What is the Difference between Chocolate Cake and Red Velvet Cake?

Hello, Good People! How are you doing today? Looking for something to cheer you up in this quarantine? How about eating some cakes?

Have you tried red velvet cake, Good People? Nowadays, red velvet cakes have gained a lot of popularity. However, chocolate cakes are not backing down in terms of being people’s favorite. By the way, do you know what is the difference between chocolate cake and red velvet cake?

Photo by Sydney Troxell

You may already know how chocolate tastes like, but how does “red” and “velvet” taste? Some say that they are the same just because both of them contain cocoa—but no, they are different. To know what is the difference between chocolate cake and red velvet cake, we need to learn about each and individual cakes first.

Red Velvet Cake

The Red Velvet cake began appearing in the 1800s, and some may say that it appeared in 1920s in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Back then, red velvet was made with three core ingredients: cocoa powder, vinegar, and buttermilk. Combining three of those core ingredients results in a chemical reaction that makes the cake’s iconic red color. However, the red color is not as bright as the red velvet cake that we see today.

Chocolate Cake

Chocolate cake pretty much explanatory. Discovered in 1764, it is a cake with chocolate flavor added to the cake batter. The flavoring itself may come from cocoa powder or melted chocolate bars, giving the cake that dark rich chocolate color. In terms of ingredients, chocolate cake is humbler. Mainly, the recipe calls for water, flour, butter, and cocoa powder.

Red Velvet Vs Chocolate Cake

The similarity of each cake is the use of cocoa powder. However, there are many differences between them. Aside from color, a chocolate cake is much more chocolatey than red velvet. The liquids added to the cake batter is also different. Chocolate cake uses water or coffee to gain their moistness, while red velvet cake relies on buttermilk and vinegar. Buttermilk and vinegar give that rich and tangy flavor that chocolate cake does not have.

In terms of frosting, red velvet cake has cream cheese frosting. Meanwhile, chocolate cake’s frosting is more versatile. You can add any flavor of frosting you prefer to your chocolate cake. Using chocolate ganache and pralines is also an option.

Therefore, red velvet is more than just a red-colored chocolate cake. It has its distinctive texture and flavors compared to chocolate cake.

Well, Good People, now you know what is the difference between chocolate cake and red velvet cake. Hopefully, you enjoyed reading this article. Thank you for your time and have a great day!