I have only tasted red velvet from a box and started making them from scratch. The scratch taste reminds me of a really sweet cornbread flavor. Is this what real red velvet tastes like?
The cake itself shouldn't be overly sweet. I do however have a serious sweet tooth. So, I do put extra sugar in my recipe. The cake should have a slight chocolate taste to it, but not actually taste like a "chocolate cake". I use 2 tbsp of Pernigotti cocoa powder in my recipe and I get a nice flavor that is not overly chocolate. I loooooooove RVC!! I could eat a whole one by myself LOL! I have not tasted the box version. We have always made RVC from scratch. For the longest time that was the only way to get a RVC. You had to make it yourself. Most people aren't aware that the cake should have a slight chocolate flavor to it. It seems that you can get a RVC from anywhere now. Most places just throw red dye in regular cake mix and call it RVC. Someone gave us a store bought RVC for Christmas her at work. I tasted it and was like this is not RVC. Of course my co-workers are spoiled. They love my RVC and have become RVC snobs lol. Needless to say, the cake was still there the next day. You're lucky if my RVC stays on the table for longer than a couple of hours. I never had one that tasted like cornbread though.
Try this recipe it is easy to follow and delicious, nice and moist.
http://www.marthastewart.com/317517/red-velvet-cupcakes?czone=food/best-cupcake-recipes/our-best-cupcakes¢er=276944&gallery=274461&slide=284347
I have only tasted red velvet from a box and started making them from scratch. The scratch taste reminds me of a really sweet cornbread flavor. Is this what real red velvet tastes like?
Nobody and everybody "knows" what RV is supposed to taste like.
Nobody -- it is a recent fad and people think that if it's bright red, it's red velvet
Everybody -- Until it became a recent fad, red velvet was a cake made from scratch and EVERY recipe was different! So, people who say, "MY red velvet is the best", are probably right. BUT, their red velvet is probably different from the next person who says, "MY red velvet is the best".
(Kinda like telling 1,000 different people across the nation how a Thanksgiving Turkey should be cooked. Everybody is going to say theirs is the best.)
I would LOVE to see a blind taste-test where blindfolded people try to identity 5 different recipes of red velvet, 5 different recipes of white, yellow, chocolate, or german chocolate cake, WITHOUT any frosting. Betcha that hardly anyone could tell the difference.
I actually made RVC once tht tasted a little like corn bread, so I know what you mean, but it was a one-time thing, and I was using this recipe:
Red Velvet Cake 1920
Ingredients
3 tsp. Cocoa and 1 oz red food coloring (the original recipe called for 1 oz liquid food coloring, but I substituted one small jar Wiltons No-Taste Red icing color + 1 Tbs water) make a paste and set aside.
Grease and flour and line with parchment paper three 6 round pans or two 8or9 round pans
Cream together 1 ½ cups of Granulated Sugar & ½ cup of Crisco.
Add 2 Eggs (one at a time) & beat well after each.
Add 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract & Red Paste & mix well.
Add 2 cups of Sifted Cake Flour & 1 cup of Buttermilk & mix well.
Add 1 tsp. Baking Soda dissolved in 1 Tbs. of Vinegar while it is still foaming & mix well.
Bake at 350° for 35 - 40 Min.
**************************************
I've made it several times and it didn't taste like cornbread except for that once. I suspect it had something to do with the buttermilk, baking soda and vinegar--one or the other may have been off.
I've done a lot of research and experimentation with RVC, and this is the oldest recipe I've found. It came with this recipe for the frosting:
Cooked Flour Icing
On very LOW heat (& stirring CONSTANTLY with a heatproof silicone spatula), cook
¼ cup of Flour
½ cup of Milk until it looks like a pastecool it completely (Put it in a small bowl, set into a medium bowl of ice water and stir until cool if you need it quickly.).
Cream together
½ cup of Crisco,
½ cup of Butter,
1 cup of granulated sugar. BEAT & BEAT & BEAT!!!
Add cooled paste to creamed mixture with 1 teaspoon of Vanilla. Mix in well.
My favorite recipe of all time for RVC is Southern Comfort Red Velvet Cake--it always comes out great! It's here on my blog:
http://rowantreebakery.blogspot.com/
It's not supposed to taste like cornbread. I've always thought of red velvet (it's my favorite!) as a buttermilk cake with a slight cocoa flavor and not super bright red. Sometimes you can get a cornbread texture with cake if it's not mixed properly.
