Red Velvet cake???

[Anna W.]

Never made it, never had it, now I have an order for it! I heard it is a "barely" chocolate cake with red food coloring??? Anyone have a recipe? Is this traditionally served with a special icing? Thanks in advance !

[brie]

The version I had was coloured with beet juice instead of the "traditional" red food colouring. It had a nice cream-cheese type frosting on top. Very stunning on the plate.

[mudbug]

Anna,

Here are plenty of recipes for you to browse thru.

[Spoons]

Anna,
Made one for the first time a month or so ago.
Bride wanted a take home 6".
Would like to help...But,not sure if I liked that recipe. So, it's not a tried and true one. I looked for one with cocoa in it. Some do not use cocoa.
And I looked for on with at least 2 oz. red, so it would be really red. And that recipe did not have vinegar. Some do. I used a cream cheese icing in stead of the Waldorf type.
Let me know if you would like me to send you the recipe , so you can take a look at it.

[W.DeBord]

Unforunately this is my Hubbies favorite B-day cake. No one else really likes it.........their really bland and heavy, blah. But for those few who love it, I have a decent recipe. I've gotten raves on it (but their NUTS) from a couple members.

I have to look it up, I'll be back later to post it.

P.S. Also, they sell it in mixes (DH), but theres a huge difference between the mix (light and moist) and a scratch recipe(dense and not that moist). Also YES the icing has to be the right one, not butter cream (I thought I saw KathyF post a cream cheese frosting for this, but that's wrong in my neighborhood).

[W.DeBord]

Red Cake:

1/2 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 oz. liquid red food coloring
2 tbsp. cocoa powder, heaping
1 c. buttermilk
1 t. salt
2 1/4 c. flour (ap.)
1 t. vanilla
1 t. soda
1 tbsp. vinager

Typical proceedure for a butter cake (although this doesn't have any butter, HA). BUT you mix the vinager in the soda, then add to recipe.

If I was you I would DEFINATELY make this using the 325 baking technique where you wrap in plastic right out of oven. I do think that would make this a better cake. Also becareful not to over bake this cake, I think it's best slightly under a dry crumb.

Frosting:

2 t. flour, heaping
1 c. milk
1 c. sugar
1 c. butter
1 t. vanilla

Cook flour and milk together until thick, then cool. Cream remaining ingredients until fluffy, blend the two mixtures together and beat.

You definately need to make more then 1x this frosting recipe to fill and coat this cake. I also torte this into 4 layers, I think the extra frosting really increases the taste.

HTH

[Anna W.]

Thanks Wendy! I got the recipe just in time, got the job! The bride is a little different. Getting married on Halloween, wanted a black cake to match her black wedding cake, I steered her clear of that and she opted for Chartreuse (sp?) because she thought it would look cool with green outside and red inside. I think it will actually be a nice cake because it is a very modern design but I'd scratch the red velvet if it wer up to me!