Is it just chocolate cake with red food colouring?
Yes.
Original red velvet cakes were made with vinegar and buttermilk to make it velvety and airy (esp when baking soda was used). The acid mixed with the cocoa to reveal red hues, though beet juice or dye were used to enhance the red color. Today, many recipes are simply chocolate cakes with copious amounts of dye added and the chemistry between the acid and cocoa no longer in play.
Lots of chocolate cakes use buttermilk or soured milk, there’s nothing special about “red velvet” cakes in that regard. Originally the red color was caused by a chemical reaction with natural cocoa powder and it doesn’t happen with dutch-process cocoa powder.
Right, which is the chemical reaction I was referring to. Lots of chocolate cakes may use buttermilk, but my point was original red velvet wasn’t just any old chocolate cake with red dye dumped in. It was a particularly acidic chocolate cake that revealed natural red hues, plus the addition of the vinegar + baking soda made it very airy and velvety.
I think we basically agree. Originally: the result of a chemical reaction due to the specific ingredients used. Now: chocolate cake with red dye.
Absolutely. Like I said in my first post, today it’s simply chocolate cake and a metric-buttload of red dye :). I was talking more about the way it had been originally.
A thread I started on this same topic, when this board was a friendlier place before wars and recession
I’ve mellowed with age and can eat red velvet cake. Blue velvet cake? I’d rather come down with harlequin-type ichthyosis.
On the other hand, lemon velvet cake is so delicious!
Orange velvet cake. No food coloring.
A weird obsession with a couple of my colleagues and a few students is “Red Velvet Oreos.” Apparently, a thing. Really.
Why is this a thing? WHY is this a thing?!?!?!
Also, red velvet cake usually has cream cheese icing. To me, this is what sets it apart from a regular chocolate cake.
My late mother-in-law did all her baking from scratch, and there was absolutely a difference between her red velvet and chocolate recipes.
The stuff you get from a mix these days, not so much, although I understand you can go off the box recipe and get a passable substitute.