Cupcakes are fine, sure, but they hardly seem worth paying a premium. Perhaps my anti-cupcake bias comes from the fact that I lived in New York at the height of the fancy cupcake boom. Friends would wait in line for hours to spend a small fortune purchasing a half dozen teensy cake morsels, and I simply could not abide it.
The one exception, I must admit, is red velvet cupcakes. I don’t know why, but somehow, they are, to my mind, the most gorgeous and delicious of all cupcakes. I admit I have special ordered a box of them from a bougie Brooklyn bakery. No regrets! They were delicious.
And yet, I am pretty ignorant of what the flavor of these cakes actually is. What is red velvet cake made of? What is red velvet flavor? Is red velvet a flavor or is it just chocolate with red food coloring? Let’s find out.
Red velvet cake is a Southern American delight that blends a vanilla cake with a striking red hue from food coloring, mixed with several tablespoons of cocoa powder. Its cake batter gets a tangy kick from buttermilk and white vinegar, perfectly offsetting the sweetness of the classic cream butter-cheese frosting.
What flavor is red velvet?
All right, let’s cut the suspense. Red velvet’s distinctive flavor is not merely a trick of the senses that comes from dying chocolate red. No, in fact, red velvet batter contains a mixture of vanilla and a dash of cocoa, plus more vinegary tartness than you might find in a typical cake. Red velvet cake is usually topped with a cream cheese frosting as well, which is quite strong and might be the most distinctive part of the whole cake.
When prepared correctly, the “velvet” in the red velvet should be particularly meaningful—the texture of red velvet is smooth, fine, and soft.
Food History: Red Velvet Cake
FAQ
What flavor is red velvet actually?
What makes red velvet cake different than chocolate cake?
What makes a red velvet cake red?
What’s the difference between red velvet and sponge cake?
What does Red Velvet taste like?
The most distinguishing feature of red velvet is its vibrant red or deep maroon color. While it has a mild cocoa flavor, it’s not as chocolatey as traditional chocolate cake, balancing both chocolate and vanilla flavors. For many, a red velvet dessert is incomplete without its traditional accompaniment.
What makes Red Velvet different?
Comparing several original recipes online, what makes red velvet different is really just the red dye and some added vinegar. The vinegar, buttermilk, cocoa, and dye all react to create the flavor and color that we are familiar with . Is it Healthier Than Chocolate Cake?
Why are velvet cakes red?
The cocoa gave the cakes a velvety texture and feel. When bakers added vinegar, baking soda, or buttermilk to their recipes to tenderize the cakes, the acid in those ingredients reacted with the cocoa, which was not Dutch-processed, to give the cakes a red tint. That color became a signature of velvet cakes.
What makes Red Velvet different from other cake flavors?
However, many people wonder what makes red velvet so distinct from other cake flavors. Red velvet flavor is unique due to its distinct combination of ingredients. The main ingredients that give red velvet its flavor are cocoa powder, vinegar, and buttermilk.