Buttermilk? (re: red velvet cupcakes)

sarahsarah

I was thinking of making some red velvet cupcakes for Valentines Day... Just been trawling for a recipe and most seem to have buttermilk in them. Apparently it is just Devil's Food cake with Red colouring... What is the difference between Devils Food cake and normal sponge mixture? I bet it's buttermilk, lol..

Anyway I also read that you can make buttermilk by adding vinegar to milk? Might be just me but that sounds a bit weird...

Anyway I have never tried Red Velet Cupcakes, I have only ever looked at pictures so not sure why they are so great, but would it work to just make a normal chocolate sponge mix and add red colouring?

mulled_wine

sarahsarah wrote: »

I was thinking of making some red velvet cupcakes for Valentines Day... Just been trawling for a recipe and most seem to have buttermilk in them. Apparently it is just Devil's Food cake with Red colouring... What is the difference between Devils Food cake and normal sponge mixture? I bet it's buttermilk, lol..

Anyway I also read that you can make buttermilk by adding vinegar to milk? Might be just me but that sounds a bit weird...

Anyway I have never tried Red Velet Cupcakes, I have only ever looked at pictures so not sure why they are so great, but would it work to just make a normal chocolate sponge mix and add red colouring?

unless you can't tolerate milk/lactose whats wrong with buying buttermilk? Tesco & Asda sell it.

I think the velvety texture of the cakes is because of the buttermilk.

Nothing to stop you just using red colouring, I guess.

jackieglasgow

I made them two weeks ago, I am experimenting with cake recipes for wedding cakes. They are largely vanilla sponge with some cocoa and red food colouring in them the texture does come from the buttermilk. I am planning on trying it out with quark next week.

sarahsarah

mulled_wine wrote: »

unless you can't tolerate milk/lactose whats wrong with buying buttermilk? Tesco & Asda sell it.

I think the velvety texture of the cakes is because of the buttermilk.

Nothing to stop you just using red colouring, I guess.

I was just going to make them tonight, that's all! I've just remembered that I broke my mixer last Sunday anyway so plan is all off now! I will see if co-op have buttermilk at my local co-op tomorrow and then have a go tomorrow afternoon. I certainly do not want to try the vinegar idea!

sarahsarah

jackieglasgow wrote: »

I made them two weeks ago, I am experimenting with cake recipes for wedding cakes. They are largely vanilla sponge with some cocoa and red food colouring in them the texture does come from the buttermilk. I am planning on trying it out with quark next week.

Did you use an online recipe that you can share a link to Jackie?

budgetboo

I make red velvet cupcakes by grating raw beetroot into the mix rather than adding food colouring (son doesn't do well with it). Much healthier too. I also just use soya milk instead of buttermilk as son is dairy intolerant. The beetroot makes the cakes seem nice and moist and rich, rather like carrots do in carrot cake.

Isn't it funny how many different ways there are to produce the "same" product?

mulled_wine

budgetboo wrote: »

I make red velvet cupcakes by grating raw beetroot into the mix rather than adding food colouring (son doesn't do well with it). Much healthier too. I also just use soya milk instead of buttermilk as son is dairy intolerant. The beetroot makes the cakes seem nice and moist and rich, rather like carrots do in carrot cake.

Isn't it funny how many different ways there are to produce the "same" product?

ooh that sounds interesting! I now want to make my OH a cake for valentines (diet? What diet? )

jackieglasgow

http://www.joyofbaking.com/RedVelvetCake.html

this is the one I tried. Incidentally, originally you didn't use food colouring, it was a chemical reaction between the buttermilk and cocoapowder that caused the colour, but now that the processing is more refined the colour needs a boost.

This recipe was nice, but I am going to play around with it, and try another couple before I decide on my preference, but it did work

rosie383

If you want to make your own buttermilk, just add some lemon juice to ordinary milk and give it a bit of a whisk. I usually make mine up in a jam jar and give it a good shake and then leave it to sit. I haven't tried it for this cake, but use it all the time when making Irish wheaten or soda bread. Works a treat.

sarahsarah

Well just been to the co-op and they don't sell buttermilk. Nor do they sell electric whisks, lol... So the cake baking is off. I did buy quark though. Not doing an asda or tesco order till march now so I guess they'll have to be very belated valentine cakes!