Am I missing the point of red velvet cake? isn't it just chocolate cake with a shed-load of red food colouring in it? Wtf?

[oinkment]

Why do people go potty for it? Is it because they are stupid duped by the nice sounding name?

I thought it was beer root cake

*beetroot

Beetroot cake is delicious.

I don't know either, really. I've had two I think, and they tasted a bit weird to me. Sort of sour or something... or over tangy, if that's possible.

I don't think it's beetroot. I made one of those once and wasn't that impressed... although it may have been a crap technique on my part, or a poor recipe; it was a bit dense I thought.

I made one and it was just food colouring so it went a funny browny red. It was also really dense and nothing special which is why I've not made another one.

The tangy flavour is the cream cheese frosting. The recipe for the sponge is just a sponge rory 2 tbsp red food colouring.

I've had it once and found the taste unusual but by no means unpleasant had 2 slices to double check

It was light and fluffy, not dense though.

Mmmmmm cream cheese frosting ,

rory? * cake

I totally agree! I was really looking forward to trying something with such a wonderful name, and couldn't believe how dull it was

red velvet cake uses vinegar as part of the raising process. It doesn't have to have red coloring in it - if you use good quality cocoa then it reacts slightly with the vingar to make a ruddy color.
The baking soda & vinegar are mixed togther then added to the batter at the last moment. They froth & make the batter kind of mousse-y. So a properly made red velvet will be light, kind of fluffy, reddish brown chocolate cake, rather than regular choc cake.

the vinegar makes it dry out quickly, so needs to be eaten the same day. it also means you need a very moist/runny batter before you bake it

you don't have to have cream cheese frosting, whipped cream or coconut or choc all work as well.

shows how much I know ha!

I'd no idea there was choc in it, the tang must come from the vinegar.

The one I had was, after consideration, bloody lovely!

dd and I made red velvet cake and thought on reflection it was rather boring. If you make the chocolate version you have to add shed loads of food colouring. We used very fancy cocoa too.

I've had a delicious red velvet cupcake, but it was essentially a very well made chocolate cupcake. I've never tried an actual cake version.

Yeah I made it once with high expectations. The vinegar combined with the whole bottle of red dye made it taste sour and awful! I ended up eating half of one and throwing the rest away! Nasty.

I had it ...was meh with a capital M

i made one, it was horrible. definitely not worth the effort

I think it's massively overrated. While its ok to eat, I would far rather have a decent piece of chocolate cake , far nicer IMHO.

I've never found the cupcakes have to be eaten the same day, they keep very well in an airtight box. I do normal buttercream as DH isn't keen on the cream cheese version. I was very wary of the vinegar measurements so the mix didn't taste weird though.

Depends how it's made IMO. I have had rubbish and excellent pieces. The ones in the US are really delicious.

Red velvet cake, like most cake fads, is boring and overhyped.

Never had one, they look vile, all the recipes I have seen require a whole bottle of red colouring, nothing on earth would make me feel like eating that. Same with rainbow cakes.

Try hummingbird bakery red velvet cupcakes. They are very nice.

It depends on the recipe. I made one and it was really lovely.

I have had it, and it is quite nice, but as someone who is very sensitive to red food colouring, it didnt do me much good... I was ill for the next couple of days after eating it. :(

Could someone recommend a really good recipe? I might try it as my next baking project.

Like others, I thought beetroot was involved, as in this recipe (no vinegar). I haven't made it though!

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1912636/