
I have this like/confusion thing going on with red velvet cake. On one hand, it’s cake, so… yeah, I’m in. On the other, I want to know what the flavor really is because it tastes like diet chocolate, which makes me sad. Chocolate should never be diet.
What confuses me most, though, is that it’s named after things that rely on two senses that aren’t taste. Seriously, what flavor is “red”? Because if given a choice, I’m going to say strawberry. Or salsa. Not diet chocolate.
But as I was making a red velvet cake the other day, I finally figured out why I like it – the batter is one of my favorite shades of red. It’s the exact shade of my office walls, in fact, and a color that was in most paintings I did in college.
I don’t know what that says about me, but I thought I’d share, this being palette #100 and all.
I honestly wish I had more than a photo of cake batter to help me celebrate palette #100 today, but I feel like I’ve spent all week behind the eight ball, if you know what I’m saying. Every project has caused a fair amount of stress and frantic energy, and I’m tired. So, since something had to give, and I’d prefer it not be my sanity, this was it.
Maybe next time a big milestone rolls around I’ll have my act together well enough to do a giveaway or something fancy.
In the mean time, do you have any idea what flavor red velvet really is? Because it’s driving me nuts.











I think it is a mocha flavor. But you are right. It is like diet chocolate and that sounds suspiciously like carob to me and I HATE that stuff! Congrats on the milestone. Celebrating you!
Enjoy the day!
Erin
Erin Prais-Hintz recently posted Inspired & Lifted by Your Music
Turns out it’s a buttermilk/mocha combo – even knowing that, it still tastes like diet chocolate to me. Thanks for stopping by, Miss Erin!
Brandi… Excellent Palette! Once again you have stirred the beads in my head! I’m thinking I need to make a Braidlet using this palette! Yahoooo! Thank You! I’ll be back… count on it!
Cari
Cari recently posted 03.02 Fun Friday Finds from HandmadeArtists.com
Looking forward to it, Cari!
Delicious!
Thanks, Lori!
Brandi, you had me at Red Velvet!
Just recently had a red velvet cupcake, and I agree, it’s not chocolately enough. I’m not sure I like my chocolate red-colored… but I do have a thing for cake! I wish you did have a picture of your cake… was there a special occasion? Your 100th palette is celebration enough!
Cindy recently posted Save the Date!
You know, I have to agree about red-colored chocolate – as much as I love color, I think maybe chocolate should stay brown?
As for the cake, I was making it for my mom, who was celebrating a co-worker’s birthday. She didn’t have time to make it herself, so I volunteered.
I was introduced to red velvet cupcakes a few years ago by some American friends (it’s a flavour basically unheard of in Oz, but I think it might be gaining popularity). Anyway, I fell in love! Like you, I find the taste tricky to describe but these cupcakes were unbelievably moist. Oh, and the frosting – yum!
Gorgeous palette, congrats on reaching 100!
ejorpin recently posted Five happy days in Melbourne!
I will probably never turn down a cupcake. Or cake. Or frosting. Honestly, I’m not really that picky. Because cake is awesome!
Thanks for stopping by!
I have no clue – I think it’s more a North America thing than an Australian one. I love your choice for #100. You and my eldest would get along great – we’d been in this house about 10 minutes when he insisted I paint one of his walls that shade of red. He chose the colour and yes I painted it for him and it’s so lovely.
Libby recently posted And speaking of geometrics
I think it’s even more locale-specific within North America, and seems to be a Southern states thing. I made the diet chocolate comment in front of a good Southern friend, and she didn’t know whether to laugh, agree, or defend her beloved red velvet cake!!
And it sounds like I would get along with your eldest just fine.
Red Velvet Cake is a mild cocoa flavored cake with red food coloring. Nothing more. I agree that it’s not chocolatey enough, but I think that’s the way it’s supposed to be. Traditionally, it is a layer cake with super sweet cream cheese frosting between the layers. I think it’s supposed to look very festive and pretty — you know, red and white, and all.
Congrats on 100 palettes! This one is yummy!
Vicki Potter recently posted Amethyst Briolette Pendant . Interchangeable Pendant
Thanks, Vicki, for solving the mystery! I should have figured you’d know!
Love this palette. Love to see the bright colors. Red velvet cake — meh! Congratulations on your 100th! Great milestone!
Sally Anderson recently posted A Long Month
Thank you, Sally!
Red Velvet tastes like…. confusion
I never particularly got the appeal of a cake that teases you with chocolate, but never delivers. Perhaps it’s a UK thing, since it’s not as popular over here as it seems to be in the US, but a cream cheese, cocoa powder and red food colouring cake always mystified me 

Hazel recently posted Beads, beads, and possibly more beads.
Red velvet DOES taste like confusion!! You so nailed it!!!
The color’s really pretty, though…
Hey Brandi!
Congrats on your big 100th palette!!!!
You have been uber blogger getting so many posts out, and I have been really enjoying them all
cheers, Sue
Sue recently posted VIVA las vegas 6 things I loved + 2 bonuses
Thanks, Sue!!
I love red velvet cake! Or maybe it’s just the cream cheese frosting. Hmmm, might be why carrot cake is my favorite. Originally, the reddish brown color was a reaction between the buttermilk, cocoa, and vinegar. But I read that due to changes in the alkalinity of cocoa, the red is not as pronounced as it used to be. Which might be where the addition of food coloring came in. But that bright red I see in some photos is not appetizing! It’s basically a mild chocolate/buttermilk cake. The ‘velvet’ probably comes from its silky texture.
I have memories of red velvet cake being served often at fiestas and fandangos on Guam where I grew up. And my sister had a red velvet cake for her 50th birthday (I had carrot cake for mine!).
I can understand loving the frosting, with the cake being a more socially acceptable method of getting said frosting to your mouth versus a spoon – I feel that way about tortillas and fajitas!
Because frosting is always a yes.