There are several misconceptions about vinegar in cakes. But one of the most often held is that it increases the red colour of the finished product. In truth, vinegar does not contribute colour to a cake; rather, it contributes to preserving the cake’s colour after it has been baked. Vinegar also provides a variety of other advantages, such as making the cake softer and preventing it from getting dry. Show
You can easily bake red velvet cake without vinegar. What can I use instead of vinegar in a cake?Using vinegar as a leavening agent in baking is something that many people do. There are a variety of different substitutions that can be utilized in cake recipes. Baking soda, for example, can be used as a flavour enhancer in baked goods. Bear in mind that baking soda requires an acid to be activated; thus, sour ingredients such as lemon juice or buttermilk should be employed. Cream of tartar can also be used as a substitute for vinegar. As a leavening agent, it also has the added virtue of helping to strengthen egg whites when they are whipped into peaks, which is very useful when baking. Can we use lemon juice instead of vinegar on a cake?Lemon juice is a popular alternative to vinegar in cake recipes because of its mild flavour. It has a sour, acidic flavour that can enhance sweetness or provide a sharp contrast to a sweet dish. There are numerous health benefits of drinking lemon juice, including the fact that it is high in Vitamin C and antioxidants. Aside from that, lemon juice is a natural preservative that can assist cakes to stay fresh for a longer period. Can I omit vinegar from a cake?There seems to be a widespread misconception that you must add vinegar when creating a chocolate cake; however, this is not the case. You may completely skip the vinegar from the recipe, and your cake will still turn out delicious. Because other ingredients in the cake, such as baking soda and cocoa powder, will react with one another and produce a similar result, this is the case. So, if you want to bake a chocolate cake without using vinegar, be sure to use baking soda and cocoa powder instead of the acidic ingredient.
Amawasri/iStock/GettyImages Vinegar isn't a typical cake ingredient -- unless you're making the lightly chocolate-flavored, crimson-hued red velvet version. If you leave it out of the ingredients,
chances are your cake will turn out just fine. But adding it may help make your cake light and tender, or preserve the reddish color. Red velvet cake contains baking powder and baking soda to leaven, or raise, the height of the batter. Both are used to ensure that the cake, which contains cocoa powder that makes a batter resist rising, bakes up light and high. For baking soda to effectively leaven a cake, it must react with an ingredient that contains acid. Although most red velvet
cake recipes contain acidic ingredients such as buttermilk and cocoa, the addition of vinegar provides just a little extra acid to ensure the baking soda can do its best rising work. Another potential reason that vinegar is an ingredient in red velvet cake recipes has to do with the hallmark color. Originally, the color of the cake came from the addition of beets or beet juice, not the red food coloring of current times. When beet juice has too
alkaline an environment, it bakes into a bluish hue -- so you'd end up with blue suede, rather than red velvet, cake. By adding vinegar to the baking soda, and then the whole mixture to the batter, the cooking environment for the beet coloring is more acidic and results in a red cake. Nowadays, most people use red food coloring, which isn't reactive to pH changes -- but the tradition of vinegar in the cake persists. Most recipes that make a single cake call for just a tablespoon of vinegar. Almost any type of vinegar will do, including white or apple cider. You can substitute another acidic liquid for the vinegar too. Choose something with a light flavor that won't alter the taste of the cake -- such as lemon
juice. YOU MAY ALSO LIKERed Velvet Cake RecipeOne bowl, one spatula, one amazing cake! The cake is soft and tangy and has a personality of its own, which is why it’s so popular! It pairs perfectly with cream cheese frosting, ermine frosting, or my personal favorite, white chocolate ganache. This Red Velvet Cake recipe is far more complex than a chocolate cake with red food coloring. The tenderizing buttermilk and vinegar create a texture that’s soft, velvety, and full of tangy-rich flavor. Plus this recipe only needs one bowl, so it’s an easy delicious recipe with very little cleanup required. Pair it with cream cheese frosting or Ermine buttercream for a new favorite cake recipe! Red food color can have a bitter flavor, so you don’t need to over-color this cake, the cocoa powder and food coloring work together to deepen the color. (You don’t even have to use red if you don’t want to!) Red Velvet Cake IngredientsThere are so many versions of red velvet cake, but to get to make the best version I referred back to these authentic ingredients that always make this classic cake a success.Buttermilk: This is a key ingredient to achieving the tender “velvety” texture of this cake. The lactic acid (which is milder than lemon juice or vinegar) breaks down the long strands of gluten, and it thickens the buttermilk, giving it a creamy quality. I recommend using real cultured buttermilk for this cake to give it that distinct “velvet” flavor. If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, learn how to make it with my buttermilk substitute recipe. White Vinegar: It sounds like a strange ingredient in a cake, but it is essential for helping the baking soda leaven the cake. Originally red velvet cake was colored with beet juice, however, when it is baked it can turn blue, so the acid from the vinegar would keep the beet juice a vibrant red color. You can use a different vinegar or acid, like lemon juice and it will achieve the same chemical reaction. Cocoa Powder: The purpose of cocoa powder in this recipe might not be what you think it is! The natural cocoa powder works alongside the buttermilk and vinegar to tenderize the flour and create a softer, finer, velvety crumb. Making The Red Velvet Cake
Making The Cream Cheese Frosting
Assembling the Red Velvet Cake
Tips For SuccessIs this your first time decorating a cake? Watch my free video tutorial on how to decorate a cake for the first time.
