26 Feb 2018

Red Velvet Cake Facts

Red velvet is Gookie Dough's gorgeous classy and sassy flavour. With a vibrant red colouring and delicious white chocolate chunks that melt in the mouth, it's difficult not to fall in love! Whether you're devouring out of the tub or adding to a recipe, these are facts about red velvet and cake (which it was inspired by) that you never knew! 

No.1 

The red velvet cake is known for it's delicious, smooth and velvety texture, it is usually combined with cream cheese frosting, and it was initially not made with food colouring! Au natural indeed. 

No.2

In order to turn the cake naturally red, avoid food colouring entirely! Throwback Thursday to history, during World War 2, bakers used boiled beet juices to enhance the colour of the cake. This was due to poverty all around the world, so it was requested not to use food colouring as it was classed as an unnecessary expense. 

No.3 

To make the best red velvet cake, you should have the following within your recipe. Unsalted real butter, eggs, vanilla extract, sugar, buttermilk, vegetable oil, white vinegar, cake or plain flour, salt, baking soda and cocoa powder. 

No.4 

The responsible ingredients for the cake's colour are non-Dutch processed strong cocoa, vinegar and buttermilk. The combination resulted in a firm, smooth, deep red-brown texture. It's all down to a chemical reaction between the ingredients. 

No.5

Red velvet cake is also known as "real Waldorf Cake", "Red Carpet Cake", "Red Mystery Cake" and flame cake, plus so many more! 

No.6

Did you know that you have to be careful how you bake your red velvet cake? Harsh baking can have an impact on how intense the colour of the cake is and also the texture. 

No.7

Velvet cakes have been made since the 1800's but red velvet cake's true origins aren't completely known but the first time it was published was in 1943 by an author and baker called Irma S. Rombauer'. In a book called "The Joy of Cooking". 

No.8

The use of food colouring is now used because there isn't much non-Dutch processed cocoa around. Dutch processed cocoa has a weaker colour and doesn't react with buttermilk to give the same vibrant red effect compared to the non-Dutch cocoa. 

This trend is blowing up everywhere on social media and let's be real, you can find red velvet anything, in almost any supermarket. We aren't complaining, in fact, quite the opposite, hence our delicious Gookie Dough flavour. So how about grabbing yourself a tub of the ruby delight, sit down in front of the TV, shut the curtains and binge watch your favourite series. We'll pretend it's not snowing if you do!