97 Reviews of Waldorf-Astoria Red Velvet Cake

From: Eddy

On May 28, 2002

This is a wonderful cake that we use for only real special occassions. I would llike to make one ammendment. The cake is much better when you use 1/2 vup of real butter instead of shortning.

From: Childrens Minister

On Mar 26, 2002

This cake is a time consuming recipe. I've made it dozens of times from a recipe (exact) that didn't give the Waldorf credit. It is delicious. The icing has a wonderful flavor that does not compete with the rich, but delicate chocolate cake. If you are a red velvet fan-This is the Gold Medal of all Red Velvets.

From: Chef #414879

On Dec 23, 2006

This recipe is as close to the original as I have seen. My version which has been in my famliy for over 50 years calls for 1 tbsp of vinegar. The key to this cake is the icing. It does require granulated sugar and not confectioners. If you do not have a stand alone mixer it may take up to seven minutes of creaming butter and sugar to get the right consistancy. I prefer this cake baked in a square pan and cut in half and then sliced. Also, I prefer this cake served cold. Store in the fridge. This cake has a more dense texture than a normal cake and will not rise as light and fluffy which is part of the beauty of this cake.

From: katiekre

On Jul 11, 2002

this is a wonderful recipe..i found this same recipe in an old shed on my property with a note attached dated aug 1959 ,It stated the person received this recipe by paying the hotel 250.00 for it..it is a wonderful cake ..has great flavor I highly recommend it!!!

From: bratty

On Jun 13, 2003

Really excellant recipe, Red Velvet Cake has been my favorite since I was a child. I've made different versions of this cake before, and this one was the best...by far. Although it is a little time consuming, the directions were very clear, and it all went together very well. THe end result is well worth your effort! This is the Red Velvet recipe I will make from now on.

From: Browntrees

On Jan 13, 2006

Thanks for the recipe Troy!! I followed the recipe to the letter using butter instead of shortening per some members suggestions. The cake was beautiful however, I was expecting the layers to be a little more full. I used 2 8" cake pans and the layers didn't rise quite as much as I had expected, so next time I will 1.5 or double the recipe. The cake was very rich and chocolately but seemed a little dry to my taste. Next time I'll add approx. 1/3 cup vegetable oil to the recipe. Other than those two minor modifications, the recipe yielded a rich, beautiful cake that I will definitely use again and again.

From: FinFan

On Jan 7, 2007

Incredible cake! This is without a doubt the finest red velvet out there. I used 1/2 cup butter instead of the shortening and this cake is killer. Do yourself a favor and make a second right away cause the first wont make it through the night!

From: tynkie

On Jun 5, 2004

In my book there is no other recipe for the Red Velvet cake but this one and my children request it for their birthdays. very good recipe I even picked this over my mothers recipe;(...sorry mom. Very good!

From: caffeine junkie

On Apr 6, 2009

UPDATE: I found an easier to foolproof the frosting! Start with the milk first, then sprinkle the flour on top. Whisk continuously! Seriously, don't walk away from it! Just stand and whisk for a few minutes. Another tip, if you have a small food chopper or Magic Bullet, give your granulated sugar some quick pulses, and voila! Superfine sugar. If only I could give this 10 stars! I have already made this twice in less than 2 weeks! It's not as hard as it looks, it's just a lot of little steps. I know that this roux frosting is the real traditional frosting for red velvet, not cream cheese icing (although I do love that). I used butter, Hershey's Dark cocoa, and only 1 ounce of red food coloring (I really don't like to use dyes). I wasn't worried about it being dry because I've never really had a problem with dry cakes that used butter. The cake was moist, not too light, not too dense, and very tasty with that hint of chocolate (red velvet is NOT a chocolate cake, it's a buttermilk cake with a HINT of cocoa). However, I did have a little trouble with the frosting. So like another reviewer who also had lumps, I strained it. But I guess it wasn't enough because the frosting was still a little grainy (and like another user, I used granulated sugar since it was 'traditional'). So I made half of the roux mixture again, and put some of it in while it was still hot. This melted the sugar and produced a very smooth, silky, airy frosting that is absolutely amazing! My sister gave some to a friend (who loved the frosting because it wasn't too sweet and paid me to bake one for her!) and brought some to work. A coworker said it was perfect, and the frosting was light, so it makes you feel like you can eat a few more slices without feeling too heavy and rich! This is now a staple in my collection. Thank you soooo much for sharing!

From: racrgal

On Mar 26, 2008

This has been a tried and true favorite for years. I do a couple of things a little differently. Instead of shortening my recipe calls for lard. I tried butter a couple of times but the texture wasn't as good as using lard. The frosting is the hardest part. If you can stir the flour mixture easily it hasn't cooked long enough. I make the flour mixture before the cake and refrigerate it. Add the butter right from the fridge and it will whip higher. Take this cake to a pot luck and you won't even bring home crumbs.