What is red velvet cake?

Contrary to what many people think, red velvet cake and chocolate cake are not the same thing. TikTok bakers hope to educate the masses by dispelling this common misconception.

ELF’s Cakery, a Georgia-based bakery, posted a video Friday. In it, an interviewer asks a baker: “What is your controversial view of cakes?” »

“Red Velvet is therefore not a simple chocolate cake,” replies the baker. “Most people say, ‘Oh, yeah. Red velvet is just chocolate cake. But that’s really not the case. If you can taste red velvet chocolate, then it’s not red velvet.

The video has been viewed more than 2.2 million times. Some viewers who don’t like chocolate cake but like red velvet cake, or vice versa, feel seen.

“Thank you! Red velvet does NOT taste like chocolate cake! If it did…I would only have chocolate cake! They say.

“THANK YOU…I hate chocolate cake but I love red velvet,” said another.

“This shouldn’t be controversial. It’s just a fact,” reads the top comment.

The Daily Dot reached out to @elfscakery via an Instagram direct message and TikTok comment.

@elfscakery What do you think?? #elfscakery #cakes #cakedecorating #customcake #fypage ♬ Yacht Club – MusicBox

So why do some people think red velvet and chocolate cake are the same?


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OK, so red velvet cake and chocolate cake are different. But why do some people think they are the same and that red velvet cake is just chocolate cake with red coloring in it? Well, both cakes have a red-brown color, although different shades. And both contain cocoa.

However, there are several key differences. Not only do they look different, but they also contain different ingredients and have different textures. And no, it’s not just your imagination: these two even taste different.

What makes it different from chocolate cake?

Red Velvet Cake

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Red Velvet cake contains two ingredients that chocolate cake generally does not: vinegar and buttermilk. As fellow baker Ashley Cunningham (@sobadash_) explained in February, red velvet cake is more of a “buttermilk cake” than a chocolate cake. The cocoa to flour ratios in the two cakes are also very different. At the time, Cunningham showed how little cocoa powder was present in Red Velvet cake. “It’s the ratio of flour to cocoa powder,” Cunningham said during his demonstration. “It’s literally just a little bit of flavor.”

On the other hand, the main ingredient in chocolate cake is chocolate, and most recipes call for lots of cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and/or melted chocolate.

Other key differences

glass bottles of vinegar on table with apples

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All these differences mean that the two cakes, after being baked, have a different texture. The chocolate cake has a rich, moist and moist texture. The texture of red velvet is also soft and chewy but tastes buttery and tangy.

And not only do they have a different texture, they also taste different. Thanks to vinegar and buttermilk, red velvet cakes are tangy and tangy. Additionally, they also have a subtle chocolate taste due to the cocoa powder, unlike their chocolate cake counterpart, which can be overwhelmed with chocolate notes.

Red velvet cake is also iced with cream cheese frosting, while chocolate cake is most often iced with chocolate frosting of some kind.

When was red velvet cake born?

Statue of Queen Victoria, Grand Avenue, Hove, England

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The cake originated in the Victorian era. American and English bakers both began experimenting with adding cocoa powder to their cakes, according to Gastronomy and wine. In an effort to soften the somewhat chocolaty cakes, bakers also began experimenting with adding ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, and buttermilk. It was this concoction – the acid from these ingredients mixed with the cocoa powder – that created a naturally red-tinted cake.

In 1943, Irma Rombauer, in her cookbook, The joy of cooking, officially named the type of cake “red velvet” and further popularized the cake. However, the version we know today was developed years later, according to Cheryl’s Cookies.

What makes it red?

Glass bowl with red food coloring isolated on white

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To this day, most red velvet cakes require the use of vinegar, buttermilk, and a little cocoa powder. The acid in the vinegar and buttermilk, combined with the cocoa powder, naturally creates a subtle red tint. However, during World War II, many people had to ration their ingredients. So, when preparing Red Velvet cake, to give the cake that same famous red color, bakers began using a natural food coloring: beet juice. Now many people add artificial food coloring to their cakes to make the red even brighter.

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Melody Heald

Melody Heald is a cultural writer. Her work can be found in Glitter Magazine, BUST Magazine and more.

Melody Heald

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