Hi!

Happy New Year!

I'm wondering if there's anything I can do to prevent the light /mediumm brown crust on my red velvet cake. The inside of the cake turns out a lovely bright red, but the outside has a crust that is brownish. Is this inevitable or am I doing something wrong?

Thank you!!

Do you sift your cocoa with your flour? Do you use Dutch processed or regular cocoa? Do you use Wilton's red color or Americolor?

I used to have that problem when I didn't sift, used regular cocoa powder and Wilton's red. I now always sift, use Dutch processed cocoa and Americolor super red. Cake comes out 1000% better even though it's the same recipe.

Thank you!

Line your pans with baking paper

Also use bleached flour. I know this from experience. I bake with all kinds of flour and I had one in the wrong spot. Of course it was a wedding cake and the biggest tier. I had to start over. The cake was fine, but didn't match the other layer to be stacked with it. Mine is duller, but not brown. I do use nails and baking strips because my recipe is very soupy. I always use parchment.

Another lesson from experience. I use liquid McCormick in my RV just because I always have before I had a bakery. It works and I won't change it. One late night, while baking that same above mentioned cake, I ran out when I had to rebake. I went to the store and all they had was an off brand red. It baked purplish (this is a word, I just looked it up) brown. Third time was a charm. It is nights like these when I understand why scratch baking is not for everyone.