Historians say red velvet may have been named for its fine, velvety texture that set it apart from other cakes. At the same time, natural dyes may have made the shade even more brilliant. Some bakers used beet juice to get a deeper red color and add moisture to the cake.
The earliest velvet cakes date back to Victorian times, when bakers in both the US and England began using cocoa powder to produce a cake with a fine, crumbly texture that was much softer than the traditional yellow or white varieties.
