Red Velvet Revisited

You may recall my suggesting earlier that Red Velvet Cake got its original red color from the acid in buttermilk or vinegar reacting with cocoa - not food coloring. I thought for sure I heard that on some food channel. After mixing the two, I found this not to be the case. So, extensive web research lead me to some interesting info. It turns out that the orignal recipe is from the Waldorf-Astoria in New York and was first made in the 1920's. Wow! The orginal or "traditional" recipes have very little food coloring yet make a cake with that rich, burgundy color by using beet puree - yum! We are going to visit my son and his family in Georgia this coming week and I plan to bring the recipes with me to try. I will report back on how that goes! Until then, enjoy the spring thaw if you are in the Midwest