Red velvet is an attractive and impressive cake perfect for a celebration or special occasion. Its rich flavor and scarlet red hue may have you wondering, is red velvet chocolate? Learn about red velvet cake’s main ingredients (including baking chocolate). Soon you’ll be ready to make this dramatic and delicious treat in your kitchen.
What Is Red Velvet?
Red velvet is a beloved flavor, but it’s shrouded in mystery. No one knows exactly when red velvet cake was first invented. However, so-called velvet cakes have been popular since the 19th century or Victorian era. In 1911, a combination of devil’s food cake and mahogany cake was published as a velvet cocoa cake recipe. Red velvet cake is sometimes mistaken for chocolate, but it’s a vanilla cake with a striking ruby color. The red shade comes from a combination of red food coloring and cocoa powder.
What Does Red Velvet Taste Like?
Bite into a slice of red velvet cake, and you’ll enjoy a smooth consistency and soft crumb texture. It tastes delicate and comforting with a fluffy texture. Its crimson color pairs beautifully with whipped cream frosting or cream cheese icing. Make a red velvet cake for a birthday dessert or a romantic Valentine’s Day treat. It's also a sweet alternative for the holidays. Red velvet cake is popular during the winter months, but its light and airy texture make it enjoyable any time of year.
Ingredients in Red Velvet Cake
So, what’s in a red velvet cake? Traditionally, this recipe features baking essentials you can find in your pantry or at the grocery store. Grab the following items, and you’ll be ready to make your red velvet recipe:
- Natural unsweetened cocoa powder (like our TCHO Super Powder)
- Red food coloring
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs (or an egg substitute)
- Plant-based oil
- Vanilla extract
- Buttermilk (or a plant-based alternative)
- Vinegar
TCHO unsweetened, high-fat cocoa powder features a rich and chocolatey taste without added sugar. These qualities are perfect for red velvet cake. Red food coloring will give your cake its signature color and flavor.
Is Red Velvet Cake Vegan?
A classic red velvet cake is not 100% plant-based, but you can make a vegan version at home. Start your recipe with our Super Powder, then include vegan buttermilk or plant-based milk (such as oat milk). Some recipes will call for vegan butter instead of eggs or dairy products. Ingredients like red food coloring and vanilla extract remain the same as in a non-vegan red velvet cake recipe. Browse vegan red velvet cake recipes to find your favorite.
Making Red Velvet Cake in Your Kitchen
Red velvet cake is a winner because it features an easy batter and baking process. It also uses ingredients and baking tools already in your kitchen like vanilla extract and your handheld mixer. Make a traditional red velvet or create and customize your cake as you wish. Cream cheese icing is classic, but you can easily make a vegan substitution or try a different style of frosting.
Take your red velvet recipe up a notch when you create a layer cake or decorate cute cupcakes. No matter how you choose to make red velvet, the best part about baking is a smile and a clean plate from family and friends.
Baking Delicious, Decadent Red Velvet Cake
Now that you know what red velvet cake is, you can appreciate it for its unique and decadent flavor. You may also be inspired to DIY! Red velvet lacks the rich and luscious chocolate flavor of our TCHO vegan chocolate bars, but we’re still confident it will satisfy your sweet tooth and impress any guest.
Are you in search of a cake or dessert with delicious dark chocolate and oat milk chocolate flavor? We have you covered! Check out our TCHO baking chocolate featuring bakers’ essentials like roasted cacao nibs and chocolate baking discs. We also have plenty of decadent choices in our TCHO variety packs and chocolate gift boxes. Whether you’re searching for a lush, fruit-forward flavor or something dense and fudgy, our plant-based chocolate bars are always worth sampling and giving to others.