Red Velvet Cake recipe for the most amazing moist, fluffy, and that has the perfect balance between chocolate and acidity. It will be topped off with cream cheese frosting for the perfect Red Velvet Cake that you always dreamt of!
Many people wonder that red velvet cake is really just a chocolate cake. While it certainly is a chocolate flavored cake as cocoa powder is a main ingredient, a red velvet cake is still not considered a chocolate cake. It has very less quantity of cocoa powder in it unlike any other traditional chocolate cake recipe.
There are many more key differences which give Red Velvet Cake its unique texture and flavor. The chocolate flavor is much more mild because red velvet cake has less cocoa powder added to it. Both the chocolate cake and red velvet cake use buttermilk, but buttermilk is a most required ingredient for red velvet cake, and in chocolate cake it is optional. It also has vinegar and red food coloring added to it to add acidity and the classic red coloring.
Red velvet cake has an acidic taste. The signature taste comes from the use of buttermilk and vinegar as well as the cream cheese in the frosting. The peculiar flavors of red velvet cake come from the buttermilk, vinegar, cocoa powder, and cream cheese frosting. The acidity is balanced by the sweetness of the cake and sugar. It also has cocoa powder added to it for a mild chocolate flavoring.
Some red velvet cake recipes give virtually no chocolate flavor due to the use of only a tablespoon or two of cocoa powder. This fact makes few people think that red velvet cake is simply a white cake which has been dyed red. A true red velvet cake is a distinct chocolate flavor in addition to a slight acidic flavor. Red velvet cake is traditionally made with Ermine frosting or cream cheese frosting.
Buttermilk is a key component in the red velvet cake recipe. The recipe uses red liquid food coloring. You can also use a natural red food coloring made from beets or gel food coloring. Let’s get started with the baking of red velvet cake with the following recipe.
Cake
Frosting
Make the cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 9-inch cake rounds.
Dust with flour and tap out the excess.
Mix together flour, sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder,
and salt in a stand mixer using a low speed until combined.
Add eggs, buttermilk, warm water, oil, vanilla, vinegar, and food coloring.
Beat on a medium speed until smooth. This should take just a couple of minutes.
Divide batter among the three prepared pans.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until the cake meets the toothpick test
(stick a toothpick in and it comes out clean).
Cool on wire racks for 15 minutes and then turn out the cakes onto the racks
and allow to cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting
In a large bowl, beat together butter and cream cheese until fluffy.
Use a hand mixer or stand mixer for best results. Add in vanilla extract.
Beat until combined. Beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time until frosting is smooth.
Assemble and frost the completely cooled cake.
Tip :-
Reduce the cocoa powder to 1/4 cup for a brighter red color.
