What is red velvet cake?

As far as classic cakes go, red velvet cake is one that never fails to impress a crowd. But the reason it's red may surprise you.

Georgia Mahood

3 min read

April 11, 2024 - 10:26AM

Red-velvet-cake

As far as classic cakes go, red velvet cake is one that never fails to impress a crowd. The reddish-brown cake that’s lightly flavoured with cocoa powder and vanilla extract is a staple among cake connoisseurs.

But if you’ve been wondering what exactly red velvet cake is, why it’s red and how it became one of the most popular flavours of cake to date, you’ve come to the right place.

Where red velvet all began: mahogany cake

To understand what red velvet is, we’ve got to go right back to the late 1800s and learn about mahogany cake. Mahogany cake is often dubbed America’s original cake, because it, was the first cake to use the chemical reaction of vinegar/buttermilk with bicarbonate of soda which creates a soft and fine crumb (i.e. velvet cake!). This velvety cake texture differed from the dense cakes that were more common in the 1800s. This chemical reaction is the foundation of the red velvet cake of today.

Mahogany cake had a natural reddish-brown hue from the cocoa powder used, as cocoa powder in the late 1800s was in a raw state (unlike modern-day Dutch-processed cocoa powder) meaning it was more acidic than alkaline. When raw cocoa powder came in contact with the vinegar and bicarb, anthocyanins were released, causing red pigment in the cake batter.

Mind. Blown.

How was red velvet cake invented?

There doesn’t seem to be an exact answer for how mahogany cake evolved into red velvet, but ever since cocoa powder started going through Dutch processing, new ways of adding red to velvet cakes were developed.

With the lack of access to eggs and dairy in WWI, bakers used beetroot juice to add moisture and enhance the redness of cakes.

Then in the mid-1930s, Adams Extract – an American spice brand – was credited for making today’s bright red velvet cake popular. It was the first to sell red food colouring and the product included tear-off red velvet recipe cards!

The red velvet cake of today should be bright red from food colouring, have a light aroma of cocoa powder and vanilla alongside tartness from buttermilk and vinegar.

What kind of icing should be used with red velvet cake?

Mahogany cakes and older versions of red velvet cake use ermine frosting – a frosting that starts with making a sweet roux and then butter is whipped into the roux, creating a light and fluffy frosting that’s not too sweet.

Cream cheese frosting is the most popular and well-known choice of icing for red velvet cake nowadays. The sweetness and slight tang of cream cheese frosting works well with the flavour profile of red velvet cake.

Check out our cream cheese frosting

Our favourite red velvet cake recipes

If all this red velvet talk has made you crave red velvet cake, here are our top 3 red velvet recipes that we think you’re going to love.

Classic red velvet cake

Every budding baker needs a good red velvet cake recipe in their repertoire and this one is THE one to have. It’s got all of the classic red velvet ingredients such as cocoa, buttermilk, vinegar and bicarb – plus a luscious cream cheese frosting with a hint of orange (which you can omit if you want a simple cream cheese frosting!)

Check out our red velvet cake recipe

Red velvet and choc star cheesecake

If you’re in need of a showstopping dessert, then this cheesecake is it. It starts with a layer of red velvet cake, topped with white chocolate cheesecake and a star-shaped red velvet cake centre (it’s easier to do than it looks, promise!) The entire cheesecake is covered with chocolate ganache and Italian meringue for some extra star quality.

Red velvet and choc star cheesecake recipe

Pie maker red velvet doughnuts

We love any excuse to whip out the pie maker, like these pie maker red velvet doughnuts. We made a simple red velvet batter, poured it into our pie maker and added a white chocolate ball to the centre of the batter. After 7 minutes, you’re left with a fluffy red velvet cake doughnut with an oozy white chocolate centre.

Try out our pie maker red velvet doughnut recipe