Chocolate Cake Red Velvet

[potiche]

I need to make a large chocolate cake. What's all the hype about the red velvet ones? Are they really special? Interesting how the acid in ingredients brings out the red colour in the cocoa.
I'm looking for a tried & tested recipe for choc cake that will support a 10in cake without falling in the centre. ☆
Would also like ideas for frosting, any thoughts/recipes for meringue icing?

[jack daniels]

the red is from red food colouring

http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/7053/red-velvet-cake.aspx

[potiche]

I made it & i now understand the logic behind i. Sure, you don't want to lace a cake with bottles of e numbers but.......food colour is natural now and this technique ( food colour + reaction of acid on cocoa) gives a cake that looks like choc but isnt strongly choc flavoured. I sandwiched the layers with a frosting that had thickened (cooked) cornflour in it (on line with one of the red velvet recipes). I coated the outside with cream cheese white choc frosting....no icing sugar..... so the cake wasn't too sweet. It looked spectacular with 6 layers ( the baking soda/buttermilk gives a strong texture) and it wasnt sickly sweet.....RESULT