All That Red in My Red Velvet Cakes Is Upsetting Me
A lot of people are requesting that I make red velvet cakes, they are all the rage these days. I've settled on the Smitten Kitchen recipe, moist and delicious.
The amount of red color is really getting to me. It's 3 tsp of gel, and I just don't feel it's designed to be used in such high quantities.
I've tried using beetroot, and it bakes to be a brown beetroot tasting cake! I could reduce the chocolate, maybe that would make for a redder cake with less coloring.
So does anyone have any ideas/opinions or sources for a 'natural red' that will bake and look good but still be ok to eat in such quantities?
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16 Comments:
The original red color came from a reaction the old-style cocoa had with something else in the recipe, but whatever it was, that doesn't happen any more. And I suspect it wasn't as red as the ones we make now. (I'm old, but not that old).
Most of the recipes I've seen use the liquid food coloring, and it uses a relatively huge amount. I seem to remember dumping in a whole bottle of the stuff when I was a kid and I first encountered the recipe.
But remember, no one is eating the whole cake, so it's not like you're feeding one person the 3 teaspoons of gel coloring. I suspect that anyone who eats a lot of processed foods is consuming a lot of food coloring on a daily basis, so that extra bit of red isn't going to be a big deal.
If you don't want to use the coloring, just leave it out. Maybe it will start a new trend.
dbcurrie at 6:06PM on 01/26/09
dbcurrie, I'm old, yes, really that old. I had my first red velvet (anything) cupcake over the holidays. It seemed to me it was a wonderful chocolate cupcake but the only thing that made it 'red velvet' was the large amount of food colouring. ??
NanaJoie at 6:33PM on 01/26/09
I do red velvet cupcakes with about a third of the red food coloring called for in the recipe. They still come out plenty red, but I haven't spent a fortune on red dye or feel like I'm poisoning people. Maybe just try cutting back on the color?
cyberroo at 6:33PM on 01/26/09
I've read about the old time cocoa reaction too. I do have qualms about all the food color, and I did make red velvet cake without it once. But appearance does add a lot to the experience - it turned out dorky - a not very appetizing looking, not quite yellow or chocolate cake with white icing. The festive red insides add a lot to the sensory appeal of the cake, I regretfully admit. I've since continued to throw caution to the wind and use a whole bottle of red food coloring in my red velvets, it's one of my, and my family's, favorite treats.
MMinNYC at 6:35PM on 01/26/09
It's not supposed to be CHOCOLATE cake, but cake with a hint of cocoa. It DOES contain an ungodly amount of red. It used to be a reaction between cocoa and vinegar in the cake.
MaresyDotes at 6:41PM on 01/26/09
You can get both a low chemical red color (look online at cake and candy supply shops) and a no-taste red color that does not add that nasty flavor you get from too much food color.
Both work great depending on what you want, though the low-chemical is a little less of a deep red than regular.
I use the no-taste (Wilton makes it) for mine and it works great.
Like db said, it is not like anyone is eating that whole amount, just a slice or so, and it really is not that bad.
I have a red wine cake that comes out a deep burgundy color, but has a distinct flavor of course, but still pairs with the traditional white frosting that is used with red velvet very well. That could be a compromise if you like wine.
sadiepix at 6:58PM on 01/26/09
If you use food paste color you don't have to use so much. Personally I don't care for the cake because of the color. I have made it for others but not for me. The whole appeal is the color and for some its not appealing.
Dana over at homesteading housewife made this
http://homesteadinghousewife.blogspot.com/2009/01/she-asked-for-rainbow.html
This is a quote, "Instead I used a good old white cake recipe.
Split up the batter,Added obscene amounts of food coloring to each little bowl."
Now its pretty but its got enough food coloring in it to make me want to eat crayons. For some people I bet they would love it for me not so much.
So for me on the food coloring cake, no.
JerzeeTomato at 7:01PM on 01/26/09
I'm thinking that maybe some cocoa powder and some cherry juice added to a white cake would be real close to a red cake.
dmcavanagh at 7:08PM on 01/26/09
I made my first red velvet cake about 2 years ago at the request of a friend. I tasted it. It tasted good. I got over the ungodly amount of fake color in it because I don't make a habit of eating it.
therealchiffonade at 7:36PM on 01/26/09
I've seen an organic red food coloring at Whole Foods made from concentrated beet juice. Perhaps this would work for you?
beth1 at 1:26AM on 01/27/09
I've never understood why it has to be red in the first place. What exactly is the appeal, besides the sheer novelty? (Not being critical, just honestly curious.)
moibec at 7:07AM on 01/27/09
The only other option I can think of, beside the good ones suggested above, is to make it without the food coloring, and make it as cupcakes, rather than a cake. Put the batter in red cupcake liners, and put some sort of red, decorative candy on top of the white icing. This gives the 'red suggestion' of the cake (I assume the food dye has no taste). Even if the cake isn't pretty, none of it will be exposed, as only liner and icing will be visible until the first bite.
I have never had red velvet cake--never even saw it until a few years ago--and while I agree with dbcurrie that even the most organic of us still ingest more chemicals that we'd like to contemplate on a daily basis, red food coloring has weirded me out just aesthetically, not just because of health worries.
HeartofGlass at 8:16AM on 01/27/09
The girl at Bittersweet used concentrated pom juice...
meg3j at 8:37AM on 01/27/09
It is an old southern cake recipe and if I am going to make this then I am going to make it the way it became famous for and follow the recipe. If I am hesitant about something that i am not sure of, then I would ask that I can make something that I am comfortable making and know is great tasting.
pjracz10 at 3:00PM on 01/27/09
This is crazy that this post came up because I am looking for a really good red velvet cupcake recipe for an upcoming Valentine's Day office event.
I've just looked at Smitten Kitchen and I think I will use this recipe (the pictures just look TOO GOOD!).
jennywenny (and actually anyone who might know): Do you think that the cooking time would be that much different to convert this cake to cupcakes? Have you tried to do this?
decemberain27 at 3:32PM on 01/27/09
Thanks for all the comments, I'd love to try the wine recipe, and I think I might cut down the cocoa to get a more vivid red.
I think the cupcakes took about 20 minutes. The smitten kitchen recipe would probably give you about 30.
jennywenny at 6:15PM on 01/27/09