The Secret to this Red Velvet Cake is the smuggled-in red beets to add a little healthy stuff…
I’ve always loved the thought of Red Velvet Chocolate Cake; it summons up images of deliciousness. Of course, it has to be gluten-free for my family, so scroll down for my recipe. You will find out the Red Velvet Secret that I never told the family as they were devouring it. The Red comes from beets, not food coloring! The cake was delicious, and we enjoyed every bite!
I love handed-down recipes, made with a pinch of this and that by who knows who. A dreamed-up confection that stands the test of time.
According to the history of the Red Velvet Cake, it was possibly invented for Queen Victoria. Later it appeared as the signature dessert of the Waldorf Astoria in New York, and at one point, it was said to be a secret recipe invented by Mrs. Eaton of the Eaton Store in Toronto. Along the way, everyone has been sworn to secrecy, and this is why I couldn’t resist writing this little poem. It must be my Kitchen Fairy Muse…
The Very First Red Velvet Cake
“What is in that cake?”
The Kitchen Fairy asked, very concerned.
Is the RED some Cocoa Fake?
But no, my Dear,
’Tis a Beet to fool the Children
With a little goodness, you hear.
So the Queen will have her wish
To serve a decadent
Yet splendidly healthy dish!
Thus, beneath the castle
Maids grated beat and mixed
Baked, frosted, and went through a hassle,
Presenting a Royal Red Velvet confection
To everyone’s delight -such that
The recipe, because it was perfection,
Was taken across the sea by stealth,
To re-appear at the Waldorf Astoria and Eaton’s.
“Well,” said the Kitchen Fairy, “I’ll never tell… it’s for your health!”
A Red Velvet Cake Recipe
Course: DessertCuisine: Cakes.Difficulty: Easy to Medium16
servings30
minutes1
hourA gluten-free Red Velvet Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting, Rich and Delicious!
Ingredients with a Step-by-Step Recipe Method
Prepare ingredients ahead in 3 separate bowls.
Bowl One: Blend the following ingredients together and set aside:
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 peeled raw Red Beat, very finely grated
1 cup orange juice or milk
Zest from 1 orange
2 tablespoons of white vinegar
1 tablespoon red food coloring (optional)
Bowl Two: Blend Dry Ingredients together as follows:
2 cups of Trina’s Pastry Flour Mix #2
Gluten-Free, You Can Do It -by Trina Astor-Stewart.2 tablespoons Double Acting Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon Psyllium husk powder (optional)
3/4 cup pure dark Cocoa, sifted
1/8th teaspoon salt
Blend the above together well. Then incorporate:
¾ Cup soft butter – Blend to a soft crumbly mixture and set aside.
Bowl Three: In the bowl of an Electric Mixer –( or use a whisk), beat together until very fluffy, light, and lemon colored.
5 eggs – adding sugar a little at a time.
1 cup sugar
Add the contents of Bowl One to the electric mixer bowl and blend.
Fold in the contents of Bowl Two -to form a smooth pour-able batter. The batter should not be too dry but fall easily from the spoon.Pour the batter, half and half, into two round 9-inch greased Cake Pans. Bake in a preheated oven at 350℉ for about 40 to 60 minutes or until the tester comes out clean.
Remove the cake layers from the cake tins, and cool completely. Place the bottom layer on a cake plate.
Fill the layer in the middle with frosting, place the second cake layer on top, and frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe:
2 – 8 oz. Boxes of Philadelphia Cream Cheese softened
4 cups sifted confectioners’ or icing sugar
1 stick unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
A few Drops of Red Food Coloring, optional
Mix the cream cheese, icing sugar, and butter together on low speed in an electric mixer until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to the high setting, and mix until fluffy. Spread icing on the middle layer, place the second layer on top, and ice the cake with the remaining frosting, saving a little to add red food coloring as a decorative design.
Directions
- I find that mixing the cake ingredients in three bowls and putting them together at the end works best for a gluten-free cake.
Notes
- The photograph was taken when I baked this cake as one cake layer. Slicing it in the middle somehow created one layer that was larger than the other. It tasted good, but I subsequently baked it in two cake tins. It is a little easier and looks prettier that way.
Gluten-Free, You Can Do It -by Trina Astor-Stewart. Contains charts for Trina’s Flour and Bread Mixes. Three Series Of Mixes: Original, Corn, Nightshade, Tapioca, and Rice Free Mixes. Over 300 Recipes.
