Red velvet cake

'', 1927. It is identified as "Red devil cake." It is unknown where the red velvet cake originated, although its popularity in the Southern United States dates to the early 20th century. Recipes for "velvet" cakes, so called because of the fineness of their crumb texture, date to the 19th century but include a variety of types of cake, including shortcakes and pancakes, whose recipes included ingredients such as almond flour, cocoa powder or corn starch to soften the wheat flour proteins and make finer-textured cakes. At the time, brown sugar, which was also called red sugar, was more readily and cheaply available than white sugar, and may have turned the cakes "vaguely reddish," according to pastry chef and food writer Stella Parks. During World War I and the Great Depression, cakes made with beetroot were red, while chocolate cakes made with beetroot were burgundy-colored. Their recipe thereafter became known throughout the country. In the late 20th century, the cake regained popularity as a result of the 1989 film Steel Magnolias, which featured the cake in a scene. By 2000, red velvet cakes were experiencing widespread popularity. However, with most recipes including chocolate, food writer Stephen Schmidt described their appearance as "often more ruddy than truly red." In Canada, the cake was popular in the 1940s and 1950s. It was featured at restaurants inside Eaton's department store in Toronto and was widely attributed as a favorite of Flora Eaton. The Lunch with Lady Eaton cookbook refers to it as an "exclusive sweet recipe of Eaton's." The Waldorf-Astoria also claims to have created the cake. ==Ingredients and preparation==

The primary ingredients of red velvet cake are baking powder, butter, buttermilk, cocoa powder, eggs, flour, sugar, salt, vanilla extract, vinegar, and, in modern recipes, red food coloring. The batter is made by first creaming together butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Separately, cocoa powder and red food coloring are combined and then integrated into the mixture. The remaining ingredients are then added, mixed, and blended. After pouring the batter into a cake pan, the cake is baked for 20 to 25 minutes and cooled before adding icing between the layers. Other cake variations include red velvet bundt cake, doberge cake, ice cream cake and cheesecake. Non-cake alternatives of red velvet cake include red velvet cookies, brownies, cinnamon rolls, lattes, teas, waffles, Pop-Tarts, and sundaes. The flavor has also been used in protein powders and vodkas and the scent in candles and air fresheners. ==In popular culture==

The 1989 film Steel Magnolias featured an armadillo-shaped red velvet cake, which helped to renew interest in the cake. However, it is not a cake otherwise closely associated with African-American culture. Although the cake is often considered a Southern cake, chef Virginia Willis described categorizing the cake as part of Southern cuisine as "insulting on some level culturally." ==Reception==

American chef James Beard considered red velvet cake bland and uninteresting, though he nevertheless published a recipe for it in his 1972 book ''James Beard's American Cookery''. Angie Mosier of the Southern Foodways Alliance said, "It's the Dolly Parton of cakes: a little bit tacky, but you love her." ==References==