# Help - Red Velvet Cake Recipe Needed



## Tristan (Aug 3, 2011)

Hi People, can I ask for help please. 

Does anyone's restaurant (or does any gifted home chef) have an awesome red velvet cake recipe that you don't mind sharing with me? I need it for a special occasion, and it isn't a local thing. 

Any help at all will be massively appreciated. Thanks!


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## jheis (Aug 3, 2011)

Sorry, no recipe, but YUCK!


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## goodchef1 (Aug 3, 2011)

i found this for you, it's debatable on whether or not this is the "original" but I have to go along with jheis on this one.


WALDORF ASTORIA RED VELVET CAKE 
1/2 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 oz. red food coloring (2 - 1 oz. bottles)
1 tsp. cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. vinegar
1 c. buttermilk

Cream sugar, eggs, and shortening. Make a paste of food coloring and cocoa. Add to mixture; add flour with salt alternately with buttermilk. Add vanilla. Last of all fold in vinegar and baking soda mixture.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes in 2 (9-inch) pans. (For a nice Valentine's Day treat, bake in heart shaped pans.)

FROSTING:

1 stick butter
1/2 c. Crisco
1 c. milk
1 c. confectioners sugar
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. vanilla

Cook flour with milk until thick; cool. Cream sugar, butter, shortening and vanilla with mixture for 10 minutes (until light and fluffy). Blend in cool flour and milk mixture. Frost cake and decorate as able.:O


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## Eamon Burke (Aug 3, 2011)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't red velvet cake just chocolate cake dyed red?


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## goodchef1 (Aug 4, 2011)

In a nutshell, Yes. But for arguments sake, I would have to say the difference being the amount of cocoa or chocolate in the mix, baking soda/powder, and the addition of red food coloring which may turn some people off because of its perceived or real health hazards. Originally, I believe the red coloring was made with beets, which in turn gave it a velvet texture,hence the name.

I guess it's a mental thing to some, like green ketchup, or purple sauces.


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## BraisedorStewed (Aug 4, 2011)

johndoughy said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't red velvet cake just chocolate cake dyed red?


 
No it is not. It is a variation on devil's food. The reaction between the alkali in the dutch process cocoa powder and the baking soda produces a red tinge to the cake, which people have chosen to accentuate with red food coloring. As for a recipe I am told that martha stewart has a few good ones, also I am told to find a recipe that uses oil, it will react better with the food coloring. Sorry but my girl will not share her recipe with me so I'm not even gonna ask if I can post it here.


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## Tristan (Aug 6, 2011)

No worries, as for the yuck part... hmm this is my first attempt. It's gotta be done right for a friend, so not judging  Thanks for the tips guys


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## apicius9 (Aug 6, 2011)

Why would anyone make Red Velvet cake when they could make a Black Forest cake?


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## deker (Aug 10, 2011)

Why all the hate for Red Velvet cake? Personally, I like it. 

-d


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## swarfrat (Aug 10, 2011)

Haven't tried it myself, but here's Cook's Country/America's Test Kitchen take on it: Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting


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## sudsy9977 (Aug 11, 2011)

i've made the test kitchen recipe and everyone i gave it to was impressed by it and said it was th ebest red velvet cake they ever had.....i thought it was ok...sort of tasted devil foody but different.....it was good....but i am no expert of red velvet.....ryan


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## bprescot (Aug 11, 2011)

Huh... never had much of a reaction to red velvet cakes either way. I will be using it to try this this Halloween, so maybe I'll try the test kitchen recipe for it.


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## SpikeC (Aug 11, 2011)

What is the difference between chocolate cake and devils food cake?


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## bprescot (Aug 11, 2011)

I could be wrong on this, but I've been told that devil's food will use cocoa powder rather than chocolate, and that this substitution causes the cake to be moister... Never seemed like a great explanation to me, though, and why that substitution would result in a moister cake is also not clear to me...


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## bprescot (Aug 11, 2011)

Nevermind. I should have looked at Wikipedia before posting.

"Devil's food cake is generally more moist and airy than other chocolate cakes, and often uses cocoa as opposed to chocolate for the flavor as well as coffee.[1] The lack of melted chocolate and the addition of coffee is typically what distinguishes a 'devil's food cake' from a chocolate cake, though some recipes call for all, resulting in an even richer chocolate flavor. The use of hot, or boiling water as the cake's main liquid, rather than milk, is also a common difference.

Devil's food cake is sometimes distinguished from other chocolate cakes by the use of additional baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) which raises the pH level and makes the cake a deeper and darker mahogany color.[1] Devil's food cake incorporates butter (or a substitute), egg whites, flour (while some chocolate cakes are flourless) and less egg than other chocolate cakes.[1] Devil's food cake was introduced in the United States in the early 20th century with the recipe in print as early as 1905.[2]"


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## SpikeC (Aug 11, 2011)

Thanks! I should have looked it up myself, I suppose, butt now everyone knows!


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## Adamm (Aug 21, 2011)

If you look online for recipes be carful, red velvet recipes can be screwy with vinegar being added and butter milk, I made one for my fiances bday and it turnded out like crap, a good lesson in why you should always test a baking recipe before you make it, especially when it was from the internet


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