Call it whatever you want -- just don't call it red velvet cake

So last week, the Health Section asked the Test Kitchen staff if we might be interested in testing the American Cancer Society's official birthday cake, a new red velvet cake. A big fan of red velvet cake, I was a little suspicious. (My spider sense tingles just a bit every time someone wants to reinvent the wheel, particularly when it involves food. And health. And a favorite dessert.)

Well, the ACS, or the "Official Sponsor of Birthdays," as its press materials state, had a recipe competition to find a great birthday cake with a healthy twist. The winning recipe boasts fewer calories, fat and sugar than more traditional recipes... but is still supposed to taste great.

We decided to give it a go.

First, we assembled the ingredients, including beets, applesauce, quinoa flour and dried cherries. (Huh?) We roasted the beets for 2 hours and pureed them, then assembled the batter and baked the cakes. While the cakes baked, we made the frostings: a chocolate raspberry ganache and cream cheese frosting. We frosted the cooled cakes then used the finished cake to celebrate a quick surprise birthday in the Test Kitchen, as you can see in the video above.

Our thoughts? Overall, we were less than impressed. There were mixed reviews on the flavor -- from a few thought it was fine (come to think of it, I'm sure they were all from the Health section), to the majority who rated it from bad to awful. (Food's Web deputy -- a passionate red velvet devotee -- said it was "an insult to red velvet cakes everywhere" and it "wasn't worth a single calorie.") Many testers swore each bite had a beet aftertaste. And though the cake was moist with a decent crumb, we didn't feel the end results justified all the time spent on the recipe. (The cake takes well over three hours from start to finish.) That, and the alternative ingredients did not necessarily make this cake that much more healthy or diet friendly than a regular cake. (The Health section broke down the nutritional information and had some other criticisms, in the Booster Shots blog.)

But the biggest beef? THE CAKE WASN'T RED. The finished cake was a beautiful, rich shade of brown -- not even a hint of red.

Our verdict? Treat yourself to a real red velvet cake on your birthday. You've earned it. (And if you know of a place to get a great red velvet cake, or cupcakes, let us know.)  

-- Noelle Carter

Video: Michael Hunte

Comments

[Marie]

Thanks Noelle. I might try substituting beet juice for the food coloring, or look for a kosher bottle. They say one common ingredient in red food coloring is carmine - made from beetles wings (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Was_red_food_coloring_made_from_beetles%27_wings). Yum.

[Noelle Carter]

Hi Marie -

We followed up this post with a mini-quest to find the best red velvet cake. A favorite of ours was the cake at Kiss My Bundt Bakery in West LA, and owner Chrysta Wilson generously offered to share the recipe. The recipe can be found on the Daily Dish following this link:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2009/08/kiss-my-bundt-bakerys-red-velvet-cake-recipe.html#more

Cheers!

Noelle Carter

[Marie]

So what about a good red velvet cake recipe for us home bakers? I have a chocolate cake recipe off of the Hershey's box that I have modified and which is a big hit, so I'd like to expand to Red Velvet Cake. I like to use reasonably healthy ingredients such as whole wheat pastry flour, so I am open to using beets, but that ACS recipe sounded downright weird when I read it.

[dominique]

am i the only one who is pretty damn sure that is christa, proprieter of kiss my bundt posting all the rave reviews? ive tasted those cakes...eh

[MediSin]

Scary!
I try to eat healthily most of the time, and I inflict a terrifying amount of nutrition on my boyfriend, but I draw the line at healthy cake. It's just no fun!
Still, marks for originality - adding beets has got to be the funniest way I've ever heard of to completely ruin a cake :-)

[Ambergris]

There comes a time when one must scuttle the idea of eating "healthy", if only to be able to enjoy something as scrumptious as a REAL Red Velvet Cake.

This thing as described above sounds about as appetizing and palatable as Aunt Flora's three year old fruit cake...

The folks here seem to think highly of Kiss My Bundt. I'll have to pay them a visit, sometime.

[kiles]

Kiss My Bundt outshines every other red velvet in Los Angeles- and I've tried most of them!!
www.kissmybundt.net
for daily specials: http://twitter.com/KissMyBundt

[mamayama]

Oooooohhhhh.....I know my cake (and frosting, too)! Hands down, Kiss My Bundt has not only the best Red Velvet cake but the best of all cakes ever!!!!! Don't waste your time at "those famous cupcake places", as they can't compete once you've tried Kiss My Bundt. The owner Chrysta rules!!!! Try them, I promise you won't be disappointed.

