Mynyel Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 Anyone have a tried and true without red dye? OR how do you think blue or green would look? :) I want to make cupcakes but need to make from scratch and am out of red dye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmoe Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 I think it would taste the same whether green, blue, or without any red food coloring, but it would not be red velvet. It would be a chocolate cake! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carpe Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 I think it would taste the same whether green, blue, or without any red food coloring, but it would not be red velvet. It would be a chocolate cake! :iagree: Make a green velvet cake :) it sounds festive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myeightkiddies Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 Do green. That would be fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 do you have any beets? beet juice dyes everything red. (or blackberry.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwjx2khsmj Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 Red velvet cake without the food coloring is called chocolate cake and it's delicious too. I feel your pain about the red dye. I love red velvet cake but can't bring myself to make it because of the bottles of food coloring required. I just enjoy a piece (or two) when it's offered elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwjx2khsmj Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 do you have any beets? beet juice dyes everything red. (or blackberry.) Wouldn't the juice change the flavor of the cake? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hathersage Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 Actually, red velvet would be made with cocoa powder before the days of more alkaline "Dutch Processed" cocoa, and the cocoa would react with with an acidic ingredient such as buttermilk; giving it its red tint. Therefore Red Velvet is chocolate cake with an acidic ingredient You only need the food coloring these days because the cocoa is now dutch processed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwjx2khsmj Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 Actually, red velvet would be made with cocoa powder before the days of more alkaline "Dutch Processed" cocoa, and the cocoa would react with with an acidic ingredient such as buttermilk; giving it its red tint. Therefore Red Velvet is chocolate cake with an acidic ingredient You only need the food coloring these days because the cocoa is now dutch processed. Where do I find cocoa that is not dutch processed!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmoe Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 Where do I find cocoa that is not dutch processed!? Penzys Spice http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyscocoapowder.html And HeatherSage, I didn't know that--thanks for sharing. Perhaps, I can now make red velvet without the guilt of red dye! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanna Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 I like the suggestion of trying it out with green dye. I just made red velvet cupcakes a few weeks ago and had a funny sensation on my tongue when I tried a bit of it. I'm thinking I might be allergic to red dye. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hathersage Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 And just a heads up, find a recipe that uses natural cocoa in it, dutch-processed and natural, can't be used interchangeably because of differences in alkaline. And it is only a tint, not the bright red we are used to. The acid reveals the red anthocyanin in the cocoa. And traditionally Red Velvet is made with a a cooked buttercream frosting instead of the cream cheese. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2cents Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 Where do I find cocoa that is not dutch processed!? Look for cocoa that says 'natural'. You can find natural unprocessed cocoa on Amazon too. I made a Red Velvet once with no food coloring. It comes out a deep red. Not the bright flaming red you get with the food coloring. When you make it just be very careful to add the ingredients in the right order to get the reaction right. It tastes FANTASTIC, especially with a cream cheese frosting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cin Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 Wouldn't the juice change the flavor of the cake? Not if you use a small amount. Organic red food coloring is made from beet juice, usually. I think it's because the amount needed for things to change color is a small amount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mynyel Posted December 24, 2011 Author Share Posted December 24, 2011 I did it green and blue for the kiddos :) I will post pics after they are done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lang Syne Boardie Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 This thread has made me so happy! :D :D :D I used to love red velvet cake but we never use food dyes. I'd never learned the history, or how to make it without dye. I am so excited! Off to place an order at Penzey's... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hathersage Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 I found this article on the history of how Red Velvet came to be... http://www.gilttaste.com/stories/2290-the-unknown-history-of-red-velvet-cake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 Do green. That would be fun. If you use green dye, warn whoever eats it to NOT freak out should they have a green, um, movement the next day. ;) For whatever reason, red dye doesn't produce a similar day-after effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmoe Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 If you use green dye, warn whoever eats it to NOT freak out should they have a green, um, movement the next day. ;) For whatever reason, red dye doesn't produce a similar day-after effect. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 Where do I find cocoa that is not dutch processed!? Regular Hershey's and Nestle are both not dutch processed. Damon Lee Fowler's New Southern Baking: Classic Flavors for Today's Cook has a brown velvet cake without dye with a chocolate fudge frosting instead of a white frosting. If you search for brown velvet cake, you'll find plenty of recipes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly IN Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 How much beet juice do you use for the Red Velvet cake?? Red Velvet is my son's favorite but he has severe allergies to food coloring. I wouldn't mind doing the chocolate thing except the recipe I use is not the wheat flour version but coconut flour version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted December 25, 2011 Share Posted December 25, 2011 How much beet juice do you use for the Red Velvet cake?? Red Velvet is my son's favorite but he has severe allergies to food coloring. I wouldn't mind doing the chocolate thing except the recipe I use is not the wheat flour version but coconut flour version. I once made a beet spice cake, from a recipe in Cooking Light, and it was quite nice. These sound promising http://www.dominosugar.com/recipe/beet-red-velvet-cake-7560 uses 2 c beets http://bakecakery.com/2011/03/16/red-velvet-cake-with-beets/ uses 3/4 c beets! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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