Message: | My sister has been making Red Velvet for years, and my mother had a recipe dating back to at least the 60s. I don't have the recipe in front of me, but Carolyn's recipe sounds just right. I know the small amount of cocoa and the whole bottle of red food coloring sounds strange, but it is correct. And the original recipe definitely calls for the cooked icing, not cream cheese. I think some restaurants that make red velvet started the cream cheese because they made it for other cakes (carrot?), plus it may be a bit more stable than the cooked--the cooked frosting can melt if it gets too warm, although you can keep it at room temperature. My sister also has used different colors of food coloring for other holidays or occasions (green or blue velvet?), but it does look strange--I prefer red! |