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Red Velvet Cake
LIBBY QUESTION
Dear Rose,
I am an avid fan of yours and have been dedicated to the Cake Bible for as long as I have been baking. I've always wished you had a recipe for Red Velvet Cake in your book. I have tried to use your method of incorporating ingredients, but still have not found the success I experience with your recipes in baking. Do you have a recipe and if so would you share it?
Thank you for making me a better baker. Your book is amazing (as is your pie cookbook which I also love).
Most sincerely and with much admiration
ROSE REPLY
thank you dear libby. a red velvet cake is simply a layer cake that uses one bottle of liquid red food color for some of the liquid, so all you have to do is chose any of my cakes (yellow or white) and replace an equal volume of the liquid with the red food color.
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Geri - Congratulations! Do you have a photo to share on the forum?
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | May 19, 2008 9:28 AM #
The birthday went great! My son was not only surprised but he loved the cake. I did it! The cream cheese frosting was to die for. Everyone enjoyed the cake! Thanks much!
Reply to this Posted by: Geri | May 18, 2008 9:09 PM #
Geri, I hope he has a wonderful birthday and the cake turns out great! Let us know how the day went.
Reply to this Posted by: Ardella | May 18, 2008 12:55 PM #
Thanks much for your help! Wish me luck! I have never made a red velvet cake and I will try to make one tomorrow for my son's 28th birthday. I will also make the cream cheese frosting! I am so glad I came upon this site. It is now on my favorite sites list!
Reply to this Posted by: Geri | May 17, 2008 10:31 PM #
Yes, Geri
I ditto that! Only cream cheese frosting should top that cake.
Reply to this Posted by: Ardella | May 17, 2008 9:30 AM #
Hi Geri - here in VA, only cream cheese frosting will do on a red velvet cake.
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | May 17, 2008 7:34 AM #
Help! What is the true frosting which is used on the red velvet cake? The majority of the recipes I have seen call for the flour/butter/sugar icing and I have also seen the cream cheese frostings. Which one is true to this cake. My son wants this for his birthday cake tomorrow. Thanks!
Reply to this Posted by: Geri | May 17, 2008 4:09 AM #
Laura,
When is her birthday? Is there enough time to mail some red food coloring to you?
I don't know of a reliable substitute.
Lori V.
Reply to this Posted by: Vreeke | May 13, 2008 12:35 PM #
My daughter wants red velvet cake for her birthday.we live in Italy and I cannot find red food coloring.I saw someone asked for possible substitutes, but I didn't see an answer. (Beets turn brown?) Anyone know of red food coloring substitute? Grazie Mille!
Reply to this Posted by: Laura | May 13, 2008 12:33 PM #
Additionally, I might consider freezing a whole, crumb-coated cake though.
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | January 29, 2008 9:28 AM #
Do you mean freeze leftovers slices, or an entire cake? I would consider freezing leftovers, but know the quality of your thawed slice might be a bit different than fresh.
I personally would not freeze a whole, decorated cake. I would much rather freeze the cake layers seperately, and then thaw and frost as needed.
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | January 29, 2008 9:26 AM #
Can you freeze the Red Velvet cake that has been frosted with the flour/milk/sugar/butter frosting? I know you can with a buttercreme or one that has cream cheese in it.
Reply to this Posted by: kate | January 28, 2008 10:51 PM #
Actually, I don't believe Rose makes a Red Velvet cake mix - scratch that idea.
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | December 3, 2007 8:17 AM #
You mention time constraints, but the only suggestion I could make for you to doctor up your plan is to avoid pre-made frosting at all costs... it's overly sweet, gritty, and has a very unpleasant and chemical tasting quality. Run of the mill cake mixes aren't quite as bad, but if you can find one of Rose's cake mixes that would be much better.
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | December 3, 2007 8:11 AM #
I am making Red Velvet Cupcakes for a potluck. I have opted to use a store bought mix and frosting due to time constraints. Any ideas to doctor it up a bit?
Reply to this Posted by: G-Marie | December 3, 2007 1:25 AM #
Red Velvet cakers,
I recently posted my new recipe for Red Velvet cake on Rose's new Forum. You might want to check out the thread and recipe.
Lori V.
Reply to this Posted by: Vreeke | November 22, 2007 9:00 AM #
I know this is a month + after this discussion, but I thought I'd add that when I first starting baking, the frosting recipe for the Red Velvet Cake (from the Adams Vanilla bottle I believe) called for shortening instead of butter. I've never had a failure with Crisco in this frosting. I beat the Crisco and granulated sugar for up to 30 minutes so as to dissolve the sugar, before adding the cooked and cooled flour/milk mixture.
Reply to this Posted by: Diane | November 21, 2007 3:09 PM #
Bruce,
I agree with Patrincia that temperature is most likely the problem. Your recipe is sort of like a pastry-cream butter cream. Each of the two components should be roughly the same temperature when you combine them together, otherwise, it will break, or "curdle."
