One might fall in love with red velvet desserts for so many reasons – from the appealing color and creamy texture to simply the name itself.

Derived from the Victorian era, red velvet cakes were originally served as a fancy dessert. The term "velvet" indicates the soft and velvety crumb cake under the icing. Usually, it refers to the scarlet-colored chocolate layer cake with white cream cheese frosting. But in modern times, a number of variations on this classic dessert have emerged.

Some bakers and food historians attribute the cake's rise in popularity to its role in the 1989 film Steel Magnolias starring Sally Field and Julia Roberts, where the dessert appeared in the shape of an armadillo with gray icing. The cake, if not the armadillo, had staying power.

In the last few years, red velvet desserts have experienced a popularity boom. Patisseries keep the red velvet, but turn it into something much more than just cake. From this point on, the imagination takes off. Nowadays we can relish red velvet cupcakes, biscuits, pancakes and even lattes!