I am basing my review of RED VELVET LOVER’S COOKBOOK on one recipe, Red Velvet Bundt Cake. I just baked it. It is a far cry from what I want in anything red velvet. I baked it in a rose bundt pan so it came out perfect and beautiful. But the good times stop there. I have baked dozens of bundt and pound cakes over the years so it must be the recipe and not the baker.. The icing, always an important element of anything red velvet, should at the very least be doubled. The cake was dry and pretty much tasteless when just out of the oven although it got a little tastier in a day or so but not much. I substituted White Lily flour, since some Red Velvet wizards say that we must always use that brand since it should produce a softer cake. (I always use White Lily when I am baking the real thing.) I increased the eggs from three to four in an effort to make the cake moister to no avail. I then checked out a red velvet bundt cake on the internet that looks promising. It has three cups sugar (this one has only 2 1/3 cups) and 6 eggs and 3 to 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder. and uses vegetable oil instead of butter, and a little vinegar I suspect that would make a much tastier cake than this recipe. Finally although the author lists vanilla flavor in the ingredients for the cake, she does not tell you when and where to add the vanilla so you are on your own here. That of course is the least of things wrong with the recipe.
On the positive side, the cookbook certainly is well laid out and must have every red velvet recipe imaginable. The exact number, according to the book cover, is over 50. They are as exotic as red velvet cheesecake, red velvet donuts, red velvet eclairs and red velvet breakfast biscuits with chocolate gravy. The photographs of the finished desserts are beautiful. We can hope that this bundt cake recipe is the only bad apple in the basket. I have found bakers of red velvet cakes often to be as vain about having the definitive recipe for this much-loved dessert—and may not be willing to share the recipe-- as are cooks with their recipes for fried chicken or barbecue sauce. Given my unpleasant experience with this recipe and since I have a recipe for red velvet cake that has proven to be a winner and markedly different from the one the author provides, I am not inclined to try her recipe or any other recipe from the collection for that matter.
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From the Publisher
Glazed Fried Donuts from The Red Velvet Lover''s Cookbook
There really is nothing like a fresh, hot, homemade donut!
1. To make the donuts: Stir the yeast into the warm water and set aside until the mixture looks creamy, about five minutes.
2. Combine the milk, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the shortening and two cups of the flour.
3. Combine the cocoa and the food coloring in a small bowl, stirring to make a smooth paste. Add to the dough and mix well.
4. Continue to add flour, half a cup at a time, until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Remove the paddle attachment and use a dough hook to knead the dough until it is soft but not sticky, five to eight minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Place in a large oiled bowl and turn to coat the dough with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about one and a half hours.
5. Fill a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with oil to a depth of a few inches and heat to 350° Fahrenheit over medium heat. Cut the dough into quarters. Working with one quarter at a time, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about quarter inch. Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut circles. Use a smaller round cutter to cut a hole in the center of each circle. Discard the scraps.
6. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Carefully slide a few of the donuts into the hot oil. Fry until lightly browned, 30 to 45 seconds, then flip and cook the second side for about 30 seconds. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
7. To make the glaze: While the donuts are cooling, combine the confectioners’ sugar, water, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Dip the warm donuts in the glaze, turning to coat completely. Place the donuts on a rack until the glaze is set.
Makes 24 to 30 donuts
Ingredients
- 2 (¼ ounce) packages active dry yeast
- ¼ cup warm water
- 1½ cups lukewarm milk
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tsp table salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1⁄3 cup vegetable shortening
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp red liquid food coloring
- Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tbsp hot water
- 1 tbsp milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
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