# Explain red velvet cake to me **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2008, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-red-velvet-cake-to-me/472929 "2008-11-16T00:15:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-red-velvet-cake-to-me/472929/1 "2008-11-16T00:15:53Z")
I keep coming across recipes for, and enthusiastic reviews of Red Velvet Cake - like this: > **[Red Velvet Cake Recipe](https://pinchmysalt.com/red-velvet-cake-recipe/)** > > A classic red velvet cake recipe - moist, delicious, and a deep red color. Top with thick, tangy cream cheese icing for a picture-perfect red velvet cake. I just don’t get it. I mean, it looks like a reasonably tasty recipe for a cake, but what’s the point of such an excessive dose of food colouring? I don’t get it. It’s about as appetising as a paint pot. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-red-velvet-cake-to-me/472929/2 "2008-11-16T00:21:42Z")
Forget it, **Mange**. It’s Chinatown. The color is the thing. You just don’t _get_ baked goods that color, so that makes it **special**. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-red-velvet-cake-to-me/472929/3 "2008-11-16T01:07:11Z")
I never cared for them either. Considering the fact that the red food coloring in the USA flavors the food in a bad way, I would not eat it. The Canadian red dye doesn’t do this. Two different cancer studies, and the USA uses the Canadian banned red dye while the Canadians use the USA banned dye.:smack: ---
**Author:** ![ShermanAter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ShermanAter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShermanAter)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-red-velvet-cake-to-me/472929/4 "2008-11-16T02:09:32Z")
My sister in law makes a wonderful velvet cake. The morning after the first time I ate it I thought I was dying though. I think I’ll stick to good 'ol chocolate cake now, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-red-velvet-cake-to-me/472929/5 "2008-11-16T02:30:05Z")
Well, I’ll take[Nasty yet Festive](http://www.infofreaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/red-velvet-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting.jpg) for $1000, Alex. Them cakes are here in the NC stores, always. I think it’s just the fact that they look nice and rich, and, as said, extra special. I’m really likin’ this [Blue Velvet cake](http://www.boingboing.net/2008/03/25/gruesome-vegan-blue.html). though. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-red-velvet-cake-to-me/472929/6 "2008-11-16T09:08:26Z")
My mother told me of the wedding of a friend of hers, in which the bride wanted a red velvet cake with cream cheese icing. The cake was delivered the night before the wedding, freshly iced, and it was gorgeous. Then it was placed in the kitchen cooler at the hotel where the reception would be held, and left until the party. Good thing the bride had chosen pink as her wedding color because that’s what color the icing turned overnight :smack: I like red velvet cake, but I like it because it’s chocolate, not because it’s red. ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Nya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@Fish\_Nya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Nya)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-red-velvet-cake-to-me/472929/7 "2008-11-16T09:50:12Z")
So, red velvet cake tastes chocolate? Or is it just yellow cake that is colored? I’ve never really had any, so I have no clue. Al my knowledge of cakes come from the boxes I have baked myself and those were only ever yellow, chocolate, and ‘funfetti’. Not a master baker, am I. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-red-velvet-cake-to-me/472929/8 "2008-11-16T10:01:11Z")
It doesn’t just taste chocolate, it _is_ chocolate. It’s essentially a devilsfood recipe with a whole bunch of red food coloring. I used to always make it for my boys on Valentine’s Day. They really liked to help, because one part of it involved putting vinegar into baking soda. They liked the dye part, too. And the cream-cheese icing. ETA: And I baked it in a heart shape, too. ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Nya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@Fish\_Nya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Nya)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-red-velvet-cake-to-me/472929/9 "2008-11-16T10:17:43Z")
Ah, now I can understand some of the appeal. Devil’s food is always good. I might have to try it if I get a chance to. The red always made me think of cherry or something. The color=flavor conditioning is strong in me. I’ve said on more than one occasion that “this doesn’t taste blue.” I should get a shaped pan for cakes. Shapes are always fun, no matter what the food it is. I once (or twice) made a fish shaped cake for my birthday. What can I say- I like fish. ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-red-velvet-cake-to-me/472929/10 "2008-11-16T10:57:06Z")
