Next Up: Red Velvet Cake
I’ve put off red velvet cake for a long, long time because, well, I hate ruining shirts with food coloring stains. But I can resist it no more…there are simply too many requests. So…off we go!
I’ve put off red velvet cake for a long, long time because, well, I hate ruining shirts with food coloring stains. But I can resist it no more…there are simply too many requests. So…off we go!
I just made one of these Sunday – sort of.
I really dislike the food coloring thing so I made a beet syrup. It wasn’t red at all but tasted good.
I am so interested in how you will do this.
🙂
H
Oh there’ll be coloring all right…lots and lots of coloring. 😉
– Joe
Looking forward to this one!
I think I must have 10 or so red velvet recipes but I’m not satisfied with any of them.
Here’s to hoping for some Joe Pastry magic!
I’m right there hoping with you, Paul!
– Joe
I pretty much hate anything that requires coloring (including frosting) but have tried red velvet cake recipes in the past when it has been requested or I think it would fit the occasion. Can’t wait for the “perfect” recipe. I know that will happen here. 🙂
Ehem…the, er…”perfect” recipe is in development. But I’ll alert the media that a major breakthrough is coming. 😉
– Joe
Yeay! I can’t wait! 🙂
Sorry it’s taken so long, Nuha!
That’s ok. I really learned a lot from your Kringle and Potica posts! Can’t wait for your red velvet recipe!
Oops! I just saw the recipe. 😉 Sorry. I’ve been real busy the past two weeks planning a wedding shower for a relative. I made a four layer chocolate cake covered it with chocolate buttercream and rolled fondant. Everybody thought it was amazing! Not that I meant to brag 😉 Now I’m free to concentrate on this.
No problem. It’s up but don’t try it yet. Still need to test it!
– Joe
I’m guessing you will also be using your “cooked” frosting that you did some time ago. That’s what I always understood to be the traditional frosting for this cake.
That seems appropriate to me. Let’s do!
– Joe
I have a friend who told me about that a few years back. Before that the closest I’d come to a cooked frosting was 7-minute icing (or is that what you are referring to?). It was an odd way to make frosting but it was well received by the folks who got the cake.
Hey Linda! Actually it was this one:
http://joepastry.com/category/pastry-components/icings-frostings/“heritage”-a-k-a-“boiled”-a-k-a-“flour”-a-k-a-“cooked-flour”-a-k-a-“gravy”-a-k-a-“cloudburst”-frost/
However I don’t have a 7-minute frosting on the site, do I? I should do that instead I think. Thanks Linda!
– Joe
Your recipe on site was the one I thought of but I think the 7 minute needs to be on your site too. People have forgotten that one over the years but it always receives high praise AND is easy to make. The only downside is it turns to sugar quickly and gets gritty if it sits too long.
I’ve always heard originally there was no red food coloring added. It was a highly acidic batter that brought out the red in the chocolate. But, nowadays people just take a basic chocolate cake recipe and add the coloring. I’m hoping you can shed some light on this.
Hey Casey!
The idea that it’s red because of chocolate chemistry is a myth (see the most recent post). I’ll have more on the history of red velvet cake as the week goes on!
– Joe
Glad you’ll be using the “Cooked Frosting”, it is so good on a Red Velvet Cake.:) 🙂 🙂
Hey Barbara (Bee)!
I confess I’m undecided. I think that’s the frosting I’ll recommend…though as a reader pointed out, I’ve never done a seven minute frosting…which would also work well. It’s sweeter of course, but it might be fun just to have one on the site. We’ll see!
Cheers,
– Joe
Like so many others, I’ve been looking for a way to make RVC without the food color.
Two ideas came to mind: cranberry juice -or- a red wine reduction.
In my experiments, the wine reduction produced the best color and the wine compliments other earthy flavors in the cake.
Thanks for doing this Joe 🙂
Tray
Very interesting, Tray. Thanks!
– Joe