What Is Red Velvet Cake?

Red velvet cake is one of those bakes everyone seems to be able to recognise, but not everyone can quite describe. You can easily pick it out in a café display and immediately know what it is - that bold red sponge topped with a thick swirl of cream cheese frosting - yet it still sparks the same question again and again: just what is red velvet cake?

Put simply, it's a soft, moist sponge with a light cocoa note and a gentle tang (thanks to ingredients like buttermilk and a little vinegar). The flavour is subtle and balanced rather than strongly chocolatey, and the texture is part of the point too - fine, tender crumbs that tend to feel a little lighter than a typical chocolate cake. Paired with cream cheese frosting, it becomes that classic mix of rich and slightly sharp that keeps people coming back for "just one more forkful".

But that's not the whole story! In this blog we'll walk through what red velvet cake is, where it came from and how it got that classic bright red colour...

If you've ever wondered what's in red velvet cake, the answer is: nothing too mysterious! It's really just a few everyday ingredients working together in a particular way.

At its core, red velvet starts with the usual cake basics: flour, sugar, eggs and butter or oil (sometimes a mix, depending on the recipe). Where it begins to feel different is the addition of a small amount of cocoa powder, plus buttermilk and a little vinegar. That combination is a big part of what gives red velvet its signature taste and texture.

The cocoa is there, but it's not used in the same way as a full chocolate sponge. Instead of tasting deeply chocolatey, it brings a gentle warmth - more of a background note than the main event. The buttermilk and vinegar add a light tang, which helps balance the sweetness and keeps the overall flavour from feeling heavy. They also help create that soft, tender crumb red velvet is known for.

So, what flavour is red velvet cake? We'd best describe it as lightly cocoa-ish, subtly tangy, and creamy. And that last part is where the frosting comes in. Traditionally, red velvet is paired with cream cheese frosting, which adds richness and a slight sharpness that suits the sponge perfectly. It's a classic for a reason - soft cake, smooth frosting, and a flavour that's unique, but will keep you coming back for more!

Red velvet cake feels like it's been around forever, but the story is a bit more specific than that. Before "red velvet" was a thing, there were "velvet" cakes back in the Victorian era. The name wasn't about the colour - it was actually about the texture: cakes that were made to be softer, finer and a little more delicate than the heavier bakes of the time.

Fast-forward to the early 20th century in America, and cocoa started appearing in some of these velvet-style cakes. With older-style (non-Dutch) cocoa and acidic ingredients like buttermilk and vinegar, bakers could get a subtle reddish-brown tone naturally - more "mahogany" than the bright red we think of today. By the 1920s and 30s, versions of red velvet were being served and talked about more widely (with some stories often linking it to New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel), and the cake became especially loved in parts of the American South. Around the same time, brands like Adams Extract helped push the brighter red version by promoting recipes that used red food colouring.

After dipping in popularity for a while, red velvet had a proper comeback in the late 20th century - helped along by pop culture moments like Steel Magnolias - and it's been a celebration cake favourite ever since.

This is the bit everyone wonders about at some point or another, and the answer is a mix of old-school baking and modern tweaks. Originally, red velvet cakes weren't bright scarlet at all. The colour was much more subtle - a reddish-brown tone that came from a natural reaction between cocoa powder and acidic ingredients in the batter. In early recipes, the cocoa used was often less processed than many modern cocoas. When that cocoa met something acidic (like buttermilk or vinegar), it could shift slightly in colour as the cake baked, giving the sponge that mahogany tint people started to associate with red velvet.

Over time, bakers began adding red food colouring to make the cake look more dramatic and consistent. That's why today's red velvet is usually the bold, properly red version most of us know and love. Some bakers still prefer a more natural look, while others lean into the classic bright colour. Either way, the goal is the same: a soft, velvety sponge that tastes as good as it looks.

All this talk of red velvet cake may well have had you craving some by now! We’ve got you covered - our take features a light, airy sponge with plenty of our homemade vanilla buttercream, finished off with scattered red velvet sponge pieces, sprinkles and crisp white pearls. We also get our vibrant red velvet colour from beetroot powder, so everything stays all-natural! You can even add a tin or gifting sleeve to turn it into a thoughtful present to a lucky someone!

What is the actual flavour of red velvet cake?

Red velvet has a subtle cocoa flavour with a gentle tang, usually from buttermilk and a little vinegar. It’s typically finished with cream cheese frosting, which adds a rich, slightly sharp contrast.

What is red velvet cake made of?

A classic red velvet cake is made with flour, sugar, eggs and butter or oil, plus a small amount of cocoa powder, buttermilk and a touch of vinegar. Most modern recipes also include red food colouring for that signature look.

Is red velvet cake really just chocolate cake?

Not quite. It does include cocoa, but far less than a typical chocolate cake - so it tastes lighter, less chocolatey, and a bit tangier.