I’m making a red velvet cake (Rose’s recipe from her Heavenly Cakes book) and am trying to figure out if I should syrup it or not. The cake will have about two days from when I make it to when it’ll be eaten. On a regular butter cake, I would definitely syrup it. But since this recipe has both butter and oil (pretty much equal weights of both), I’m not sure. I don’t want the cake to be soggy. Does anyone have experience with this? Does the oil keep the cake moist enough to not need syrup?

It does not need syrup, at all.  I actually like to make this cake a day ahead because it is so moist.  You will be fine leaving it as is.

Are you going to frost it as soon as it is cool, and seal it (i.e., you’re not leaving the sides bare)? 

If you’re going to store the cake for two days and leave anything bare/unfrosted, I would syrup.

Thanks for the help! Julie, I’ll be covering it with mousseline as soon as it’s cooled and ready, so it won’t be sitting bare. So it sounds like oil (and partially oil) cakes like this one and her German chocolate cake don’t need syrup even when it’ll be a few days before it’s eaten, whereas a butter cake would, right?

I made this most recently last spring, and I just wanted to add that though I haven’t typically syruped cakes like this, I decided to on a whim (following the general instructions in back of RHC). I received many compliments about how moist the cake was, so I would recommend doing it even though you may not necessarily need to. I will when I make it next. I basically followed the wedding cake version on the main blog: red velvet with white chocolate mousseline and lacquer glaze. Really wonderful!

Matthew - 18 November 2011 02:57 PM

I made this most recently last spring, and I just wanted to add that though I haven’t typically syruped cakes like this, I decided to on a whim (following the general instructions in back of RHC). I received many compliments about how moist the cake was, so I would recommend doing it even though you may not necessarily need to. I will when I make it next. I basically followed the wedding cake version on the main blog: red velvet with white chocolate mousseline and lacquer glaze. Really wonderful!

Wow I have to revisit that blog and give that a try…I have been wanting to do the lacquer glaze again.