What gives red velvet cake its taste?

Someone's favorite cake flavor says a lot about them. Those who favor vanilla might be a bit classier, and chocolate fiends are a good time. Lemon lovers keep it clean, and misunderstood folks go for the red velvet. Red velvet is somewhat of a mystery to most people whether they love or hate it, and people usually fall under one extreme. If you find yourself asking 'what is red velvet?' here is what you need to know. 

Where Did Red Velvet Come From?

First appearing in some variation in the 1800s, the cake had a mahogany look to it that was similar to devil's food cake. 

The cake got a second wind with The Great Depression. A more subtle red velvet cake was a good way to make use of the dye that people could not afford during the tough financial times. No one was asking what is red velvet, but more so just comparing the softer texture to that of velvet due to the dye and butter recipe used at the time.

How Is Red Velvet Made?

Thanks to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act in 1938, the cake was traditionally nothing more than buttermilk, vinegar, cocoa powder, and coffee, with plenty of red dye. This is very similar to any chocolate cake made from scratch, and similar recipes are used to this day.

Comparing several original recipes online, what makes red velvet different is really just the red dye and some added vinegar. The vinegar, buttermilk, cocoa, and dye all react to create the flavor and color that we are familiar with. 

Is it Healthier Than Chocolate Cake?

Chocolate cake and red velvet are no different health-wise, due to their similar ingredients. The only concern is the red dye itself, considering most boxed cake mixes use Red 40. The Center for Science in the Public Interest says too much consumption of this dye can be a concern. While rare, hypersensitivity can be a side effect of too much red dye consumption. 

The thing to remember here is that while red velvet contains a few tablespoons of red dye on average, you shouldn't be concerned unless you're eating it a lot and very often. 

What Does Red Velvet Taste Like?

Anyone who has wondered what red velvet cake is probably thinks it's very similar to chocolate cake. Even boxed red velvet cake mix could be mistaken for chocolate cake until you add the dye and suddenly the bowl is pink and red.

The slight difference in ingredients between the two seems to tone down the richness of the cocoa, making it perfect for people who enjoy chocolate but don't need as much of it as is in a traditional chocolate cake.

One essential pairing with red velvet is cream cheese frosting. The unlikely couple is just wrong enough to make it so right. Red velvet has become a cultural staple as of late, with red velvet cupcakes and red velvet cheesecake brownies popping up on menus everywhere. Whether red velvet it your favorite or not, you have to give it credit for its rich color and versatility. 

By Fraya Berg for Food Network Kitchen

Fraya is a chef and a contributing writer at Food Network.

Red velvet cake is a southern staple that's been iterated into cupcakes, cheesecakes, doughnuts and other confections galore. But what exactly is red velvet cake? We rewind history and discus how the ruby red cake with stark white icing was invented and popularized. We'll get into what it tastes like, what makes it red and how to achieve that vibrant color naturally.

What Is Red Velvet Cake?

Popular in the southern U.S., red velvet cake is a vanilla cake with a few tablespoons of cocoa powder and red food coloring mixed in. Vinegar and buttermilk bring some acid to the batter, adding a bit of tanginess that balances out the sweet cream cheese-butter frosting that is standard. The crumb of the cake is very fine, soft and smooth.

What Flavor Is Red Velvet Cake?

Red velvet cake tastes like very mild cocoa with a slightly tart edge. The cream cheese frosting is the most forward flavor. Perhaps even more important than the taste is the texture: smooth, soft, tender and light with creamy icing.

What Is the History of Red Velvet Cake?

Historians believe that red velvet cake originated during the Victorian era. Cake flour wasn't around yet, so vinegar was used to tenderize cakes. When vinegar was combined with non-Dutch processed cocoa powder, the cake turned a reddish-brown hue.

The first recipes labeled as red velvet cake were published in the early 20th century, and as the cake spread through the U.S., southerners started adding another acid to the cake: buttermilk.

At some point before World War II, the process for producing cocoa powder changed, and it no longer turned red when combined with the acids. People still wanted that red cake, so reduced beet juice was added. A southern dye company called Adams Extract ended up popularizing red velvet cake by publishing a recipe that called for his red food dye.

Cream cheese frosting is a much later innovation: the original frosting was a French roux-style buttercream, sometimes called gravy frosting because it starts out with the same type of roux used to make gravy. With the butter beaten in at the end, it is spectacularly light and fluffy, but incredibly time consuming to make. And that’s why cream cheese frosting became the norm.

What Makes Red Velvet Cake Red?

In today's day and age, the red hue in red velvet cake is typically from red food dye. However, as we discussed above, the color initially occurred when the acidic ingredients in the cake reacted with non-Dutch cocoa powder.

What Is a Substitute for the Red Food Coloring In Red Velvet Cake?

In place of artificial red dye, turn to natural red dyes like beet juice, beet powder (ground dehydrated beets), pomegranate powder or cranberry powder. Just keep in mind that some of these ingredients can affect the flavor of red velvet cake.

What Is Blue Velvet Cake?

Blue velvet cake can be made with almost any red velvet recipe by substituting blue food coloring for red. Adding a tiny touch of red will keep the blue dark instead of turquoise. Blue velvet cake tastes just like red velvet cake but can be enjoyed on festive occasions like 4th of July or a gender reveal party. In this vein, it's not unusual to see green velvet cake, made with green dye instead of red, featured on St. Paddy’s Day.

How to Make Red Velvet Cake and How to Make Red Velvet Cupcakes

Needless to say, there are hundreds of red velvet cake recipes. Some follow the creaming method, where butter and sugar are creamed until light and fluffy, then eggs, then dry and wet ingredients added alternately. The batter is baked, and then the cakes are cooled and frosted. Some recipes use oil instead of butter, and after eggs are whisked into the oil, the wet and dry are added in the same way as for the creaming method.

Four gorgeous layers are made from two 9-inch cakes, and a super simple cream cheese frosting ties them together.

Chocolate wafer cookies stand in for graham crackers; red velvet swirls through the cheesecake filling.

Cherry cola and the traditional cocoa powder-red food coloring combo bring the color and the flavor of red velvet to this fancy-looking confection. But relax: the roll is much easier than you think.

Cuter than cute, these mini cupcakes are made with oil and whole wheat flour - so you could basically consider them a snack instead of a treat.

Our second red velvet layer cake is two layers instead of four, making it just a bit easier than the first. But it has all the hallmarks of classic read velvet.