I’ve never been a huge fan of red velvet cake, except for the cream cheese frosting. First of all, it’s a cake, and second of all, what kind of cake is behind all that food coloring? Then, of course, all that food coloring. But when I heard that Press Play host Madeleine Brand loved it, I decided to take a second look.
When a cake is named for its color, what should we know about the flavor and texture? Yes, it’s all about that cloud-like tart frosting, but what’s inside? Many think the original color may have come from a combination of the anthocyanin or naturally pigment-rich cocoa powder’s chemical reaction with the baking soda.
But the red velvet cake’s biggest characteristic is its slightly tart flavor that results from the use of buttermilk, vinegar, or both. Those acidic ingredients, along with the cocoa powder and baking soda, give the cake layers of velvety soft and tender crumbs.
Despite the use of cocoa, people often think of red velvet cake as simply a vanilla cake with red food coloring, which is why I’m recommending a recipe to try that adds a bit of “plain hot coffee” to the mix. It’s from Monique Kilgore, the woman behind Divas Can Cook. If you want to avoid using the red food coloring she includes in the cake, I have a suggestion for you to try, but you’ll have to make the secret ingredient at least two days before you make the cake.
Mindy Segal’s red velvet cake is colored with Lindeman’s Framboise paste. Photo by Mindy Segal.
I happened to run into noted Chicago-based baker Mindy Segal of Mindy’s Bakery at a party recently. Shel contributed her version of a red velvet cake to the festivities. Mindy’s cake/cheesecake combo had cake layers with a striking color that I knew didn’t involve food coloring. I asked how she achieved it, and she told me her secret: a paste made from Lindeman’s Lambic Framboise. It’s a sour ale made with an addition of raspberry juice. She takes one whole bottle of Lindeman’s Framboise, two pounds of frozen raspberries, plus one cup of granulated sugar, and allows the mixture to soak overnight. She then brings the mixture to a boil for approximately five minutes. The liquid is strained and the fruit pulp is reserved for another use. Cook the liquid down until it’s reduced by half. It turns into a paste once cooled. Use amounts as needed for color in your cake recipe. Because the ale used to make the paste is sour, Mindy recommends omitting vinegar from the cake recipe.
If you don’t want to bake, we have suggestions:
Bristol Farms
Multiple locations
Cake Monkey
Mid-City, North Hollywood
Lark Cake Shop
Silver Lake, Pasadena
Magnolia Bakery
West Hollywood
Milk Bar
Melrose and mail order
Susie Cakes
DTLA, Brentwood, Costa Mesa, Carlsbad, Del Mar, Laguna Niguel