Is red velvet cake just chocolate cake with red dye?

What makes red velvet so special? Cat's Cupcakery/Facebook

The INSIDER Summary: 

• There's more to red velvet cake than just the added food coloring.
• Red velvet is made with cocoa powder, vinegar and buttermilk. 
• The chemical reaction between these ingredients help give the cake a deep maroon color that is often enhanced by extra food coloring.

As someone who has eaten their fair share of cakes and cupcakes, I've never known the difference between red velvet vs chocolate cake. I have always assumed that they were the same apart from the red food dye in the red velvet. 

I love both types of cakes, but for different reasons. A red velvet cake, to me, is more special than a regular chocolate cake. It may be due to its unique color, or to the traditional (and scrumptious) cream cheese frosting on top. Even though I have indulged on both, I still don't know the difference between the two. Let's find out together.

What even is Red Velvet?

While some people think the Red Velvet comes from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in the 1920s, it is actually a product from the Great Depression. It was a marketing ploy from Adams Extract, a food coloring company.

Before this scheme, red velvet was made with cocoa powder, buttermilk and vinegar. It's the chemical reaction between the cocoa powder (which contains anthocyanin, a pH-sensitive antioxidant that reacts to acids) and the vinegar and buttermilk. This reaction makes the cake its famous red-tinted color.

Adams' purpose, however, was to sell more food coloring, so their recipe included a lot of red coloring. This transformed the traditional deep maroon color into the bright red that we know today.

Why is it Even Confused With Chocolate Cake?

Honestly, after writing this, I have no idea why chocolate cake has been confused with red velvet for so long. They are truly so different. From the ingredients to the texture to the frosting. 

A traditional red velvet cake has cream cheese frosting, which is my favorite part of the dessert. This is compared to chocolate cakes, which can have any frosting you want (although traditionally with a chocolate ganache or frosting).

What Can I Do With Red Velvet?

Luckily for you, red velvet can be used in a variety of desserts or breakfasts. These red velvet pancakes actually use the classic vinegar and cocoa powder combination to create its color (along with a little bit of red coloring). These cinnamon rolls and cookies use the cake mix, but are still oh so good.

Now that you know the answer in the classic debate, red velvet vs chocolate cake, go out and make some amazing desserts. And don't forget to add some of that bomb cream cheese frosting.

Red velvet cake sounds so luxurious—like a soft, creamy, and expensive version of a regular cake, but so much better. Despite red velvet cake's popularity in recent years, most people have no idea what the dessert really is, assuming it's chocolate cake with lots of red food coloring added. Although a traditional red velvet cake has elements of a chocolate cake, there are a few key ingredients that make it so distinctly different from other cakes. The list of those ingredients might surprise you!

Where does red velvet cake come from?

Before the 1920s, red velvet cake was more of a rust color than the brighter scarlet you usually see now. A chemical reaction among a few key ingredients occurred (more on that in a second) to create that deeper reddish tone naturally. In the 1920s, food coloring company Adams Extract of course wanted to sell more food dye, and released a recipe made with red food coloring that really amped the color up to what we usually see today.

What is red velvet cake?

On top of having all the typical cake ingredients (flour, sugar, butter, and eggs), red velvet cake is also comprised of cocoa powder, buttermilk, and vinegar. When combined, these ingredients create the color as the cocoa powder reacts to the acids. However, if you try this today sans red food coloring, it might not turn out to be that red. Some cocoa powders today are alkalized, a.k.a. not processed in the same way as they were in the early 20th century, so it's best to just opt for the artificial stuff if you want that expected vibrant color.

However, don't skimp on those strange additions. The buttermilk and vinegar give the cake that tender, light, and fluffy texture. Red velvet cake is also usually paired with white cream-cheese frosting. The white contrast highlights the lush red color, while the tanginess of the cream cheese plays off the buttermilk so well. We're so glad this cake has come back into favor over the last decade or so. It's always a showstopper!

Felicia LaLomia is the Food & Culture Editor for Delish. When she isn’t covering food news or writing features about delicious trends in the culinary world, she’s searching for her next perfect bite.

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