Pastry Wednesday: Tulie Bakery's Red Velvet Cake

I've got a couple problems with red velvet cake.

First of all, it doesn't really taste like anything to me. It's a vehicle for the cream cheese frosting, but if that's its only purpose, so is a spoon! 

Don't get me wrong, red velvet cake can be absolutely stunning, but if its other purpose is to look stunning, then all red velvet cakes should be in the shape of an armadillo. THAT is visually stunning, if you ask me.

Red Armadillo Cake from Steel Magnolias

So, I'm not a big fan. There's too much hype and it seemed at one point in time everyone was making red velvet everything. Pretty to look at, but not much substance there.

You can imagine my non-excitement when Colonel Mustard decided on Tulie's Red Velvet Cake for this particular Pastry Wednesday.

Love the cream cheese frosting they make at Tulie

It IS a pretty looking cake--Tulie Bakery always does a nice job.

I kept my opinion to myself as Colonel Mustard cut up the cake.

My piece of red velvet cake

Wow--they must have used a whole bottle of red food coloring to get that rich color! It is stunning.

Taste test time...

Look at that crumb!

The cake was moist and dense. Nice texture, but without a definitive flavor as expected. The cream cheese frosting was excellent, of course. Overall, it was better than any of the red velvet cakes I've had in the past, but is that saying much from a girl who doesn't like red velvet cake in the first place?

Not really. 

Do you like Red Velvet Cake? Can someone explain to me the allure of this cake or what it's even supposed to taste like or why I should give it another try?

Thanks,

A concerned cake eater

Tulie Bakery

863 East 700 South

Salt Lake City, Utah