Reply to this Posted by: Matthew | October 17, 2007 9:36 AM #
Bruce - I'm not familiar with this kind of icing, but assuming your milk/flour mixture has thickened properly and cooled completely, sounds like maybe your butter is too warm when you add it. How long do you let it sit out at room temp? The butter should never have a greasy or separated look. It should look exactly like a cold stick of butter, but be squishable when touched.
Another thought is maybe the icing is being mixed for too long... when it "breaks", does it do so immediately, or after you've been mixing for a while?
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | October 17, 2007 8:26 AM #
The recipe I use is:
1c. sweet milk
3 Tbs. flour
1c. white sugar
1c. butter
1 Tbs. vanilla
Mix milk and flour to smooth paste in double boiler over simmering water, until thick. Cool completely.
Cream sugar and butter until fluffy, add vanilla.
Gradually add 1 Tbs. cooked mixture at a time to butter/sugar beating continuously.
Beat at full speed for 2 minutes.
Spread on top of each layer (not sides).
Reply to this Posted by: bruce | October 16, 2007 11:43 PM #
Rose:
I am thrilled that you are developing a redvelvet cake recipe. Red velvet cake is a favorite of my best friend and my significant other. I just can't find one that I like. I have tried 4 different recipies to date and was even thinking of trying to develop one on my own, using the principles that I've learned reading your books. The prosepect of such a project was a little daunting...I don't know...cake with vinegar, a little cocoa, lots of red food coloring... I am, however, by nature a lazy person and have just kept putting it off... besides, what do you do with all the cake from the trial runs? lol...My door men would be very happy (I'm always sending down cake for them anyway). I have baked my way through much of the cake bible and have yet to find a recipe that wasn't spectacular. I'm sure that your red velvet cake will be amazing!. I can wait. I may be lazy but I'm patient.
Bill
Reply to this Posted by: Bill | October 16, 2007 3:37 PM #
What is the recipe for your cooked milk icing?
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | October 15, 2007 1:22 PM #
We always make red cake for birthday cakes, because it is so festive. We use the vanilla, cooked milk icing but sometimes it breaks and we can't seem to make it come back together, other times it is fine. Not sure what we are doing differently. Any suggestions?
Reply to this Posted by: Bruce | October 15, 2007 12:53 PM #
Marianne,
After trying many eggless chocolate recipes, I finally picked one and the bride and bridal party all enjoyed it. I on the other hand hated it! It was not as good as I am used to when using the Cake Bible recipes. I don't think I will agree to make that cake again. As far as a white or yellow eggless recipe goes, I gave up.
I'm done with trying to cater to those type of cakes.
Good Luck,
Lori V.
Reply to this Posted by: Vreeke | August 21, 2007 11:15 PM #
I was interested in Lori's comment about the vegan wedding cake. I, too, have been baking (and throwing away) countless white cake attempts for my vegan baking program. I have found several really good chocolate cake recipes that have no eggs or dairy, but a white/yellow cake that has the texture of its egg and milk counterpart has been elusive. They are usually wet, heavy, and more like a bad quick bread than a cake. Some of the recipes are not too awful if used as cupcakes, but a regular layer size is more like an eight inch hockey puck. Any suggestions?
Marianne
Reply to this Posted by: Marianne Ludwig | August 21, 2007 7:59 PM #
A & A - it depends on your frosting. If you frost with a traditional cream cheese frosting, then the answer would be yes.
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | August 21, 2007 3:30 PM #
Does red velvet cake require refrigeration?
Reply to this Posted by: A & A | August 21, 2007 2:00 PM #
Since red velvet is the cake I bake abysmally, a friend wants me to bake her daughter's wedding cake and of course it has to be red velvet. We also have an altitude problem, but I can deal with that. Any good recipes in large sizes?
CC
Reply to this Posted by: Carolyn Carter | July 4, 2007 9:36 PM #
Just wanted to chime in that it is not actually Sara Moulton's recipe, it's Cakeman Raven's from when he guested on her show. It is his signature cake and he wears red pants and hat to underscore that. Some of my students have made the cake from this recipe and it comes quite close to the ones he passed out during the wedding cake competition we both joined in Las Vegas (we were next to one another and made New York jokes).
Lookng forward to doing a side-by-side comparison with Rose's Red velvet... A red velvet rose! How poetic, I can see the picture now.:D
Reply to this Posted by: Reeni Espino | June 12, 2007 1:31 AM #
Vreeke, I have made the Sara Moulton Red Velvet cake in many sizes, using Rose's leavening adjustment guidelines... My clients absolutely love it, but I'm waiting with bated breath until Rose lets us see her recipe!
I would actually not recommend converting the recipe to cake flour - it is incredibly moist (almost too moist, if there can be such a thing!) and tender...i think you'll be surprised - it's easy to forget there is AP flour in it. Also, be sure to bake it long enough, as I've found it sometimes requires a longer bake than the recipe indicates. I've also tweaked the flour & buttermilk amounts in various tests..
