True red velvet cake is closely related to devil's food cake. Both are moist and airy. But where devil's food is dark and deeply chocolaty, red velvet is brick-red in color and has only a hint of cocoa. Cream cheese frosting is a must, and pecans add serious bonus points, if you're into that sort of thing. In search of real red velvet flavor, I tested out Robert Rothschild Farm's cupcake mix.

Robert Rothschild Farms is a specialty food purveyor based out of Ohio. Their products are readily available in many supermarkets and gourmet shops across the country, and they also have a big mail order business. At $11.99 the red velvet cupcake mix is expensive, but on the upside it did include cream cheese frosting mix as well.

Unlike many gourmet mixes that require numerous additional ingredients, this mix called for only 2/3 cup of milk, 2/3 cup of vegetable oil, and one egg. I stirred everything together in one bowl with a wooden spoon, and that was it. I was done in about two minutes. It doesn't get much easier than that, and when it comes to baking mixes, ease is top priority. Preparing the frosting was just as simple. All I had to do was beat the gooey cream cheese packets with 1 1/2 cups of confectioners' sugar.

The best part of these cupcakes was their brilliant color. Don't get me wrong—they tasted delicious too—but they were so intensely, gorgeously red I was a little afraid they were going to stain my fingers and tongue as devoured them. The flavor was pretty authentic, too. The cake was spongy and tender, and while it was very moist, it was nowhere near gummy. I could detect a whisper of cocoa, but the taste wasn't overwhelmingly chocolate. The cream cheese frosting was equally impressive. It was sturdy, thick, and not too sweet, and I could definitely taste the tangy cream cheese.

Overall, I was very impressed with these cupcakes. They were quick and simple to bake and their taste was just as good as a lot of homemade versions.