The Red Velvet Cake has a rich history. What has drawn people towards this delectable dessert is not just its delicious flavour but also its rich, velvety red hue.
Instead of chocolate, natural cocoa powder is used to make the Red Velvet Cake. Cocoa beans naturally contain a flavonoid named anthocyanin that upon reaction with acidic components lends a deep red hue.
More commonly found ‘dark’ cocoa powders today undergo the Dutching process where the anthocyanin is almost removed thus it gets a darker hue and becomes less bitter. But for the traditional Red Velvet Cake one must ensure that only non-Dutched cocoa powder is used.
The original shade of Red Velvet Cake was a result of natural reactions between the anthocyanin of raw cocoa and the acidity of vinegar or buttermilk used in the making. To get a more prominent red colour, beetroot juice is also used these days.
While we honour the culinary advances of the current day, let us not forget how the popular Red Velvet Cake is indeed a gift of nature.
There is no special ingredient, the secret is in one of the primary components of the cake - cocoa powder. Wondering how cocoa could become red?