[Merri Diperstein]

You haven't experienced red velvet cake until you've eaten CAKE MONKEY'S RASPBERRY RED VELVET CAKE!! It is absolutely
fantastic!! Let's have a taste off!
818-841-0202 www.cakemonkey.com

[Erica]

Must check out the Red Velvet Ding Dong at Aroma Cafe in Studio City! And, nobody makes Red Velvet like SusieCakes in Brentwood!

[M Walton]

La Grande Orange Cafe in Pasadena has a delicious multi-layered red velvet cake!

[Brenna Kwasky]

Frosted Cupcakery 4817 E. 2nd Street
Long Beach, CA 90803
(562) 987-1080

I had a red velvet cupcake last night. Yum!

[cynthia]

Ms. Ruby's in Inglewood on Manchester has the best red velvet cakes. It's a real one, not a California red velvet.

[Mike]

What a waste of time. Why dont they focus their efforts on getting the word out about how vitamin D prevents cancer, the data is now overwhelming but they remain silent. Take a look at www.vitaminD3world.com for some good summaries of the data and get yourself some vitamin D

[ddaly]

Best red velvet? Definitely Kiss My Bundt on Third at Crescent Heights!
—ddaly

[Robin]

Mardy's red velvet cupcakes are seriously better than Sprinkles' rock-hard bricks. Moist and light. Plus, they also make it as a great red velvet layer cake!
http://www.mardyscuisine.com/product.sc?productId=57&categoryId=7

[James]

The BEST red velvet by FAR can be found at Kiss My Bundt Bakery on 3rd Street in Los Angeles. Hands down, and I defy anyone to find one better. It's a safe bet, because one can't.

[Ysabel]

KISS MY BUNDT in LA makes the BEST red velvet!!!

[Cristina Thompson]

Kiss My Bundt Bakery on West 3rd Street near Crescent Heights has the best Red Velvet Bundt cake hands down AND they even have a Vegan version on some days for all you Vegans out there. I truly consider myself a Red Velvet connoisseur - I've tried many and I have the butt and hips to prove it. Kiss My Bundt has won me over for life. They also have a great baking series to teach how to make these wonderful masterpieces - cakes & frostings. I actually attended a class last weekend but it was a baking class/bachelorette party. One of the most creative and best ideas, espcially if you are looking to part from what the normal bachelorette parties are known for. I digress, but KMBB has so much to offer in addtion to having the best Red Velvet cake ever. Do yourself a favor and go - I promise you won't be disapppointed.

Here is the link so you can read further about KMBB and if nothing else you have to love the name. Happy Red Velvet hunting!!

http://kissmybundt.net/

[annmarie]

Kiss My Bundt bakery on 3rd Street in West Hollywood has THE best red velvet cakes i've ever tasted (and the best shop name too!)

[Liz Temkin]

Kiss My Bundt on 3rd St. near Crescent Heights

[H.C.]

when I was a judge at the Cupcake Challenge competition earlier this year, I really enjoyed Two Parts Sugar's raspberry red velvet cupcakes, mainly 'cause they are red for a reason and it adds an interesting zip the traditional RV. Alas, it's a pity they don't have a storefront and are based in Mission Viejo.

[AmyAnne]

OMG. Beets? WTH?!
The BEST Red Velvet in Los Angeles - YES, in all of Los Angeles is at

Kiss My Bundt on West 3rd Street

You have to try it. Like now. NOW!

[Denise]

Kiss My Bundt Bakery has delectable Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. Too many people are trying to reinvent the Red Velvet Cake, and some are even (how dare they!) pouring red food coloring into Vanilla Cake or Chocolate Cake. This IS NOT Red Velvet. The Folks at Kiss My Bundt Bakery are doing it right, in Bundt shape of course, in three great sizes.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/kiss-my-bundt-los-angeles

[Elaine]

The Wood Cafe at 12000 Washington Blvd., L.A., CA has a great real individual Red Velvet cake (or giant cupcake) and for a slice (or a whole cake) Coral Tree Cafe has a good version.

[Outshined]

Red velvet cupcakes = Vienna Cafe on Melrose

[Natalie DeJohn]

Beets, applesauce, quinoa flour and dried cherries? Sounds frightening! I liked this article though. If you want some great red velvet cupcakes, you should check out Yummy Cupcakes in Burbank on Magnolia Blvd. They live up to their name.

[Jack Montgomery]

MRS.RUBY'S in Inglewood has awesomely moist cake (and slices of cake!)

404 E Manchester Blvd
Inglewood, CA 90301-1320
(310) 677-8297

http://www.yelp.com/biz/ms-rubys-bakery-inglewood