Does the fact that red velvet cake have all that food coloring in it really turn you off?

Yes, I just went completely flaccid.
Well you said does it turn you off, so I answered… that way.

I’m sure the red can be achieved in other more natural ways without compromising the flavor. Cakes aren’t meant to be natural or healthy, they are meant to be beautiful. I would love to work on some recipes for more organic coloring/ingredients for cakes. I’m not usually a huge cake fan, but there are some cakes out there that are both fun to make and enjoyable to eat. None of them come in boxes or use food coloring. Now with gumpaste/fondant I would still work with food coloring, I mean you kinda have to.

Not all red velvet cakes are red due to coloring. Traditionally a red velvet cake got its color from the reaction between the cocoa and the acidic ingredient used which causes it to be red.

I love all cake.

I’m okay with the red, but I refuse to eat anything dyed blue, including blue decorative frosting and sprinkles.

Edit: Did you ever see the movie Steel Magnolias? If so, do you remember the groom’s cake? It was red velvet made into the shape of an armadillo. That was hysterical.

Yep…That’s why I make mine with beets.

@SpatzieLover darn, I was going to suggest beets.
:P

Yeah, I can’t stand the sight of all that red food coloring. I love cake, icing sugar, etc., but I don’t like too much artificial coloring or chemicals. I miss the old icing cakes that they used to make a long time ago, from scratch——simple flour, butter, eggs, and icing sugar.

Like my mom says, “red velvet cake is not chocolate cake.”

It’s not the food dye that drives me crazy, it’s that the cake is not very good. And, I love cake, it is my favorite dessert.

I may add that food dyes don’t bother me in the least. I also used to use red food coloring as lip stain instead of using lipstick or lip gloss for a more natural rosy look…. Works great

@everephebe Cakes aren’t meant to be natural or healthy, they are meant to be beautiful.

I don’t have anything to add, but that idea deserves a repeat.

It really does not bother me, if you consider what is in other commercially-made bakery items. I am putting my trust in the FDA that they have tested all the food colors and that they are safe for human consumption.

Tons of food coloring and tons of sugar…....all of our food is loaded with it.

Not a big fan, I’m a Cheesecake girl all the way, and German Chocolate and good old plain yellow cake with chocolate frosting and Coconut cake, and, and…OMG! back to my bowl of blackberries and mandarin oranges now, there is no cake within miles, thanks guys

I dont like velvet’s taste because I believe the dye DOES infact alter the taste to a much more artificial profile. I believe this because I dont believe many ive tasted have had any one standardized ingredient alone-aside from the dye.

Does anyone remember any old people talking about red food coloring causing incontinence?
I think since then I’ve heard more recent older people saying they have switched dyes and this is no longer the case.

Originally, red velvet cakes were not made with food coloring. The red color came from beets, which gave the cake a very nice bit of moisture and sweetness (without the addition of tons of expensive sugar) and the nifty side effect of adding a bright red color to an otherwise brown colored chocolate flavored cake. The red was not as pronounced as it is today, with the addition of the red food coloring (which kind of freaks me out).

Here is a recipe for Red Velvet Cake that does not use fake red food coloring.

@Abraxas Red dye #2 was suspected to be carcinogenic and taken off the market. Around that time people thought all red food coloring was bad for you, so many companies stopped dying food red. The classic example is M&M’s stopped making red M&M’s for years.

@JLeslie It’s not the food dye that drives me crazy, it’s that the cake is not very good. And, I love cake, it is my favorite dessert.

Exactly! I do not understand the appeal of red velvet cake, which says something because cake is my one true love. Being a nifty red color means nothing if it doesn’t taste good. And it has never tasted like chocolate to me. Give me a boring yellow cake with chocolate icing like @Coloma any day.

No, I’m fine with food coloring. I might have a problem with it if I was consuming an entire cake every day, but I’m not. I also enjoy cakes with blue, green, purple, and pink food coloring, as well as red cakes that aren’t Red Velvet Cake.

The taste of Red Velvet Cake does put me off, however. Never again will I put that abomination into my mouth.

No way. I fucking love red velvet cake. It’s delicious, and I don’t really care about whatever unhealthy stuff is in there.

Yes. I avoid most things that look like they have excessive food coloring because I immediately think of my teeth becoming all smeary and stained with the stuff.