<P> Red Velvet cake is traditionally a red, red - brown, or "mahogany" colored layer cake, layered with white cream cheese icing or Ermine frosting (sometimes called "cooked roux" frosting). It has a distinctive fluffy texture owing to the gas - producing reaction of alkaline buttermilk with acidic vinegar and / or acidic non-alkalized cocoa . The cake is commonly served on Christmas or Valentine's Day . Common modern red velvet cake is made with red dye, however the red color was originally due to non-Dutched anthocyanin - rich cocoa . </P> <P> Common ingredients include: buttermilk, butter, cocoa, vinegar, and flour for the cake; beetroot or red food coloring for the color . </P> <P> James Beard's reference, American Cookery (1972), describes three red velvet cakes varying in the amounts of shortening, butter, and vegetable oil . All used red food coloring . The reaction of acidic vinegar and buttermilk tends to better reveal the red anthocyanin in cocoa and keeps the cake moist, light, and fluffy . This natural tinting may have been the source for the name "red velvet", as well as "Devil's food" and similar names for chocolate cakes . Contemporarily, chocolate has often undergone Dutch processing, which prevents the color change of the anthocyanins . A reconstruction of the original red velvet cake involves reducing or eliminating the vinegar and colorants, and using a non-Dutched cocoa to provide the needed acidity and color . </P> <P> When foods were rationed during World War II, bakers used boiled beet juices to enhance the color of their cakes . Beets are found in some red velvet cake recipes, where they also serve to retain moisture . Adams Extract, a Texas company, is credited with bringing the red velvet cake to kitchens across America during the Great Depression era, by being one of the first to sell red food coloring and other flavor extracts with the use of point - of - sale posters and tear - off recipe cards . The cake and its original recipe are well known in the United States from New York City's famous Waldorf - Astoria Hotel, which has dubbed the confection Waldorf - Astoria cake . However, it is widely considered a Southern recipe . Traditionally, red velvet cake is iced with a French - style butter roux icing (also called ermine icing), which is very light and fluffy, but time - consuming to prepare . Cream cheese frosting and buttercream frosting are variations which have increased in popularity . </P>

Where did the name red velvet cake come from