NewsLet us get this out of the way first. Red velvet and chocolate cakes are not the same thing. And red velvet cake isn’t just a chocolate cake with red food coloring in it. These two cakes may have a long history of being mistaken for one another because they share a similar reddish-brown color, but the flavor, ingredients, and texture are fundamentally different from one another.
What is red velvet cake?
Red velvet cake gained its name when bakers added cocoa to cakes to make them taste and feel more sumptuous in the 1800s. The cocoa added a velvety texture and feel to the cakes. When bakers added vinegar, baking soda, or buttermilk to their recipes to tenderize the cakes, the acid in those ingredients reacted with the cocoa, which was not Dutch-processed, to give the cakes a red tint. This hue became synonymous with velvet desserts. Due to ingredient restrictions during WWII, several bakers and chefs used beet juice to simulate that effect, and the hue became increasingly noticeable.
Red velvet cake is now produced by blending cocoa powder, butter, sugar, eggs, and flour, as well as buttermilk, vinegar, and red food coloring, which gives the cake its signature red hue. A basic red velvet cake is combined with cream cheese frosting, however the cake may be frosted with anything. While red velvet contains a little amount of cocoa powder, it is not regarded a chocolate cake in the same sense that a German or Belgian cake is.
What is the difference between chocolate and red velvet?
Flavor is one of the main differences between chocolate and red velvet. Cocoa powder, chocolate chips, or melted chocolate are used to flavor chocolate cake. Red velvet cake, on the other hand, includes cocoa powder that gives it a somewhat chocolaty taste, but the buttermilk and vinegar create an acidic edge that distinguishes it from the other.
Apart from taste, the textures of chocolate and red velvet are very distinct. Chocolate cake is often moist and rich, but red velvet cake has a much lighter taste. The difference in texture between the two is because of the vinegar and buttermilk used in red velvet cakes that help to lend a softer and much more tender texture.
Although both cakes contain cocoa, their differences make them each an iconic dessert in their own right. Try this Red Velvet Cake recipe or one of our many chocolate cake recipes to make some for yourself.
Related Questions
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Is red velvet cake supposed to taste like chocolate?
What Flavor Is Red Velvet Cake? Red velvet cake has a fairly mild chocolate flavor with a somewhat acidic edge. The cream cheese icing has the strongest taste. The texture is maybe more significant than the taste: smooth, soft, delicate, and light with creamy frosting.
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Why doesn’t red velvet taste like chocolate?
When red velvet cake has less cocoa powder, the chocolate taste is significantly milder. Buttermilk is used in both our chocolate cake and red velvet cake, however buttermilk is an essential ingredient in red velvet cake. It also contains vinegar and red food coloring to give acidity and the traditional red hue.
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Is red velvet really just chocolate?
Many people ask whether red velvet cake is just a chocolate cake. A red velvet cake is not a chocolate cake, despite having a chocolate taste and cocoa powder as a key component. It contains far less cocoa powder than a standard chocolate cake recipe.
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What is the actual flavor of red velvet cake?
The taste of red velvet cake is sour and somewhat acidic, with a trace of chocolate. That’s a pretty unique flavor combination but when you add in some cream cheese frosting or ermine frosting, then it adds even more tangy flavor.
