"Red Velvet Cake" news and stories

This R2D2 cake is the perfect storm of my nerdy obsessions: science fiction, red velvet cake, Rice Krispy treats, things that look like other things. As we last wrote about an R2D2 wedding cake last month, I'm clearly not alone in my love of cake-flavored robot. However, I think this cake is even better-looking. The recipient is one lucky four-year-old!

Created by baker Mark Randazzo, it's a multi-layered red velvet cake with white icing, with Rice Krispy treat legs and hand-painted food color details. Check out the pictures of the cake in-progress: I'm not sure I've ever seen so many layers. Randazzo's a talented guy - catch him making a giant monkey cake on reruns of Food Network's Extreme Cake Challenge.

Source

Hey, we've had bacon ice cream and bacon martinis and even bras made out of bacon. Why not a cake topped with it?

That's the question that a reader of cakehead.com asks. Specifically, she asks what type of cake is the best to top with bacon. Yellow cake was too sweet, and carrot cake didn't quite work either. Click on the link to find out what cake tastes great with bacon, and then try it yourself.

Source

I don't think there's any food better to feature on Valentine's Day besides a vividly colored red velvet cake. This one, by Bakerella, meets all the criteria of food porn too: rough edges, myopic focus and thickly spread frosting. Could someone please get me a slice and a fork? If you want to whip up one of these for your sweetie as an after dinner treat tonight, here's a link to Paula Deen's family recipe as well as the recipe for cream cheese frosting that Bakerella used on the cake you see above.

Don't forget to join the Slashfood Flickr Group and add your pictures to the pool!

Source

I have a love/hate relationship with Red Velvet Cake. Basically, I love it because for Pete's sake, it's cake, and not only is it cake, but it's usually drowning in layers of cream cheese frosting. However, I just don't get it -- "red velvet" that is -- and why this cake, above all others, seems to get so much attention. What I don't get is what "red velvet" tastes like. It's neither chocolate (though I know there is a bit of cocoa in there) nor vanilla, and it certainly doesn't taste like anything red, like berries.

It must be the novelty of the gorgeously shocking red color, because based on the cake that Desert Candy baked, love is all about the aesthetics. Mercedes used the recipe that was published in the New York Times a few weeks ago, which she reprinted in the post. And though the frosting is made of mascarpone instead of cream cheese, I'm not complaining!

Red velvet cake is, for some reason, often considered to be a retro, trashy sort of cake in spite of the fact that it is wildly popular at bakeries these days. The best cakes have a moist and tender crumb, as well as a hint of cocoa. The color can range from Marilyn red to deep mahogany and is typically made with food coloring, although those chefs who are overly concerned with making everything over-the-top natural use beets to color theirs. If the whole cake is just too much for you, you can always try red velvet cupcakes or sandwich cookies.

Beta cook disorder is a condition that arises in chefs when their partner is too dominant in the kitchen, constantly second guessing everything they do and ordering them around. Power struggles, it seems, come out in the kitchen more often than anywhere else, but by consciously working together - with an open dialog - mini dictatorships can be avoided and you'll have just enough hands stirring the pot.

Paul Bocuse, one of the greatest French chefs there is, just celebrated his 80th birthday with a huge, three-day party and a list of A-list chefs both as guests and in the kitchen.

Winter comfort food is even better it you can get it done quickly with no loss of flavor, like Baked Beans with Bacon in 2 hours, instead of 10.

Frank Bruni dines at Pera Mediterranean Brasserie and Dennis Foy, giving each one star.

Mark Bittman, the minimalist, makes stuffed chicken thighs.

Source