Natural red food dye for Red Velvet cake

[Redonion]

Hi all, Do you use natural red food dye for Red Velvet cake? If you do, what do you use? I had seen some recipes use beets, Is there any other options?

 

[Andy M.]

If you use a traditional recipe for red velvet cake it will include vinegar. A chemical reaction between the vinegar and the other ingredients will give the chocolate a reddish coloring.

If you must have a redder red, food coloring is the way to go.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Amoretti Natural Red Velvet Artisan

 

[GotGarlic]

What are the ingredients, SLoB? The nutrition facts panel on the page is too blurry to read.

Sent from my VS980 4G using Discuss Cooking mobile app

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

What are the ingredients, SLoB? The nutrition facts panel on the page is too blurry to read.

Sucrose, fructose, dextrose, natural flavors, plant extractions, Soy Lecithin

 

[taxlady]

There is red food colouring called cochineal. It's natural. It's made from bugs. "Cochineal extract is extracted from the cochineal, specifically the female, a species of insect that belongs to the order entomologists refer to as the "true bugs."" from The Truth About Red Food Dye Made from Bugs | Cochineal Extract, Carmine, Starbucks

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

There is red food colouring called cochineal. It's natural. It's made from bugs. "Cochineal extract is extracted from the cochineal, specifically the female, a species of insect that belongs to the order entomologists refer to as the "true bugs."" from The Truth About Red Food Dye Made from Bugs | Cochineal Extract, Carmine, Starbucks

You will notice that the ingredients list says PLANT extractions?

 

[taxlady]

You will notice that the ingredients list says PLANT extractions?

No, actually I didn't notice. But, I wasn't commenting on the ingredients you listed. If I had been I probably would have noticed. I was just mentioning it because we are discussing natural red food colourings. I apologize that I didn't make it more obvious that I was not commenting on your post.

 

[salt and pepper]

why not boil down some beet juice?

 

[Redonion]

I decided to use an Asian natural red food dye called Red Yeast, the cake turned out with a brilliant red color. I'm happy with the result. Will post a pic of the cake soon.

 

[LPBeier]

I use beet juice, but have found an even better alternative at the health food store - granulated beet juice. You just dissolve it in hot water and add it to your cake batter. It gives a nice flavour (not like beets at all but rich) too.