa cake " in the former 1900s .
The Popularization of Red Velvet Cake
Since cocoa powder was cheaper than chocolate , velvety chocolate cake was more budget - well-disposed than deep brown patty . This was a significant ingredient in red velvet cakes becoming progressively democratic during the Great Depression . The comparatively new sweet was a staple sweet treat during that tough fiscal period , thanks to its affordability compared to other baked goods . As friends , family line , and neighbors increasingly baked the sweet , word quickly scatter about velvet cocoa cake .
Then , in the thirties , a chic New York City hotel , the Waldorf - Astoria , total " crimson velvet cake " to their hotel eating place carte du jour . apparently at the same time in Canada , Eaton ’s Department Store , also started sell the renamed sweet . Both have attempted to lay claim tored velvet bar , but it ’s reset the recipe was swirling around in home kitchens for twelvemonth before either business commercialized it .
The Widespread Commercialization of Red Velvet Cake
In the late thirties , Adams Extract Co. took reward of an FDA colour additive regulation variety and began raft manufacturingred food for thought dye . To market the unfamiliar product , the company sold it with a recipe card for red velvet patty made with their dye , which produced a much - brighter - hued cake than the traditional ingredients . The vivid ruddy cake stood out against the stark - white frostingthe brand recommended pairing with their modernised red velvet cake .
This was honest timing , as more and more cocoa powder manufacturers transition to deal Dutch - processed cocoa pulverisation . This kind of cocoa is regale with an alkalizing agentive role that poise out the acidity , so it does n’t result in the colour - changing chemical substance reaction with vinegar and buttermilk .
Today , red velvet cake is often made with Dutch - processed drinking chocolate powder , butter , sugar , orchis , flour , baking soda water , buttermilk , vinegar , and scarlet food colourize . originative house Captain Cook have also make recipes using beet juice , beetroot pulverisation , pomegranate gunpowder , or cranberry powder as anatural nutrient dye option . Like the original violent velvet cake recipe , the upshot is less vibrant than the fire engine red bar you ’ll get with dye . It may taste a little different , too , but it will be delicious in its own rightfulness — especially when top withcream cheese frostingorbuttercream frosting .
What Flavor Is Red Velvet Cake?
cerise velvet patty is not just chocolate patty batter spiked with reddened food coloring . Because it uses cocoa pulverization rather than hot chocolate , red velvet bar has a more elusive chocolate flavor thanrich , decadent chocolate cake . Red velvet cake falls somewhere between whitened bar and chocolate patty on the flavor spectrum . The buttermilk and vinegar give the dessert a slightly tart edge that bring about a tangier flavor than the taste of chocolate patty .
How Does Red Velvet Cake Differ From Chocolate Cake?
The main differentiating factor between cocoa cake and red velvet cake are the buttermilk and vinegar in the latter ’s batter . These acidic red velvet cake ingredients offer a pleasant amount of sour , which balances the odorous , flowered timbre of the vanilla extract , as well as the fertile and pantry flavor of thefrosting .
Buttermilk and vinegar also impact the cake ’s texture . cocoa cake is usually dense and moist , while red velvet cake has a much easy and softer so-and-so since the acidic ingredients result in a more tender finished mathematical product .
Frequently Asked Questions
Today , the crimson chromaticity of red velvet cake is most commonly attain with cherry nutrient dye . However , when the cake was first vulgarise in the 1800s , its red color resulted from the acid ingredient ( usually vinegar and buttermilk ) mixing with cocoa powder in the batter .
While red velvet patty has a mild chocolate nip , it is not just cocoa cake with red solid food dye . Red velvet bar is made with hot chocolate gunpowder , buttermilk , and vinegar — the latter two give the dessert a tart flavor . Chocolate bar does not contain buttermilk or acetum , so the chocolate feel is much rich . to boot , burnt umber cake is dense and moist , while crimson velvet patty is much light in grain .
Red velvet patty is most commonly partner off with cream tall mallow frosting .
