Red Velvet Cake, Cristina's Style and a $75 Giveaway !


It is just amazing, but things that are incredibly popular in one country, don't exist in many others...Just like that, until my recent trip to New York, with my daughter C, to celebrate her  "quinceañera", I ignored the existence of Red Velvet Cakes....



...until this "spring-that-sprung" afternoon when we decided to go head-first to Magnolia Bakery...Et oui !! my daughter is deeply interested in the Classics....Sex & the City, Friends, Glee...so going to New York without seeing "the temple" of cupcakes was completely out of the question...! However, she found a "very reasonable" excuse to avoid visiting all the New York museums...She said: "Mum, I've been to the Louvre ten times, Orsay, Pompidou Center, El Prado...do you think they will have something new for me here???"
After this statement, worthy of Descartes...what can a mother answer??!!! So we visited New York her way...after all, it was her birthday !!


Ever since, she has been asking me to make a Red Velvet...I looked for the recipe in the internet, but then I decided to make it my way...As a base I used an airy génoise, with no butter...just two tablespoons of cocoa powder, and to avoid a buttery icing, just the royal "glaçage"...So in the end, this Red Velvet is quite "healthy" I would say...almost "diet" (?!)


For its special shape, I used a rose silicon mold, that you can get in kitchenware stores..and talking about that...the giveaway !!!
Yes... again thanks to CSN stores, you will be able to use this $75 certificate, in any of the stores, for anything you want..like this drop leaf table, so suitable for small kitchens like mine...or small apartments. What do you have to do to participate? Just send me a comment telling me which of my three pizzas you preferred! As simple as that !! you have time till October 28th, 9am (Paris Time). Remember you can use the certificate, for anything you want, in any CSN store (unfortunately only USA/Canada residents can participate!)


For the recipe, see below...


For the génoise


Follow the instructions here using these ingredients (my mold was rather small)
* egg, 3 * sugar, 90gr * flour, 70gr * cocoa powder, 20gr * red food coloring (quantity depends on brands: use until desired color)


For the royal icing,


Beat lightly the white of one egg. Add some lemon drops. Incorporate icing sugar till required consistence: neither too runny, nor too stiff!

Comments

Elin Chia said…
lovely red velvet cake :) thanks for sharing :)
Asha @ FSK said…
A healthy red velvet cake?! that's awesome!! glad your daughter enjoyed NYC sans museums et all :D

Lovely giveaway too.. My fav pizza undoubtedly was the sweet one: Quince fruit cooked in Malbec Sauce & Ricotta Pizza !!
Nancy said…
Cristina the red velvet cake looks so light, airy and delicious. Your healthier version is how I would prefer. I can't participate in your giveaway but my favorite pizza was Argentinian barbecue (meat & sausages), with Chimichurri Sauce.
Tiffany said…
Oh yum....maybe it's because you just got me in the mood for dessert after looking at the red velvet cake, but my favorite of your pizzas is the Quince fruit with Malbec Sauce & Ricotta Pizza, but they all look delicious!
That cake looks delicious and is so pretty!

Cheers,

Rosa
Anonymous said…
Hey, Cristina, your red velvet cake looks a lot better than the one of the Waldorf Astoria that I saw on Internet. I guessed you were a genius, now I'm sure !
And I bet it tastes nicer too. But the question is : does C. think it is as good as the one of the Magnolia bakery ???
You know what ? I've just made an apple and raspberry... PIZZA ! This sounds like real healthy (or mad?) competition, doesn't it ? !!!
Anonymous said…
I like the Quince fruit cooked in Malbec Sauce & Ricotta Pizza and wish I was there to eat it!
Adelina said…
Happy Birthday to your special girl! I am into Glee myself... Didn't think Glee would be popular in Paris. I was not into red velvet cakes until they were in almost all the wedding parties that I was invited this year.... Total of 8 weddings... not to forget the showers...lol I would love to try the Cristina way... I am sure I would love it. As far as my favorite... I am torn between all 3, but since we're talking about sweets, I am going to go with Quince fruit cooked in Malbec Sauce & Ricotta Pizza.
Debbie said…
This cake looks beautiful! I never thought bake a red velvet in a bundt pan, really lovely, thanks!
Anonymous said…
I bet your cake beats the one in Magnolia Bakery any day of the week. I tried a couple of cupcakes there, and the store was cute, and the cupcakes were pretty, but they didn't taste like anything special.
*kisses* HH
Claudia said…
Cristina - you do have a way with "the classics." Love the presentation and how airy the cake is - with all that cream singing around it. I've always been amused by the lines around the Magnolia bakery and never went in...maybe I am missing something?
fromBAtoParis said…
@ Heavely Housewife:

