The Origins of Red Velvet Cake

My favorite holiday is Christmas. My family has a tradition of giving each other gifts, watching The Grinch, and making plenty of food. It’s calming for us all. A food I will always look forward to eating is my favorite dessert, red velvet cake. 

The red velvet cake’s origins were truly unknown by many. Some say it was made  in the southern United States or others say it wasn’t made in the United States, it was perfected there. The cake is made with chocolate with cream cheese frosting. The red hue is rumored to come from beets. 

Red velvet cake was first made in the Victorian era (1837-1901). It was originally known to be a high class or luxury cake. It was made for fancy gatherings and people trying to elevate their dinner parties.  Cooks were trying to develop a cake with ingredients that would help break down coarse flour. Cocoa was that ingredient. They classified all cakes with a softer texture as “velvet cakes”. 

Red velvet cake is an important Christmas tradition to me because red velvet cakes aren’t usually made for Christmas, they’re made for Valentine’s Day.  It’s important to my family because we all know it’s my grandma’s favorite dessert to make and eat.  I’d love to learn her recipe and continue the tradition for a long time and besides, it’s one of my favorites too. 

Betty Crocker Kitchens. “Red Velvet Cake.” BettyCrocker.com, Betty Crocker, 10 Feb. 2011, www.bettycrocker.com/how-to/tipslibrary/baking-tips/red-velvet-cake Accessed 3 Dec. 2021.