I made the Chocolate Velvet cake from Rose’s new book- was very happy to be using my NEW digital weighing sales- but sadly the cake’s come up with a slightly bitter aftertaste. Could it be something wrong with the cocoa poweder i was using ( used Hersley’s unsweetened, too lazy to buy a Dutch-processesed one). And i also split the cake up into 6 individual smaller moulds as i wanted to give them as gifts. Any suggestions as to what went wrong? It looked good, and tastes OK until you hit the after taste..

Could be the red food color.  If you look on Wilton’s (assuming you used their brand) site, they mention that too much red food color can make your food bitter.  They do have a red no-taste.  I suppose it may have been the cocoa as well…can’t say for sure, but I know red color can produce an off taste.

wanderful - 16 December 2009 04:53 AM

used Hersley’s unsweetened, too lazy to buy a Dutch-processesed one. And i also split the cake up into 6 individual smaller moulds…

Click here… http://www.parade.com/food/2009/12/holiday-baking-tips.html ...for Rose’s 32 tips to baking success. In my experience, her 2nd tip is right on. Make the recipe the way it’s written, at least the first time.

Yes to what Carolita said- natural (non dutch-processed) cocoa can have a more bitter taste than dutched, and this recipe wasn’t designed for it.  I would imagine that to change the recipe for a natural cocoa you would need to do something like incorporate baking soda or increase sugar, both of which would require adjustments to other ingredients to make the cake work.

I assume you are making the chocolate velvet, the one Rose pictures with a marzipan candle, not a chocolate version of the red velvet, is that right?  If you are making a chocolate version of the red velvet, then there are a number of ingredients, including red dye and natual cocoa, which can produce bitterness.  The red velvet is a particularly acidic batter (to preserve red color), and may come across as bitter.

When it says Dutch Processed, Use Dutch Processed.  I would bet that’s the problem.

Fyi, dutch is often labelled alcalinized.

Or Alkalized.

Thanks, all!  Yes, it’s the chocolate velvet one with the marzipan candle, not the red velvet one. I was determined to get it right- so have made it again- with Dutch processed chocolate, and in a proper cake tin- since it’s for a party tongiht, i haven’t been able to taste it yet! But judging by the crumbs that i picked on, it seems to be ok! Anyway, even my first one that i thought bitter had kind friends saying was good- so it can only get better!. 

wanderful - 18 December 2009 04:19 AM

Anyway, even my first one that i thought bitter had kind friends saying was good- so it can only get better!. 

Glad that even the “failed” cake was good. I love trying to achieve perfection, too, but sometimes we need to stop and appreciate “good!”