The origin of the cake is unknown, although it is popular in the Southern United States and has been served as a dessert at New York City's Waldorf-Astoria hotel since the 1920s.

Although popular in the Southern United States, it is unknown where the red velvet cake originated.

[5] In the 1920s, red velvet layer cake became a famous dessert at New York City's Waldorf-Astoria hotel.

[2] When food dye was in development in the 1930s, manufacturers marketed it by creating recipes that featured it to enhance naturally occurring colors from other ingredients.

[5] The primary ingredients of red velvet cake are baking powder, butter, buttermilk, cocoa powder, eggs, flour, sugar, salt, vanilla extract, vinegar, and, in modern recipes, red food coloring.

Separately, cocoa powder and red food coloring are combined and then integrated into the mixture.

[4] In popular culture, it appeared in the film Steel Magnolias as an armadillo-shaped red velvet cake, which resulted in an immediate increase in interest in it.

[4] Cookbook writer Nicole A. Taylor observes that red velvet cake is commonly served for Christmas and Juneteenth celebrations.

[4][8] Angie Mosier of the Southern Foodways Alliance said, "It's the Dolly Parton of cakes: a little bit tacky, but you love her".