Red velvet cake is a Southern tradition, especially in New Orleans. I love it so much! ---
**Author:** ![Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sticks_and_scones/32/16951_2.png) [@Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sticks_and_Scones)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-red-velvet-cake-to-me/472929/11 "2008-11-16T11:17:32Z")
But why does it have to be red? Why not purple velvet cake? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-red-velvet-cake-to-me/472929/12 "2008-11-16T15:59:13Z")
So, red velvet cake can’t be beet? ---
**Author:** ![MizTina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MizTina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MizTina)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-red-velvet-cake-to-me/472929/13 "2008-11-16T16:32:22Z")
From the Wikipedia entry for Red Velvet cake: "James Beard’s 1972 reference American Cookery[4] describes three kinds of red velvet cake varying in the amounts of shortening and butter used. All of them use red food coloring for the color, but it is mentioned that the reaction of acidic vinegar and buttermilk tends to turn the cocoa a reddish brown color. Furthermore, before more alkaline “Dutch Processed” cocoa was widely available, the red color would have been more pronounced. This natural tinting may have been the source for the name “Red Velvet” as well as “Devil’s Food” and a long list of similar names for chocolate cakes.[5] A resurgence in the popularity of this cake is partly attributed to the 1989 film Steel Magnolias in which the groom’s cake (another southern tradition) is a red velvet cake made in the shape of an armadillo." I love this particular cake, and have had a specially ordered one that did not contain dye and it was lovely. It was not the dark or bright red you see in the grocery chain bakeries or from a mix. It was a light brownish red and other folks looked at it like it had anemia. They wouldn’t even try it, so that just meant all the more for me! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-red-velvet-cake-to-me/472929/14 "2008-11-16T18:43:14Z")
May I suggest [Paula Deen’s](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/grandmother-pauls-red-velvet-cake-recipe/index.html) recipe? It’s really good, has more chocolate than other recipes I’ve seen, and the cream cheese/marshmallow fluff icing is the best. I omit the coconut and pecans that she puts in the icing, though. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-red-velvet-cake-to-me/472929/15 "2008-11-16T19:27:19Z")
That’s it? Red food color? I’d heard of red velvet cake and had conjured up a mental image of something really fantastically special. Red velvet cake! It must be amazing! Now that I know it’s just chocolate cake with food coloring…I’m a bit disappointed, I must say. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-red-velvet-cake-to-me/472929/16 "2008-11-16T19:40:14Z")
I like food coloring. I wish some of it weren’t supposed to be bad for you. It’s fun turning things different colors. I was always envious of that blue milk Luke Skywalker got in Star Wars. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-red-velvet-cake-to-me/472929/17 "2008-11-16T20:32:55Z")
> [@Fish\_Nya](#): > > Ah, now I can understand some of the appeal. Devil’s food is always good. I might have to try it if I get a chance to. The red always made me think of cherry or something. The color=flavor conditioning is strong in me. I’ve said on more than one occasion that “this doesn’t taste blue.” I first tasted it expecting it to taste like fruit punch or something. I was severely dissapointed. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-red-velvet-cake-to-me/472929/18 "2008-11-16T20:55:23Z")
It’s so you have something to bitch at people about for staining the tablecloth. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-red-velvet-cake-to-me/472929/19 "2008-11-16T21:56:38Z")
> [@elelle](#): > > Them cakes are here in the NC stores, always. I think it’s just the fact that they look nice and rich, and, as said, extra special. I’m really likin’ this [Blue Velvet cake](http://www.boingboing.net/2008/03/25/gruesome-vegan-blue.html). though. I KNEW it was going to look like that… ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-red-velvet-cake-to-me/472929/20 "2008-11-16T22:16:49Z")
It is cake. It is delicious. It is red. Cake is a very simple concept, I promise. Don’t think too hard about it. 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-red-velvet-cake-to-me/472929.md?page=2)