Red Velvet Cake

Decorating By JSuzieQ Updated 15 Oct 2008 , 5:45pm by michellenj

JSuzieQ Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
JSuzieQ Posted 15 Oct 2008 , 4:41pm
post #1 of 11

Okay... I know this sounds nuts, but what does red velvet cake taste like? My hubby wants me to make it for his birthday, but he wants is orange with green icing since those are his school's colors (he's a teacher and he's taking it to school tomorrow). Anyways, give me your input if you have any.

Thanks! icon_wink.gif

10 replies
amoos Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
amoos Posted 15 Oct 2008 , 4:48pm
post #2 of 11

red velvet is a light chocolate cake with alot of red food coloring in it. I'm sure someone can give you a much more scientific answer as to where it came from, etc. but a scratch recipe has a tiny bit of cocoa + tons of red foodcoloring. A boxed version (tastier in my opinion) is a chocolate tasting cake with a DEEP DEEP red color. Not sure if you can make it orange since it's really red. I would just color a yellow cake mix or white cake mix if he wants orange. Red Velvet is going to give you red, not orange (unless you make it from scratch and use orange coloring instead of red).

costumeczar Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
costumeczar Posted 15 Oct 2008 , 4:49pm
post #3 of 11

It doesn't taste like anything specific, it's hard to describe. I just made a bunch of red velvet cakes this morning, and it has a little cocoa but not enough to make it taste chocolate, and a little vanilla in it. You'd be fine to put orange food coloring instead of red in it, since the food color is what actually gives it the color, not any of the other ingredients.

msulli10 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
msulli10 Posted 15 Oct 2008 , 4:57pm
post #4 of 11

It has a slightly chocolate flavor to it, but not like a chocolate cake - much lighter tasting. Personally, I like red velvet because of the cream cheese frosting! If you make it from scratch, just add orange food coloring and call it Orange Velvet Cake icon_smile.gif

sweeteecakes Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
sweeteecakes Posted 15 Oct 2008 , 5:06pm
post #5 of 11

It can be done. My cousin followed the regular recipe but used green food coloring instead.

luelue1971 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
luelue1971 Posted 15 Oct 2008 , 5:14pm
post #6 of 11

My husband says it has no taste lol.

wendalynn11 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
wendalynn11 Posted 15 Oct 2008 , 5:18pm
post #7 of 11

If you have never tasted it you may be surprised as to me it has a very distinctive chemical taste from the entire bottle of red food coloring. There are recipes online that use beet juice and cocoa powder so you have to use either less or no food coloring.

SweetHeather Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
SweetHeather Posted 15 Oct 2008 , 5:26pm
post #8 of 11

Use a German chocolate mix and add orange color

breelaura Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
breelaura Posted 15 Oct 2008 , 5:27pm
post #9 of 11

Red velvet is a devil's food-type recipe that originally got its coloring from the reaction between alkaline in the cocoa and the acid in buttermilk. Most cocoa these days will NOT create this reaction, unless you specifically look for unprocessed, so yeah, most recipes end up with a little cocoa and a lot of red food coloring. My recipe has 4 tablespoons of cocoa, so that might not get you a bright orange, but if you went with a recipe with less cocoa and used orange food coloring instead, you'd probably be fine. Also RVC is traditionally served with cream cheese or boiled milk ("whipped cream") frosting, with or without pecans, either of which is very close to pure white so should be easy to color.

Edited to fix RVC acronym.

jennifer7777 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
jennifer7777 Posted 15 Oct 2008 , 5:42pm
post #10 of 11

Red velvet cake is a buttermilk cake with a little cocoa added and food coloring...I only use 1 T. of cocoa in my recipe (scratch). It also gets a distinct flavor from the vinegar used...I use apple cider vinegar for a better, sweeter taste. I have a wonderful scratch recipe that is easy and mixes almost like a box mix (ie...mix all the dry ingredients then add the wet). If you would like the recipe PM me your email address.

Edited to add: you can use different food colors, too. I'm going to make some blue velvet cupcakes soon.
If, however, you start off with a chocolate mix, that will alter any coloring. I've noticed that although the box red velvet is a deep red, it still seems muted to me, and looks chocolate. It's not as bright and vivid as the buttermilk recipe.

michellenj Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
michellenj Posted 15 Oct 2008 , 5:45pm
post #11 of 11

Why don't you doctor a German Chocolate cake with orange food coloring? Like the Cake Mix Doctor does with the red?

Quote by @%username% on %date%

%body%