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/ck/ - Food & Cooking

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8612889 No.8612889 [Reply] [Original]

Hi dudes,

I'm making red velvet cake for the first time this weekend. Due to lack of cream cheese here, I'll substitute cream cheese with mascarpone. I literally brought my buttermilk from Austria because I couldn't find any in my home country.

Anyways, please tell me your secrets / tips & tricks regarding this cake.

>> No.8612914

please don't let me down, I don't want to fuck this up

>> No.8612974

>>8612889
>I'll substitute cream cheese with mascarpone

hmm.. there might be a lot of difference between what we get here (usa) and what you have. But all the mascarpone I've tried here has been fairly light in flavor, closer to butter or cream than cream cheese, which has a sour "tang" quality to it that is pretty much the whole hallmark of the cream cheese frosting. If I were doing it I would probably mix it with some quark since that's a much closer substitute as far as the taste. But again, that's judging from the stuff we get here.

>> No.8612983

>>8612974
> sour "tang"
my recipe calls for lime juice in the frosting

also, what the heck should red velvet even taste like?

>> No.8612991

>>8612889
I tend to make my own buttermilk by just adding white wine vinegar or lemon juice to milk.

>> No.8613013

>>8612983
isn't it just chocolate cake with red food coloring?

>> No.8613015

>>8613013
well it calls for cocoa powder, but there's no actual chocolate, nor chips in the recipe

>> No.8613030
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8613030

>>8613015
>well it calls for cocoa powder, but there's no actual chocolate

>> No.8613033
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8613033

>>8612983
>also, what the heck should red velvet even taste like?
Literally, and I mean literally, devil's food/chocolate cake with red dye added. It used to be made from raw cacao powder and acids like vinegar vs. baking soda as the leavening agent (this is also the basis for the American Depression AKA Wacky Cake) that turns a slight reddish which is where the name came from.
http://leitesculinaria.com/10565/writings-origins-of-red-velvet-cake.html

If you want a less artificial coloring agent try adding some grated or pureed beets (which are also naturally sweet) to the batter like in this variant.
https://food52.com/blog/15776-an-all-natural-red-velvet-cake-that-s-truly-red

Extra Protips:
1. As far as cake flavor goes, adding some melted chocolate to the batter in addition to the cocoa will add to the texture and flavor.

2. Having about 1 & 1/2 tsp of instant coffee or expresso powder also deepens the chocolate flavor without making it taste of mocha. This is especially nice since the creamed-cheese frosting is vastly more sweet that other whipped cream or buttercream icings.

3. If your recipe doesn't say to, I STRONGLY recommend you take some of the liquid whether it's water/buttermilk/etc that is in there and heat it until it's hot but not boiling hot and then stir in the cocoa powder to bloom it. This principle operates the same way as brewing coffee since both cocoa and coffee beans behave in much the same way.

4. If your recipe calls for plain white/all-puprose flour or cake flour then when it comes time to add it to your batter do it in two or three additions if not stated to do so by the recipe AND BARELY FOLD THEM IN BY HAND USING WIDE BROAD STROKES WITH YOUR SPOON/SPATULA. DO NOT MIX USING AN APPLIANCE HERE. They are too powerful. After the flour contacts moisture, the proteins contained within immediately start building gluten networks which give the cake some structure but will make the cake tough and chewy if you stir them up too much.

>> No.8613042

>>8613033
#4; so this is supposed to be a very crumbly cake, like Sacher?
and what does "bloom" mean? solve the cocoa in a hot substance?

>> No.8613063

>>8613042
>#4; so this is supposed to be a very crumbly cake, like Sacher?
Yes it should be a little soft. The main thing is that you just don't want to overwork the batter which is easy to do with a machine. Creaming the fats (egg yolks, oil, and butter) and sugar and flavorings (cocoa powder, vanilla, etc) by machine is fine. Bakers just need to be careful when the flour is introduced.

>and what does "bloom" mean? solve the cocoa in a hot substance?
Yes.

>> No.8613073

>>8613063
amazing advice, thanks. maybe I'll make a thread tomorrow and show yall how I did.