Room temperature ingredients are important. Make sure your buttermilk and eggs are slightly warm and your butter is soft but not melted so that your ingredients mix together properly. FAQCan this recipe be made into cupcakes? Yes, you can definitely use this recipe for cupcakes. Do not fill cupcake liners more than 2/3 of the way full or they will overflow and collapse. Then bake at 335°F for 15 to 20 minutes until the tops bounce back when you touch them. What can I use if I don’t have buttermilk? You can use an equal amount (by weight) of sour cream or you can add 1 Tbsp of vinegar into regular milk and let it sit a few minutes until it starts to curdle to make homemade buttermilk. Is red velvet cake just a chocolate cake? Classic Red Velvet Cake is far more complex than a chocolate cake with red food coloring. Buttermilk and vinegar naturally bring out the red undertones in the cocoa powder, giving the cake a red tint. They also break down the gluten in flour resulting in a more tender cake. The small amount of cocoa allows the other flavors to come through and not be masked with the deep richness that is in a traditional chocolate cake. Why doesn’t my red velvet cake look red? You most likely didn’t use enough food coloring. Gel food coloring works best to get that true shade of red after baking. What flavor is red velvet? Red velvet cake flavor is very tangy and slightly acidic with a hint of chocolate. That’s a pretty unique flavor combination but when you add in some cream cheese frosting or ermine frosting, then it adds even more tangy flavor. Can I leave out the red food coloring? Yes, you can. But the cake will not be very red on the inside. More Cake Recipes You’ll LoveDoctored Red Velvet Box Mix Cake White Velvet Buttermilk Cake Recipe Pink Velvet Cake Recipe Lemon Velvet Cake Did You Make This Recipe?Leave a rating and tell me how it went! Red Velvet Cake RecipeOne bowl, one spatula, one amazing cake! The cake is soft and tangy and has a personality of its own, which is why it’s so popular! It pairs perfectly with cream cheese frosting, ermine frosting, or my personal favorite, white chocolate ganache. Print Rate Never Miss A Cake Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 30 mins Chilling time: 1 hr Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins Serves: 8 cups Calories: 446kcal
IngredientsRed Velvet Cake Ingredients
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
Equipment
InstructionsRed Velvet Cake
Cream Cheese Frosting
Red Velvet Cake
NotesIf you do not have buttermilk, you can use an equal amount (by weight) of sour cream or you can add 1 Tbsp of vinegar into regular milk and let it sit a few minutes until it starts to curdle to make homemade buttermilk. Important Things To Note Before You Start 1. Bring all your ingredients to room temperature or even a little warm (eggs, buttermilk, butter, etc) to ensure your batter does not break or curdle. 2. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe. 3. Practice Mise en Place (everything in it’s place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out. 4. Chill your cakes before frosting and filling. You can cover a frosted and chilled cake in fondant if you wish. This cake is also great for stacking. I always keep my cakes chilled in the refrigerator before delivery for easy transporting. 5. If you do not have buttermilk, you can create your own with one of my buttermilk substitutes. 6. For red food coloring, I prefer to use Chefmaster. Use code “SUGARGEEKTEN” to get 10% off your Chefmaster purchase. NutritionServing: 1serving | Calories: 446kcal (22%) | Carbohydrates: 59g (20%) | Protein: 3g (6%) | Fat: 22g (34%) | Saturated Fat: 15g (75%) | Cholesterol: 54mg (18%) | Sodium: 305mg (13%) | Potassium: 59mg (2%) | Sugar: 45g (50%) | Vitamin A: 480IU (10%) | Calcium: 32mg (3%) | Iron: 1mg (6%) Can I use lemon juice instead of vinegar in cake?If the recipe that you are using is for baking, then you should definitely consider using lemon juice as an alternative. For example, if the recipe requires a ¼ cup of white vinegar for your baking task, then you should instead use ⅓ cup of lemon juice to get the same results.
Does red velvet cake need vinegar?Red velvet cake has an acidic taste that comes from the use of buttermilk and vinegar as well as the cream cheese in the frosting. The acidity is balanced out by the sweetness of the cake itself. It also has cocoa powder added to it for a mild chocolate flavoring.
What can I use in a cake instead of vinegar?For 1 tablespoon of white vinegar, swap in 1 tablespoon of either lemon juice, lime juice, cider vinegar, or malt vinegar.
Why does red velvet cake have vinegar?The buttermilk and vinegar give the cake that tender, light, and fluffy texture. Red velvet cake is also usually paired with white cream-cheese frosting.
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