The main difference between Red Velvet and standard chocolate cake
Red velvet cake and chocolate cake are both crowd-pleasing dishes. While there are some similarities between the two, there are some key details that set them apart. Aside from the color, the main difference between red velvet cake and standard chocolate cake is that red velvet cake contains buttermilk and vinegar, making it tarter and more tangy than its chocolate counterpart.
Other differences further separate the two treats. Traditionally, red velvet cake is made with natural cocoa powder, which is more tart than Dutch-processed cocoa. Red velvet cake is also commonly paired with cream cheese frosting, which is another tangy, tangy flavor. All of these bright, vibrant elements work together to create a cake that’s noticeably tarter than your standard chocolate cake. In fact, you won’t typically find any tart flavors in a chocolate cake—the chocolate is the star of the show.
Read more: Cake-Making Tips Every Baker Wishes They Knew Sooner
Other key differences
The spiciness isn’t the only difference between chocolate cake and red velvet cake. If you pay attention to the texture of both cakes, you’ll notice that red velvet cake is lighter, while chocolate cake is denser. This is because red velvet cake generally contains less fat, and the ingredients used cause it to react more strongly with the leavening agents, causing it to rise more.
Of course, we can’t forget to talk about the color. Many red velvet cakes get their color from artificial food coloring, but that wasn’t always the case (and it doesn’t have to be the case). As we said, traditional recipes call for natural cocoa powder, which reacts with the other ingredients to give the cake a red hue. Chocolate cakes also have a lot more cocoa powder in general, which gives them a rich, dark color and a more pronounced chocolate flavor. Standard chocolate cakes can also be topped with a wider variety of frostings, like buttercream or chocolate ganache.
Tips for making each type of cake
If you’re making a red velvet cake, keep in mind that it may be prone to cracking. Use room temperature ingredients to avoid this. If you’re using red food coloring, it’s important to be careful about the quality and style of dye you choose. Not all food coloring is bakeproof, which means it literally can’t stand up to heat. Gels provide stronger coloring than liquids, so opt for a high-quality, bakeproof gel food coloring if you can. Since red velvet cakes tend to be slightly delicate, be careful when cutting, moving, or stacking cake layers to avoid damaging them.
There are a wide variety of chocolate cake recipes, from sour cream chocolate cake to German chocolate cake. No matter what type of chocolate cake you’re making, be sure to pay attention to the main ingredient: cocoa. This means selecting high-quality cocoa powder and even chocolate itself if the recipe calls for it. A fun trick you can try is dusting your greased pans with cocoa powder instead of flour to add a little chocolate flavor.
Read the original article on The Daily Meal.
