You've probably heard of red velvet cake, the classic Southern dessert vibrantly colored with red food coloring and a hint of cocoa powder. But what about White velvet cakeits lesser known counterpart?
A red velvet cousin, it couldn't look more different, but even the desserts themselves are similar. As their names imply, both cake styles are distinguished by their plush, soft, velvety crumb. And both white and red velvet cakes also include buttermilk, which contributes to their distinctive color, while also helping with overall dryness and texture. The main differences are in their color and taste: The lack of food coloring and cocoa powder in the white velvet cake sets it apart from its brighter, more chocolate-flavored counterpart.
It is often difficult to say exactly when a specific style of cake came into being, but most historians believe that velvet cakes date back to the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, when the white velvet cake was popularized by a number of magazines in late 1860s and 1870s. During the late Victorian era, velvet cakes were aptly named for their velvety and delicate texture, compared to the coarser crumbly cakes that came before them. In fact, it's quite possible that the white velvet cake predates its more popular red counterpart. According to baker and cookbook author Stella Parks, devil's food cakea rich chocolate cake also existed during this time, and sometime in the early 20th century, the two styles of cake likely merged to create the first iterations of what we now refer to as velvet cake. red: a velvet-style cake made with cocoa powder for a subtle chocolate flavor and classic reddish hue.
Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
Somewhere along the way, red velvet cake emerged as the dominant style, and white velvet cakes mostly faded into obscurity. But although less popular today, white velvet cake offers more versatility than red velvet and is the ideal soft buttermilk cake for any occasion. At first glance, this white velvet cake may look like any other white cake recipe, but this particular cake owes its soft, satiny texture to a few key ingredients and steps.
Buttermilk: As mentioned earlier, buttermilk is the main ingredient that gives White Velvet Cake its light, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Buttermilk is a cultured milk product, much thicker and more acidic than milk. The high acidity of buttermilk works in baked goods to break down the gluten strands and protein structures that begin to develop when flour mixes with liquid, resulting in a smoother mouthfeel. Buttermilk also contributes to leavening – the acidic buttermilk activates the baking soda and this reaction produces carbon dioxide, which gives the cake more liveliness and lightness.
Corn starch: There is also corn starch, which acts as a softener here. Adding 1/4 cup (28 g) of cornstarch reduces the gluten content of the recipe, resulting in a softer, fluffier cake. Basically, the combination of all-purpose flour plus cornstarch acts as one cake flour substitute, reducing the protein content and leading to softer layers.
Egg whites: Although most red velvet cake recipes use whole eggs, this white velvet recipe relies only on egg whites. Using only egg whites instead of whole eggs gives the cake a creamy white color that lives up to its name.
Butter + oil: The combination of butter and oil in this recipe gives you the best of both worlds: Butter provides rich flavor, while oil provides a moist texture.
Flavoring: In this recipe, the trifecta of vanilla extract, almond extractAND lemon juice powder it gives the white velvet cake that nostalgic bready flavor. Lean into this old-fashioned sensibility and choose a classic cream to accompany: Cream cheese OR ermine frost both combine beautifully with this cake.
Photography by Rick Holbrook; Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
Finally, this recipe relies on The reverse cream method, which results in a tight and soft crumb. After the dry ingredients are mixed together, room temperature butter is whipped into the dry mixture, limiting gluten formation. After the mixture looks like coarse sand, the liquid ingredients are gradually poured in, giving a soft dough that bakes into a delicate cake. The resulting cake also has fewer domes and a firm texture, making it ideal for stacking and layering.
It just might be that red velvet cake has been in the limelight for too long. Now is white velvet cake time to shine.
Cover photo by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne.
