This is a side thread from my request for American Dessert Recipes.What I am curious about is, has someone made this cake in NZ and what has the reaction been to it because of the deep red colour.Personally, the thought of eating red cake doesn't appeal so am interested to see if it's worth making. I had an experience when after some weeks out bush in Malawi, I stayed in this "hotel" that had chocolate cake on the menu.Well, desperate for a chocolate fix I ordered it but when I got it, it was partially frozen and blue! I couldn't eat it because the chocolate cake in my mind didn't match with what was served. It actually tasted horrible to boot. Thanks for the feedback.
ribzuba,
Mar 29, 9:22pm
I LOVE IT
litedelites,
Mar 29, 9:23pm
I oosted the recipe on the other thread and this comes from a NZ website.While I have not made it yet, it is in my recipie folder to make.I have only eaten it overseas and this as a red velvet cheesecake, but to me it did not taste of chocolate at all, but was still very nice.
wheelz,
Mar 29, 9:26pm
The recipe I tried was basically a chocolate cake with so much red food colouring in it to turn it red. Ok it tasted fine, but as you say, the colouring was off putting. I saw another, but haven't tried,that used beetroot to give it the red colour.
wheelz,
Mar 29, 9:29pm
On a cooking show here, where contestants made cakes, one made a red velvet cake, and omitted the chocolate/ cocoa. Was blasted by the judge for not havingused the chocolate to flavour and tone down the bright red cochineal.
waswoods,
Mar 30, 3:45am
I made green velvet cupcakes for St Patrick's Day (same recipe just green food colouring). My sons gobbled them up very quickly; others said the colour didn't really put them off - the cakes all got finished so they must have been fine!
harrislucinda,
Mar 30, 3:52am
cantbegoodforyou eating all thatredcolouringtogettheredthatbrightneedabottelfull
rosathemad,
Mar 30, 6:46am
It's a nice cake, though the cream cheese icing is my favourite part. ;-) Make sure you use regular cocoa (as opposed to Dutch process cocoa, which will be darker in colour due to being alkaline (normal cocoa is acid)) - and feel free to reduce the amount of colour if it puts you off. I generally don't use as much as is recommended (though make up the liquid with water if you don't). Also, I'm not going to enter into the health issues or otherwise of food colouring generally but our red food colouring is no longer cochineal. :-)
waswoods,
Mar 30, 6:59am
Well, if you were eating a whole cake three or four times a day you may have problems, but a few slices every now and then won't cause you much harm
eastie3,
Mar 30, 7:04am
I once froze a red velvet cake that I had made ahead of time,and when defrosted the texture was beautiful,and an apt description of velvet.Tasted good too.It was iced with a cream cheese icing after it had thawed.
britmo,
Apr 3, 6:41am
I have a copy of UK "Good Housekeeping" mag for March. It has a recipe for Red Velvet cake which was a signature pudding for Waldorf Astoria Hotel in NY during 1920s. Traditionally boiled sweets(lollies) or beetroot were used to dye the cake but their recipe uses red food colouring paste.
red-waikato,
Apr 3, 7:31am
I made red velvet cupcakes today as I'm thinking about having it as a wedding cake.Googled and came with a beautiful recipe.The cupcakes are sooooo soft and light and it made a BIG batch (said 12 but made 18).But realise now that it is not a dense cake so won't be able to be a good wedding cake as it might not hold up.But seriously I used almost a whole small bottle of food colouring and it could have used another one as it was chocolatey/reddy/pink colour so not too overpowering.Plus had cream cheese icing - gorgeous!
Mellish just saw your cake and it looks fantastic, what recipe did you use - thanks
rosathemad,
Apr 4, 6:40am
You may still be able to have it as a wedding cake - it doesn't last so well so I'd recommend drenching it in sugar syrup before icing to stop it drying out, but tiers should be supported using dowels and boards, not the cake itself so it shouldn't otherwise be a problem. :-)
cap,
Apr 10, 3:57am
A friend in the US sent me over a packet mix (Betty Crocker I think) and I didn't find the colour too red (with the cocoa in it you won't end up with anything too read) but what did put me off was the taste of the food colouring.I much prefer regular chocolate cake.
rosathemad,
Apr 10, 4:09am
I haven't found I can taste the colour when I've made it myself - though I do prefer to put less than suggested, just enough to make it obvious it is red, not super-bright.
cap,
Apr 10, 4:10am
I am quite sensitive to the taste of red food colouring which is probably why I noticed it - usually I avoid red coloured things (artificial I mean).
kirstybrooks,
Apr 10, 5:34am
Can I ask, have always wondered, does all the food colouring in it make your lips/teeth go reddish??
eastie3,
Apr 10, 6:43am
No Kirsty,it doesn't colour your lips or teeth when eating the cake,but I had bright pink fingers for a couple of days earlier this week after fumbling with the lid of a bottle of food colouring,butterfingers me.
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