This is Why Green Velvet Cake is the New Red Velvet
St. Patrick's Day is almost here, and you know what that means—all things green. On the Irish holiday, we're forced to wear green to avoid being pinched. But we'll also be celebrating on March 17 with green beer, delicious corned beef, and other festive, emerald-hued party foods. Green deviled eggs, anyone? So naturally, the best way to inject a little sweetness into this fun holiday and round out your St. Patrick's Day feast is with a green twist on a classic dessert. If you love red velvet cake, you're sure to appreciate the Irish-inspired delicacy we've dubbed as "Green Velvet Cake."
Related: Homemade Buttercream Frosting Recipes
We don't want to ruin convention, as traditional red velvet cake is beloved throughout the South, particularly in Alabama, where it's often a highly-requested custom cake order for Crimson Tide fans and grooms. And lest we forget, ever since the red velvet, armadillo-shaped groom's cake appeared in the film Steel Magnolias in 1989, the cleverly coined "bleeding" cake continues to be a staple dessert in Southern kitchens. And as we always say here at SL, if it was good enough for M'Lynn and company, it's good enough for us.
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Keeping in step with tradition, the great thing about green velvet cake is that it's made with the same precision and customary flavoring as one would use to bake a red velvet cake, right down to the frosting. You still get the velvety texture and slightly mild and tangy flavor you've come to love. Every delicious bite is imbued with a hint of cocoa, which is what gives typical red velvet cake its brown tint. The only difference here is the addition of green food coloring. If you're worried about the taste, try flavorless or natural food coloring dyes.
Instead of shamrock-shaped desserts or mint-chocolate and green tea cupcakes, keep it simple with a recipe you're already familiar with and just change up the color to honor St. Patrick's Day. When you're ready to step up your baking game with some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish, try it with a decadent green velvet cake. We're not exactly advocating that it's like finding a pot o' gold at the end of the rainbow, but it darn sure comes close.
Related: Decadent Red Velvet Cheesecake
To create your own moist and colorful version, use one of our standard red velvet cake recipes as the base and substitute green food coloring in the cake batter. Just don't forget the luscious buttercream or cream cheese frosting—it truly is the icing on the cake.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
