Red Velvet - The cake that says, "I love you so don't be a weirdo"
Before we can honestly talk about red velvet cake, we have to come to some agreements:
1. Cream cheese frosting or leave:
Buttercream is not going to do it. Don't play. Just break out the cream cheese, let it come to room temp (for real) and whip the crap out of it. It has to be light and fluffy.
2. Pecans all day
The cake is fluffy. The frosting is fluffy. You are going to need some crunch. You must toast them and they look best on the top of the cake. Don't bother sticking them onto the sides. If your frosting is the light magic of the gods it's supposed to be, they won't stick and you will just end up smashing the sides of your cake. If you absolutely hate pecans, you can swap them out for mini chocolate chips.
3. Must have oil and vinegar
I know, we don't need vinegar to react with the cocoa like "back in the day" to turn the cake red but you still need it for flavor. The oil makes the texture of the cake moist and the vinegar gives the cake overall "velvet"/ tang flavor.
Okay, now that we have agreed to a few thing, let's finally agree that red velvet cake is not for some 3 year-old's birthday where more will end up on the floor than in their ungrateful mouths. It's a cake of love - a cake of admiration so bake accordingly.
That being said, a few days ago, I invited my friend, Kristy over for a southern inspired dinner basically just so I had a reason to meet her new boyfriend. Kristy is just about the coolest girl ever, so after dating this guy for a few weeks, it was time to see what he had to bring to her feast of awesome.
That night, when I broke the cake out, he said that it looked like something from the Cheesecake Factory. I don't know if anyone is aware of this, but as a South Jersey home baker, it's the best compliment that you can get.
The whole cake construction took a day from start to finish. You must let all the ingredients come to room temp and let the cake cool once it comes out of the oven. Don't cut corners or do a one layer cake; don't play your red velvet like that.
I need to mention my utter respect for the wonderful baker over at the The Bake More Blog. She did a test bake of 8 different recipes that claim to be "the best cake". I ended up taking her winner, Cakeman Raven's, and making some adjustments.
I cut 1/2 of the sugar, added 2 more T. of cocoa powder. added mini chocolate chips into the layer frosting.
Another small tip: take a long knife and cut the dome top off your cake so that it has a flat top and looks more professional. Reserve that cut cake for your red cake crumbs to decorate the exterior of the cake once it is frosted.
Happy baking and God help the man who does not say your cakes look like they came from the Cheesecake Factory.
1. Cream cheese frosting or leave:
Buttercream is not going to do it. Don't play. Just break out the cream cheese, let it come to room temp (for real) and whip the crap out of it. It has to be light and fluffy.
2. Pecans all day
The cake is fluffy. The frosting is fluffy. You are going to need some crunch. You must toast them and they look best on the top of the cake. Don't bother sticking them onto the sides. If your frosting is the light magic of the gods it's supposed to be, they won't stick and you will just end up smashing the sides of your cake. If you absolutely hate pecans, you can swap them out for mini chocolate chips.3. Must have oil and vinegar
I know, we don't need vinegar to react with the cocoa like "back in the day" to turn the cake red but you still need it for flavor. The oil makes the texture of the cake moist and the vinegar gives the cake overall "velvet"/ tang flavor.
Okay, now that we have agreed to a few thing, let's finally agree that red velvet cake is not for some 3 year-old's birthday where more will end up on the floor than in their ungrateful mouths. It's a cake of love - a cake of admiration so bake accordingly.
That being said, a few days ago, I invited my friend, Kristy over for a southern inspired dinner basically just so I had a reason to meet her new boyfriend. Kristy is just about the coolest girl ever, so after dating this guy for a few weeks, it was time to see what he had to bring to her feast of awesome.
That night, when I broke the cake out, he said that it looked like something from the Cheesecake Factory. I don't know if anyone is aware of this, but as a South Jersey home baker, it's the best compliment that you can get.
The whole cake construction took a day from start to finish. You must let all the ingredients come to room temp and let the cake cool once it comes out of the oven. Don't cut corners or do a one layer cake; don't play your red velvet like that.
I need to mention my utter respect for the wonderful baker over at the The Bake More Blog. She did a test bake of 8 different recipes that claim to be "the best cake". I ended up taking her winner, Cakeman Raven's, and making some adjustments.
I cut 1/2 of the sugar, added 2 more T. of cocoa powder. added mini chocolate chips into the layer frosting.
Another small tip: take a long knife and cut the dome top off your cake so that it has a flat top and looks more professional. Reserve that cut cake for your red cake crumbs to decorate the exterior of the cake once it is frosted.
 |
| Some cookbook notes. I desperately wish I could draw. |
Happy baking and God help the man who does not say your cakes look like they came from the Cheesecake Factory.
Music to bake to: John Legend- Love Me Now
Comments
Post a Comment