Another Southern baked good that pops up occasionally in the Northeast is Hummingbird Cake. My first encounter - I’d never heard of it - was at a Boston Market restaurant, of all places. It’s cream-cheese frosted layer cake that contains banana, pineapple, coconut, and nuts. So, like carrot cake but with banana rather than carrot, and no raisins.
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You may find this interesting from The Guardians How to Cook series. Felicity tries lots or recipes and synthesises them to what she feels works best.
To quote the article:
This crimson cake should be showstoppingly gaudy – the baked equivalent of Dolly Parton
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I’ll say it’s “not new.” According to food historians, the first mention of it was in the 1930’s as “$100 cake” (complete with accompanying urban myth) or “Waldorf Astoria cake” - that’s Waldorf Astoria, as in the New York City hotel - pretty far from the US South. In the early 50’s, we were living in Kansas and I recall my mother making it with some regularity. When I was raising my own children, in the early 70’s, it was their favorite birthday cake and I made it a lot. I used my friend’s recipe, and she had won a blue ribbon with it at the New Mexico State Fair. It definitely wasn’t the sweet gooey conglomeration you see today. It wasn’t a “chocolate” cake - had just minimal (2T) of cocoa powder to give it chocolate undertones - just a hint. It had buttermilk and vinegar and a very nice tang and was, in fact, much less sweet than most other cakes, which is why my family preferred it. To this day, when I make cakes for my father, I always cut the sugar by at least 1/3, and often 1/2. And, as others have pointed out, that ubiquitous cream cheese was not the usual frosting - it was a much lighter, cooked icing.
More: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/14/dining/red-velvet-cake-from-gimmick-to-american-classic.html?_r=0
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Personally, I think Red Velvet cake may be the beneficiary of an awesome name. Sort of like Usain Bolt, who, while incredibly fast and undeniably charismatic, nevertheless may not have captured the world’s imagination quite as thoroughly had he been named something ho hum.
I agree. A cool name does matter.
Thanks. This is helpful. It is interesting to know that the cake has evolved over time from (barely sweet and barely chocolate) to something much stronger.
Me, too. Definitely not “just chocolate cake with red food coloring.”
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Right, CK. “Barely sweet and barely chocolate.” Definitely buttermilk and vinegar tang. I loved it. Still do.
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In case you’d like to try a recipe, here’s the one I’ve used all these years:
Red Velvet Cake
It does call for a large amount of oil - 2 cups, but it sure ain’t “dry.” Red Velvet Cake was very popular back in the late 60’s & 70’s and there were frequently “Red Velvet Cake cookoffs.” This recipe won the blue ribbon at several state fairs.
For the cake:
2-1/2 c sifted cake flour
2 c sugar (or less, to taste)
1 c buttermilk
1 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
2 T cocoa
1 T white vinegar
1/2 oz red food color (optional, and I often leave it out)
2 c vegetable oil
Combine all ingredients; mix well and pour into 1 large or two small buttered and floured cake pans. Bake 300º for about 40 minutes, or until done
For the frosting:
3 tablespoons flour
1 C whole milk
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 C sugar
2 tsp vanilla
Off heat, combine 1/4 C milk and 3 T flour in heavy saucepan and stir until smooth. Add salt and remaining milk. Turn heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly until thick and creamy. Remove from heat and let cool completely. In fairly large mixing bowl, cream (with mixer) butter and sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla. Beat in cooled flour mixture. Continue beating until fluffy and sugar is completely dissolved and no longer grainy. Easiest to do with a stand mixer, if you have one. Frost well-cooled cake.
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I forgot to ask this question. This is for you an others as well.
Since several of your have said that the Red Velvet cake you grew up is different than the Red Velvet cake being sold by the bakery today (sweetness, chocolate flavor, color…). Would you say they are so different that they are so different that they are two different cakes – unrecognizable if not for the name? Or would you say the the differences are minor? Thanks
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Well, that’s a really tricky question to answer. Obviously it mostly depends upon who is doing the cooking/baking, and who is doing the eating. The icing is definitely completely different. The original ‘from-scratch’ cake is much better than boxed mixes of course, in addition to quite a few others I’ve tasted recently, primarily in that the distinctive ‘tang’ seems to be dumbed down. And I can’t possibly tell you how often throughout the years I’ve been served what was purported to be “home-made Red Velvet Cake” that tasted nothing like my version, or others’ original version, because the person that baked it said something like, “It’s supposed to be a chocolate cake but it didn’t have enough of a chocolate flavor for me so I added more.” No, it’s not supposed to be a “chocolate cake.” And you added so much additional chocolate over what the recipe called for that it has completely overpowered the buttermilk and vinegar. For example, my chocolate cake recipe calls for 3/4 cup cocoa powder. Compare that to 2 tablespoons for Red Velvet Cake.
So I’m not sure how to answer your question. I do still see versions of Red Velvet Cake that are, to my palate anyway, true to the original. But I also see many, many that are not.
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I can’t help but be surprised at the comment about the “storebought canister” of cream cheese icing being “too sweet and not cheesy enough,” so you’re doctoring it. I didn’t even know they made such a thing. Cream cheese icing is so easy to make from scratch - probably even easier than adding a bunch of stuff to the canister of storebought. And I’m sure it tastes a lot better. In fact, I think that’s probably why cream cheese icing is the standard for Red Velvet Cake these days, over the cooked icing that was originally traditional. Cream Cheese Icing is so much easier. Have you ever tried to make it from scratch? Or always just bought the canister.
I have. I buy prepared frosting when it’s on sale, then stir in whipped cream cheese. Saves having to get out, then clean, the mixer. I’m all about bowl-and-spoon baking, when possible.
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Ah. Well. All-righty then.
Ha! I’m probably guilty of adding too much chocolate 
It’s hard to re-create something you’ve never had, and since I like chocolate I tend to be heavy-handed with it. Mine isn’t super chocolatey, but maybe next time someone orders one I’ll remember to try to focus more on the tang.
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