I have only tasted red velvet from a box and started making them from scratch. The scratch taste reminds me of a really sweet cornbread flavor. Is this what real red velvet tastes like?
Nobody and everybody "knows" what RV is supposed to taste like.
Nobody -- it is a recent fad and people think that if it's bright red, it's red velvet
Everybody -- Until it became a recent fad, red velvet was a cake made from scratch and EVERY recipe was different! So, people who say, "MY red velvet is the best", are probably right. BUT, their red velvet is probably different from the next person who says, "MY red velvet is the best".
(Kinda like telling 1,000 different people across the nation how a Thanksgiving Turkey should be cooked. Everybody is going to say theirs is the best.)
I would LOVE to see a blind taste-test where blindfolded people try to identity 5 different recipes of red velvet, 5 different recipes of white, yellow, chocolate, or german chocolate cake, WITHOUT any frosting. Betcha that hardly anyone could tell the difference.
there was a taste test done before by thebakemore ( http://thebakemore.blogspot.com/2009/11/ultimate-red-velvet-cake-taste-off-8.html )
she even had a 2nd taste off ( http://thebakemore.blogspot.com/2009/12/red-velvet-taste-test-round-2.htmlhttp://thebakemore.blogspot.com/2009/12/red-velvet-taste-test-round-2.html )
i'm now a convert from being a cakeman's fan since years ago, to rebecca rather's after trying the recipe last year.
i have heard that RV is suppose to have a little bit of tang taste to it after you taste the chocolate. this is why i put like 2 teaspoons of vinegar in mine (heard it on a show). other than that i use a german chocolate cake mix and extend from there. shouldn't be overly sweet either
mclaren~~THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
Those links were an absolute delight! (I couldn't get the 2nd bake-off link to work, but found it here with no problem: http://thebakemore.blogspot.com/search/label/red%20velvet
CakeMan Raven's recipe won both of the blind tastings.
I've been quite happy with BlakesCakes doctored version*, but am definitely going to have to try the Cake Man Raven's recipe next time.
------------------------
*Courtesy of BlakesCakes from CakeCentral.comDOCTORED RED VELVET CAKE:
1 Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake Mix
1 box white chocolate (hard to find) or chocolate instant pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
BlakesCakes: Hand mix all ingredients until incorporated and then mix on medium with a hand mixer for 1:30 to 2:00 minutes. Bake at 325 until a toothpick comes out clean. The cake is tasty and sturdy. I often ice with a 50/50 mixture of homemade buttercream and canned cream cheese icing so that the cake can stay at room temp for long periods.
--------------------
mclaren~~THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
Those links were an absolute delight! (I couldn't get the 2nd bake-off link to work, but found it here with no problem: http://thebakemore.blogspot.com/search/label/red%20velvet
CakeMan Raven's recipe won both of the blind tastings.
I've been quite happy with BlakesCakes doctored version*, but am definitely going to have to try the Cake Man Raven's recipe next time.
------------------------
*Courtesy of BlakesCakes from CakeCentral.comDOCTORED RED VELVET CAKE:
1 Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake Mix
1 box white chocolate (hard to find) or chocolate instant pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
BlakesCakes: Hand mix all ingredients until incorporated and then mix on medium with a hand mixer for 1:30 to 2:00 minutes. Bake at 325 until a toothpick comes out clean. The cake is tasty and sturdy. I often ice with a 50/50 mixture of homemade buttercream and canned cream cheese icing so that the cake can stay at room temp for long periods.
--------------------
no probs apti, glad you found it helpful 
I completely agree that RV is definitely different for different people. But it is a crowd-pleaser. When I was deciding on a recipe for my business, I chose not to use my heavier version with the cooked frosting or cream cheese frosting that I had used in the past. It was definitely southern and was quite dense. I opted to use Cakeman Raven's because it is by far the most celebrated RV on the web. I knew this would be the one that would be liked by the most people. Since I have been making it, I have changed the recipe slightly and made it better, in my opinion. Now I actually like this one better than my old one.
The reason I added to this post is for those who sell it. Even though we may like it a certain way, opting for a middle ground recipe seems to make the most people happy. This is the cake I offer to charities more than any other because everyone seems to like it. In every case, this cake has had no leftovers, and I am more than generous with my serving size to charities. I plan the size to be what you would see at a home party, about 2 x 2, on a two layer filled sheet cake about 3 inches tall. I choose sheet cakes when I know that they will be self served. It is easier for the public.
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