I totally agree with you!

@Claudia:

They are nothing special, in my opinion!
Totally love red velvet cake, so moist. And will stick with desserts by picking your Quince fruit cooked in Malbec Sauce & Ricotta Pizza for the contest!
Red velvet cake is such a favorite where I live because it's incredibly moist. This is a wonderful rendition!
I especially loved the Argentinian BBQ with chimichurri pizza. Mostly, because I think there is nothing as good as chimichurri! :o)

BTW - I really hope I win. My mother has purchased me a red Kitchen Aid mixer and I'd love to purchase some bakeware!
Barbara said…
I've always wanted to try a red velvet cake..but have never been entirely happy with the recipes I've found. This cake looks so light! And such an original presentation....I've come to expect that from you! :)

Happy Birthday to your daughter, but I am disappointed she feels NYC has nothing to offer re museums and art. :(

As far as your delicious pizzas are concerned, I loved your dessert pizza and have every intention of trying some version of it soon.
Anonymous said…
Aw, as a NYC resident I have to defend our museums, as there are some AMAZING ones, including the Met and the MoMA--you and your daughter will just have to make another trip! :)

It fascinates me how strongly Magnolia is tied to Sex and the City, considering that the characters only went there once in the third season. And yes, your red velvet is likely loads better than those you could get at any of the cupcake places in the city.

As we're making two of your pizzas on Sunday, I'm going to hazard a guess and say that the provolone pizza will be my favorite.
Anonymous said…
You were jut a few steps away from my apartment. Your red velvet is lovely and healthy too!

Wonderful!
I've always wanted to make a red velvet cake. This looks so pretty and delicious. Love it. :)
Stella said…
Hey Cristina! Your red velvet cake is beautiful. A French twist on a Southern American classic-very nice (smile). I wish you guys could have had red velvet in Atlanta though. We make it the best, as it is our dessert in terms of heritage;)
Ooh, and I loved the Argentine pizza. It sounded so nice with all of the flavors...and different!
Ambika said…
The red velvet looks lovely!! My fav. pizza is the Malbec Sauce & Ricotta Pizza, as I love dessert pizzas and yours is so unique and fun!
Cherine said…
Wonderful cake, I love your healthy version!!
This cake looks amazing!!

And for your pizzas? Definitely the dessert quince pizza, it was truly stunning. :)
i like the lovely reddish hue of the cake. yum!

http://greenoatsandjam.wordpress.com
Sippity Sup said…
welcome to the red velvet club. I have to admit liking it myself... GREG
Chris said…
I preferred the Argentinian barbecue pizza with chimichurri sauce. It looked so hearty and savory!
sara @ CaffeIna said…
I didn't know red velvet cake until I moved to the US either. Oh I was missing out on something amazing. Now I see your "healthy" recipe and I don't think I can resist long before trying it.

As per the giveaway...well...I'm a sweet tooth so I have to go with the quince fruit cooked in malbec sauce and ricotta one....just the name makes me drool
Emily said…
That cake is beautiful! I usually shy away from red velvet cake because I don't like heavy cream cheese icings, but I might have to give this a try!

As for the giveaway, I'd have to say the Argentinean barbeque one!
Teresa said…
Oh, the provoleta pizza is my favorite. yummmm And the cake looks delicious. I have made several red velvet cakes, but they all turn out dry. Yours looks perfect. Teresa
Erin said…
Your red velvet cake looks amazing. :)

Any kind of pizza is good, but my fave is the dessert pizza, it look delicious and interesting.
ashley m said…
ooh, I might just have to try this!

