Doctored Red Velvet Cake (2024)

FAQs

How do you make store bought red velvet cake better? ›

For a richer flavor, substitute equal quantities of melted butter for the oil. Adding an extra egg is one way to add density. Substitute the water with equal parts milk, or in the case of red velvet cake, buttermilk. Or substitute half parts water and half parts sour cream.

White Vinegar: It sounds like a strange ingredient in a cake, but it is essential in a red velvet cake. This recipe calls for baking soda to leaven the cake (make the cake rise). The small amount of added vinegar allows the soda to do its best work.

Red velvet cake got its name in the 1800s, when bakers added cocoa to cakes to make them taste and feel luxurious. The cocoa gave the cakes a velvety texture and feel.

Most box cake recipes will tell you to add water to the mix. Instead, try adding milk using the same proportions. This will make the cake richer and creamier because it ups the fat content. You can even use buttermilk here for a pleasant tang.

The additional fat in the egg yolk helps create a more tender and moist cake that is full of flavor. The extra egg also helps the cake have a more stable texture, which is great if you want to bake it up as a layer cake instead of a sheet cake or cupcakes.

If you don't want to use vinegar, you can substitute an equal amount of lemon juice. If you want to skip the acidic liquid altogether, you can substitute a tablespoon of baking powder for each teaspoon of baking soda. Then add water equal to the amount of vinegar you omitted.

What's the difference between red velvet and devil's food cake? ›

Devil's food cake typically has coffee, sour cream, or water in the batter. While red velvet cake has tangier flavored liquids like buttermilk or vinegar. The different liquids also mean that Devil's food cakes have more moisture, which results in a more tender cake than red velvet.

I always use a white vinegar for my red velvet cupcakes, but others can work such as apple cider vinegar. One question I always get is “what is buttermilk?” or “can I just use regular milk” and to basically answer this.. you MUST use buttermilk.

The trick to using our Red Velvet Color when baking cakes and cupcakes is to lower the pH. Some ways to do this is by substituting baking powder in place of baking soda, using a natural non-alkalized cocoa powder, adding more white vinegar or buttermilk to your red velvet recipe, to achieve a bright red color.

Flavor profile

While there are cocoa undertones, red velvet is not chocolate cake because it balances both chocolate and vanilla flavors. It contains cocoa but not the same quantity as traditional chocolate cake, resulting in a more subtle cocoa flavor and tanginess due to the buttermilk and vinegar.

Formulate a cake soak: You can make a cake soak using simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water), evaporated milk, buttermilk, or a liqueur. With a wooden skewer or toothpick, pole holes in the cake. Then use a pastry brush to blot the liquid over the surface of the cake layers to moisten the cake.

Cream cheese frosting can be left out for two hours before it needs to be refrigerated, so it's important to follow the same rule for a frosted red velvet cake. Serve the finished cake immediately, or keep it in the fridge until it's time to cut a slice and dig in.