Red Velvet & That Little Boy's Smile

Oh red velvet you are the envy of all my friends.

I still haven't given into the dark side though.

Yes, you taste good and look pretty on a plate but why all the rave?!

Most people don't even know what is even in RV cake!

 Can YOU tell me?

Yeah, that's what I thought.

What makes it red? Do you know?!

If someone who has never had Red Velvet asked you what flavor it is, what would you tell them?

Here is the cold hard truth.

Its chocolate.

 It's chocolate freaking cake... not even GOOD chocolate. It's milk chocolate.

Compared to an actual chocolate cake, it doesn't stand a chance.

 If you ate RV without the red coloring in it, you would say, " Wow, this is a bland chocolate cake!"

I would laugh in your face and tell you it is actually red velvet without the red. 

So there you have it.

But why oh why does everyone and their mother LOVE red velvet?!

All summer long I get orders for this silly cake.

People proclaim it their all time favorite cupcake.

 I will tell you why. It is the cream cheese frosting.

What is Red Velvet always iced with? CREAM CHEESE and its Amazing.

Anything iced with creamcheese is good.

 " Riddle me this Gracie, why don't people LOVE Carrot cake then?"

Well, I'm here to tell you that next to Red Velvet, Carrot cake is my next most popular order.

However, I think carrot cake is something you either love or hate.

 Red Velvet everyone loves because it is so mild & neutral.

You can close your eyes and pretty much pretend it is any flavor your heart desires.

Anyway, as a baker with a refined pallet, I turn my nose up at the RV rage.

Will I eat a slice? Hell yeah I will.

I will eat the shit out of it!

In my opinion though, I think it has gotten completely played out.

 I'm ready  for people to fall in love with something worth falling in love with now.

This 2011, let's all expand our pallets and try something new.

The time has come for flavor explosions in your mouth. Let your taste buds revel in a new symphony of flavors like never before. Can ya do that for me? Thanks.

PS: The History of the Red:

 James Beard's 1972 reference American Cooker describes three red velvet cakes varying in the amounts of shortening and butter. All use red food coloring, but the reaction of acidic vinegar and buttermilk tends to better reveal the red  in the cocoa. Before more alkaline "Dutch Processed" cocoa was widely available, the red color would have been more pronounced. This natural tinting may have been the source for the name "Red Velvet" as well as "Devil's Food" and similar names for chocolate cakes.While foods were rationed during World War II, bakers used boiled beets to enhance the color of their cakes. Boiled grated beets or beet baby food are found in some red velvet cake recipes, where they also serve to retain moisture.

Yes, beet cake. You're in love with beet cake.