Curious to hear your results. Best of luck,
Jen N
Reply to this Posted by: Jen N | June 11, 2007 5:07 PM #
The wedding for the Vegan cake is not until July and I'm not really looking forward to it. The bride & groom liked the taste but I thought it was terrible tasting. I guess it's just what you are used to. The suggestion I received from one of you about encouraging them to have the other tiers not eggless would have been great. I will definitely encourage that in the future.
Thanks for asking and I will report back after the wedding.
Lori V.
Pastries By Vreeke
Reply to this Posted by: Vreeke | June 11, 2007 3:22 PM #
Lori,
Can you tell us how your vegan cake turned out?
Reply to this Posted by: Matthew | June 11, 2007 3:11 PM #
I am going to be making the Red Velvet Cake from Sara Moulton. Has anyone substituted Cake flour for the all-purpose flour? I like the finer texture especially for wedding cakes.
Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Lori V.
Pastries By Vreeke
Reply to this Posted by: Vreeke | June 11, 2007 2:56 PM #
Donna - have you thought about tinting Rose's white butter cake formula with red food coloring?
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | June 5, 2007 12:03 AM #
donna, forgive me but i can't publish it until the book comes out fall of 2008.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | June 4, 2007 9:36 PM #
Hi.
Were you ever able to develop a recipe for red velvet? Is it published anywhere? I'm making a wedding cake in a few weeks and so far testing of different recipes haven't lived up to your recipes in the Cake Bible. I love the Cake Bible. I've used it so much the pages are starting to fall out.
Reply to this Posted by: Donna | June 4, 2007 9:35 PM #
Help, I am making a red velvet cake and I need a substitutefor red food coloring. asap
Reply to this Posted by: pam Schow | March 4, 2007 10:09 AM #
yes--temperature has a huge influence on flavor but also time can soften rough edges. red wine, for ex. becomes more bitter when cold whereas other substances become less so.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | February 27, 2007 11:25 AM #
Update:I just had another piece of cake and the bitterness for the most part was gone! What happened? The other person who thought it was bitter last night also noticed the difference. Could it be that I put it in the fridge last night and the cold did something? Or maybe because it was a day old? I think tomorrow I'll have another piece, but let it sit a while before tasting it--maybe eating it cold tonight was a factor?
Reply to this Posted by: Kelsey | February 27, 2007 3:33 AM #
you've learned something really important here. people's level of bitterness perception is genetic. those who require sugar to make coffee taste right (me me) also find other food substances more bitter. in my upcoming book i'm giving a range of cocoa for this cake. the acidity especially of the vinegar really accentuates the bitterness.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | February 26, 2007 10:00 AM #
Thanks for responding so fast! Yes, I used 3 tsp of cocoa in the red velvet cake. Other people were using 2-3 Tblsp and loved the cake. I don't understand. Maybe some people are more sensitive to that bitter taste than others. 2 out of 5 people that tasted my cake thought it was bitter. The other 3 didn't notice.
Reply to this Posted by: Kelsey | February 26, 2007 2:42 AM #
my guess is that you did the version with more than 1 teaspoon of cocoa and i also found that version had a bitter after-taste.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | February 25, 2007 7:08 PM #
I've just baked my first red velvet cake. As I was assembling it I took a taste of some crumbs...the initial taste was good, however there was a bitter aftertaste. Is this how red velvet cakes are supposed to taste? I will try the complete cake tonight and see if it tastes better with the frosting.
Reply to this Posted by: Kelsey | February 25, 2007 6:41 PM #
i haven't officially posted/announced it yet because i am waiting for the publisher to sign the contract BUT it looks like a spanish version of the cake bible will be in the works shortly! thanks for asking.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | February 22, 2007 8:19 AM #
Hi Rose!
Thanks a lot for your recipes! Now I'm the official cake-baker of my family!! hehehe
My question is if I can find your book "The Cake Bible" in Spanish. I find difficult to understand some technical words :(
Thanks for your answer!
Reply to this Posted by: Patricia | February 22, 2007 6:47 AM #
i have been cajoled into developing a recipe for the red velvet. it's about to go into the oven. there is no substitute for red food color as beet, which works wonderfully with the acidic dough of bread becomes brownish in the essentially base cake batter.
so i'm creating my version of a red velvet using the red food color--really i don't in the end have a problem with it as long as there's more to the cake than the color and believe me there will be or i won't be including it in my next book. since everyone who has posted about it seems to adore the flavor and texture as well i'm sure i will too!
happy valentine's day all!!!!
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | February 14, 2007 2:26 PM #
Hi,
How about freshly squeezed beet juice?
Has anybody tried?
Thanks,
Rgds,
Anna
Reply to this Posted by: anna | February 14, 2007 1:54 PM #