Sunday’s Cake: Red Velvet Chocolate Chip w/ White Chocolate Glaze

Ever wonder how a red velvet cake was invented?  The night before last, I was talking to (the wonderful) Michelle Bayuk of Egmont USA because we just happened to be at the NCTE and out at dinner.  Anyway, red velvet cake was on the desert menu (and it was quite good), but Michelle reminded me that the reason red velvet cake got to be red in the first place was because of the chemical reaction between the chocolate then used when red velvet cakes got their start and liquids (typically something acidic, like buttermilk).  So I got curious and looked it up just to sure, and she’s right.  In fact, if you want to read a really interesting article on the history of not only red velvet cakes, but VELVET cakes in general (and all their permutations), then hop over to a GREAT article on The History Kitchen site.

Anyway, I didn’t end up using that recipe, although I now wish I’d put more food coloring in the cake to really bring out the red, and I’m not at all happy with the white chocolate glaze.  I want WHITE-white, so I’m going to experiment next time (and I am PISSED that a few little bits of confectioner’s sugar were inadequately sifted).  That being said, my guess is the cake will taste just fine (I know the batter did), and I also added 3/4 cup of semi-sweet chips to the batter as well just because I could and there is no such thing as too much chocolate. I suspect that also made the batter, on baking, darker than it might have been otherwise, too.  The picture doesn’t do it justice, but it really is red.

This recipe comes from Christie Matheson’s CAKE SIMPLE (terrific book).  The only change I made to her recipe was that she’s opposed to red food coloring and so uses cherry juice.  I just couldn’t see it.  The whole point is for the thing to be RED.

Anyway, Michelle (and Margaret Coffee, also of Egmont and equally wonderful), this is for you guys.