The quince fruit & ricotta pizza is amazing (you did excellent work on photography too, I might add!). Hmm, wish I had some fruit so I could make some now
Taylor said…
Such a beautiful cake!

As far as your pizzas, I preferred the first one with the caramelized onions...YUM!!
Anonymous said…
Beautiful, and of course your daughter enjoyed it! As for the pizza, I love the idea of a quince & ricotta pizza with Malbec sauce!

Cheers,

*Heather*
I thought the provolone pizza looked divine.
Unknown said…
I love quince, so I have to go with the quince pizza. Can't wait to try it!
Danielle said…
The provoleta pizza. Yummm! I like to stick with the more classic-style, but with a small twist :)
R said…
Sweet pizza all the way!
Meryl said…
The Provoleta Pizza with Criolla Sauce!
Julie said…
I have yet to attempt a red velvet cake but this is making temptation hard to resist! as for you pizzas, i am a huge dessert girl so i would have to go with your Malbec Sauce & Ricotta Pizza (with the quince). Itlooks unique AND amazing!
Anonymous said…
Oh, that cake!! Nomnom!

My favorite pizza was the first. :)
Topher said…
Thanks for the giveaway! My favorite pizza was the barbecue one.


Chris

zekks at yahoo dot com
Louberry said…
Yum! Doesn't this look good! As for the pizzas, my favourite is the Argentinian barbecue with Chimichurri Sauce. Looks "to die for"!
The Witbecks said…
It's hard to decide on the pizzas... But, my sweet tooth is picking tonight! Quince fruit with Malbec Sauce & Ricotta Pizza.
Kate said…
That looks amazing!

And my favorite of your pizzas...I'd have to go with the quince fruit (I have a sweet tooth!)

Have a great day!
Debbie H. said…
Your red velvet cake looks wonderful! My favorite pizza is the BBQ!
Unknown said…
yum i love red velvet! and the pizza with the chimichurri is what i'd LOVE. my boyfriend is argentine and introduced me to this magical chimichurri. now i can't live without it!

kim@lovintheoven.com
Karen said…
I vote for the Provoleta!
Thanks for the lovely red velvet cake recipe.

karenreichmann@hotmail.com
Ms. Lollipop said…
I too have to go with the quince fruit cooked in Malbec Sauce & Ricotta Pizza!
Klee said…
I would have loved to try the Argentinian BBQ w/ chimichurri sauce. It looks delicious.
Lili said…
Beautiful cake! And my favorite pizza? I almost went with the provolenta pizza, but in the end, I think the dessert pizza is the most original, beautiful, and delicious-looking.
Leah said…
The provoleta pizza with criolla sauce!
I think my favorite was the Argentinian bbq! yum :)
Carmen said…
i like the provoleta pizza!
Cheryl said…
I like the dessert pizza
Unknown said…
It looks like a lovely cake :)
Charlene said…
Yes, lovely Red Velvet Cake!

As for my favorite of your three pizzas, it is a toss-up between your Provoleta Pizza with Criolla Sauce and your Quince Fruit Cooked in Malbec Sauce and Ricotta Pizza. They both look and sound divine. The dessert pizza looks like a work of art....and you didn't share the recipe for it. :-(
beautiful red velvet cake! I do like your dessert pizza a lot...;)
Dan said…
Definitely the Provoleta Pizza with Criolla Sauce...and, the carmelised onions really makes it special.
This cake looks so yummy and moist! The quince pizza was my favorite - I love quince!!!

abelmore@purdue.edu
Anonymous said…
I vote for the Provoleta
Thanks for the red velvet cake recipe!!

skim79@gmu.edu
Valerie said…
I absolutely love provolone cheese, so the provoleta pizza was an easy favorite for me!
Candice Scott said…
I like the Argentinian barbecue pizza with chimichurri sauce I am making ti for dinner tonight :)
Caroline said…
My favorite would have to be the Provoleta Pizza. My husband and I would gobble that up in a hurry!