1946 to 1962 Cake #11

Red Velvet Cake

The origins of the Red Velvet Cake are not known for sure. Texas likes to lay claim to this popular dessert but some believe that is originated at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. The Waldorf was known for its red velvet decor and the cake was known to some as the "Waldorf Red Velvet". The Adams Extract Company, located in Austin, Texas, claims that it provided homemakers with the first recipe for this cake which uses its red food coloring. One food critic said that they saw no culinary reason why someone would dump that much food coloring into a cake unless they were trying to sell you food coloring. Wherever this cake originated, it has continued to be an American favorite.

My Experience

Food coloring is one area where I consider myself to be somewhat of a snob. I do not think it is good for you in large quantities. The fact that red food dye is not allowed to be added to food sold in Europe makes me very wary of it. I of course still followed the recipe but I actually felt guilty about letting anyone try it. The recipe calls for 2 whole tablespoons of the red food coloring! I tasted a tiny bite just to see how it turned out and it was pretty good. I warned all of the people that I gave it to about how much food coloring was in it and they didn't seem to mind.

The Red Velvet Cake does not have any difficult steps to it. It is pretty much a basic chocolate cake with food dye added to make it red. The frosting on this cake was new to me and people really enjoyed it. It is called Ermine frosting, which is light and fluffy and not as sweet as most frostings. I marked the frosting recipe and I have used it a few times on other cakes since I made this one.

Neighbor's Comments:

"Yum!"

"so good!"

"It is really good! Not as sweet as some I've tasted, but it's delicious."

"It's super moist and good."

"Love that it wasn't overly sweet, but still so tasty."