Red velvet cake is a popular cake recipe with a mild cocoa flavour and a hint of zing. This moist, light cake with a tender crumb is typically paired with cream cheese frosting.
It is thought to have originated in the United States, and its name comes from the colour red. Traditionally, the anthocyanin in non-Dutch processed cocoa produced this red colour.
However, because chocolate is now Dutch processed, anthocyanin does not change colour. Food colouring must be used to replicate this colour.
Gel food colouring is the best because it provides a more concentrated colour, requiring less. If you want a natural colouring use beet powder.
There will be no change in flavour if the food colouring is left out, but there will be a lack of the typical redness associated with red velvet cake.
I absolutely love red velvet cake. It’s similar to a chocolate cake, but with subtle differences. A true red velvet cake has a combination flavours.
My red velvet cake recipe has several layers of flavour, including cocoa, tangy buttermilk, and sweet vanilla.
Dense but soft, with a moist, velvety crumb. Each bite will taste irresistibly good when paired with the cream cheese frosting.
My recipe uses buttermilk. It’s tangy, and creamy, and adds moisture to baked goods. It also activates the bicarbonate of soda, which aids in leavening the cake and creating an airy crumb.
I hardly ever buy buttermilk as it goes off very quickly, so I much prefer to make my own. All you need is full-fat milk and lemon juice.
Add a teaspoon of lemon juice to the full-fat milk and set aside for at least 5 minutes at room temperature. If the mixture appears to have lumps or has curdled, this is normal.
After 5 minutes, your buttermilk is ready and use it in my red velvet cake recipe as usual.
The cream cheese frosting is used in most recipes, including my one. However, traditionally, red velvet cake was iced with ermine icing, a type of French frosting.
Ermine icing is much more time-consuming to make and requires a butter and flour frosting.
I find that this cream cheese frosting is just as good and pairs well with the red velvet cake. It is critical to use proper cream cheese instead of soft cheese. This will ensure that the icing is stable and can be used to properly frost the cake.
Please also make sure that the cake has completely cooled before frosting it, or the frosting will turn into a liquid mess.
This red velvet cake is loaded with buttery flavour, chocolatey goodness, and tangy richness. A true treat for a quick teatime snack or something a little fancier for a special occasion.
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Hi, I’m Nabeela and I love to cook! I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family-friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.
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