Red velvet cake is a vibrant and delicious dessert that brings a touch of elegance to any holiday dessert table. With its rich flavor and eye-catching appearance, this cake is a traditional favorite for festive gatherings and celebrations!
A Perfect Dessert for Any Occasion
Red velvet cake is an ideal dessert for special occasions, thanks to its rich, deep color that captures everyone’s attention. Its irresistible flavor is a delightful blend of subtle cocoa and a hint of tanginess from buttermilk, offering a unique taste that appeals to a wide range of palates. Commonly associated with celebrations, red velvet cake is elegantly topped with a pale cream cheese frosting that beautifully contrasts with the vibrant red cake. Whether featured at birthday parties, weddings, or holiday gatherings, this cake is always a crowd-pleaser and takes center stage!
The Role of Buttermilk in Creating a Light and Fluffy Red Velvet Cake
Buttermilk is crucial in making this cake rise and achieve its signature light, fluffy texture. Its acidity helps to activate baking soda, a leavening agent commonly used in cake recipes and cake mixes. This reaction produces carbon dioxide bubbles, which cause the batter to rise during baking. Additionally, buttermilk adds moisture to the cake, keeping it tender and soft. The tangy flavor of buttermilk also enhances the overall taste, balancing the sweetness and adding depth to the cake’s flavor.
Use Sour Cream for Moisture and Texture in Red Velvet Cake
Sour cream contributes moisture and richness to the batter. Its creamy texture helps to create a tender crumb, ensuring the cake remains soft. Similar to buttermilk, sour cream is acidic, which helps tenderize the gluten in the flour while also activating baking soda to provide leavening.
Red Velvet Cake’s Iconic Color
The striking red hue of this cake comes from a combination of ingredients and chemical reactions. Traditionally, the vibrant color was achieved using cocoa powder, containing anthocyanins—natural pigments that can produce a reddish tint when reacted with acidic ingredients such as buttermilk or vinegar. Later, during World War II, when cocoa powder was scarce, bakers used beet juice to give the cake a red hue.
In most modern recipes, food coloring is added to enhance the cake’s visual appeal and create a more intense red color. However, beetroot powder can also be used to tint a scratch-made cake, thus avoiding food coloring.
Red Velvet Cake: Distinct from Chocolate Cake
While red velvet cake contains cocoa powder, it is fundamentally different from chocolate cake. The amount of cocoa used in red velvet cake is typically much less than in a traditional chocolate cake, which has a deeper chocolate flavor from a higher cocoa content. The primary purpose of cocoa is to provide a subtle flavor and to enhance the cake’s rich color rather than dominate the taste. Additionally, the unique combination of ingredients, such as buttermilk or vinegar, contributes to its distinct tanginess and moist texture, setting it apart from the sweeter, more typical flavor of chocolate cakes.
How to Sugar Cranberries for Cake Garnish
Garnish the top of your cake with sugared cranberries for an easy and beautiful way to dress your cake. The red berries make a striking presentation on the white cream cheese frosting. To begin, follow these steps:
- Select fresh, hard cranberries and rinse them under cold water.
- Drain them in a strainer.
- Roll them in a bowl of granulated sugar to thoroughly coat them.
- Shake off any excess sugar.
- Spread the sugared cranberries on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and let them dry for about 30 minutes.
Once dried, these glistening, sweet-tart cranberries make a beautiful and festive garnish, adding a pop of color and a touch of elegance to your cake.
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Red Velvet Cake
Equipment
- parchment paper
Ingredients
Ingredients for Red Velvet Cake
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup whole buttermilk, shaken
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 box Duncan Hines Red Velvet cake mix
Ingredients for Almond Cream Cheese Frosting
- (1) 8-ounce block cream cheese, softened
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 4-6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Garnish
- sugared cranberries (optional)
- mint leaves (optional)
Instructions
Directions for Cake
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans, then set aside. Cut two parchment paper rounds and place them in the bottom of the greased and floured cake pans.
- Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, sour cream, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed.
- Sift the cake mix into the liquid mixture and stir until just combined. (Do not overmix, and do not skip the sifting step.) The batter will be thick.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Lightly tap the filled baking pans on the counter to force any air bubbles to the surface before baking. Then, bake for 25-27 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean or with crumbs. Another way to tell if the layers are done is if the cake centers spring back when touched in the center.
- Remove from the oven, let cool for a couple of minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool. Remove the parchment rounds.
Directions for Cream Cheese Frosting
- Use a mixer to combine the cream cheese and butter until well blended and creamy.
- Add the extracts and salt, then blend to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the heavy cream and 1 cup of sugar. Blend. Continue adding the sugar 1 cup at a time until you reach 4 cups. Blend after each addition.
- Do not add more sugar if you like the consistency after adding 4 cups. If you want the frosting thicker, add sugar in 1/2 cup increments, blend, and check after each addition. If the frosting becomes too thick, add more heavy cream.
Garnish
- Sugar cranberries for garnish. Wash and drain cranberries, removing the soft ones. Roll the wet cranberries in granulated sugar, then place on a platter for 30 minutes.
- Place the sugared cranberries and mint leaves in patterns on the cake.