Help! Question About Bakerella's Red Velvet Recipe

Baking By tsal Updated 26 Jan 2013 , 9:34pm by tsal

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tsal Posted 26 Jan 2013 , 4:41pm
post #1 of 15

Hi,

 

I just tried out Bakerella's red velvet recipe for the first time this morning. It calls for 2 oz of red food coloring.  I doubled the cake recipe but did not double the food color because I used Americolor Super Red soft gel paste color, so it works out to 1 oz per cake (half the amount called for in the recipe).

 

I just read a few stories on the net about how people's teeth were stained red due to the color (in this recipe), and now I'm afraid that I used too much color even though I used half of what was called for - the batter was SUPER DUPER red.  I probably could have used less.

 

I have always shied away from red velvet because of the amount of food coloring involved, but I wanted to try it since it's so popular. 

 

Do you think I used too much color? Is it safe to eat?  lol

 

Thanks!

14 replies
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BakingIrene Posted 26 Jan 2013 , 4:49pm
post #2 of 15

Your cake is safe to eat.

 

It will NOT stain the teeth--because you baked the colour with the batter.  It's only icings and other raw foods that will transfer the gel colour to teeth and skin.

 

And I haven't checked--but those recipes that call for 2 ounces of red colour are usually referring to the wimpy stuff from the grocery store.  Using professional gel means using 1 tablespoon gel and 3 tablespoons water in place of 2 ounces colour.

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tsal Posted 26 Jan 2013 , 4:57pm
post #3 of 15

omg then I used WAY too much! 

 

Thanks for the reply - I will try the recipe with the appropriate amount of gel color next time! 

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BakingIrene Posted 26 Jan 2013 , 5:07pm
post #4 of 15

OK so I found the Bakerella red velvet blog.  In her responses to questions she does say that she buys the 1-ounce bottles from the grocery store and pops off the dropper tops.

 

When you use gel, you have to add the extra water.    

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tsal Posted 26 Jan 2013 , 5:42pm
post #5 of 15

Thanks so much for looking into this for me!!  I guess I didn't read that far down!  I should have gone with my gut - I felt like it was A LOT of color going in.

 

Now I'm not sure I want to serve it to my kids.  Ack.  Thankfully, it was a test run so no big deal.

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BakingIrene Posted 26 Jan 2013 , 5:54pm
post #6 of 15

I don't think you should hesitate to serve this to kids that are 5 or older. The current red food colours have been investigated pretty thoroughly. The tests from 40 years ago that had negative results involved high doses of ingredients that are just not available anymore.

 

Now whether the kids like it is another matter...you might discover that they are amused for 15 seconds but that they never ask for this cake again.  I used to dish ice cream cones, and we had the red-blue-black licorice flavours for those rugrats that had to scandalize their elders who paid for the cones.  Same thing..not too many kids took seconds. 

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Annabakescakes Posted 26 Jan 2013 , 6:17pm
post #7 of 15

A

Original message sent by BakingIrene

I don't think you should hesitate to serve this to kids that are 5 or older. The current red food colours have been investigated pretty thoroughly. The tests from 40 years ago that had negative results involved high doses of ingredients that are just not available anymore.

Now whether the kids like it is another matter...you might discover that they are amused for 15 seconds but that they never ask for this cake again.  I used to dish ice cream cones, and we had the red-blue-black licorice flavours for those rugrats that had to scandalize their elders who paid for the cones.  Same thing..not too many kids took seconds. 

I dished ice cream for a little while, too and it did seem the kids gravitated toward the bright colors, superman, and blue moo cookie dough... The good thing about that job was I got huge muscles and discovered a love for black raspberry chocolate chip.

My kids love my red velvet and request it at every birthday or party we go to.

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tsal Posted 26 Jan 2013 , 6:21pm
post #8 of 15

AMy youngest is 4 (I have three boys aged 4, 6, and 8). I will let them all taste it and take it from there. I have cupcakes and SMBC in the freezer as a backup!

I wonder if the color will alter the taste and texture of the cake.

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tsal Posted 26 Jan 2013 , 6:36pm
post #9 of 15

AThat should read 4, 6, and 8! Not sure how I ended up with an emoticon in my previous post!

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BakingIrene Posted 26 Jan 2013 , 6:40pm
post #10 of 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by Annabakescakes 


I dished ice cream for a little while, too and it did seem the kids gravitated toward the bright colors, superman, and blue moo cookie dough...

I asked one kid whether he liked the flavour, and he hummed and hawed, so I asked if he liked the colour.  He said he liked the way it turned his tongue blue.

 

I have come to consider blue tongues and blue hair to be preferable forms of rebellion.  I used to have neighbours that would comment on the local outbreaks of green or purple streaks, and I always said "better that they choose something so visible and innocent". Healthy children are always looking for ways to push the boundaries...asking for brightly coloured food is OK by me.

 

So OP can look forward to requests for rainbow cake and Rubiks cube cake.  Lots of info online.

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Annabakescakes Posted 26 Jan 2013 , 7:08pm
post #11 of 15

AIts

Original message sent by tsal

That should read 4, 6, and 8! Not sure how I ended up with an emoticon in my previous post!

It's because it was in parenthesis, and the 8 next to the ) makes 8) . I have seen it happen enough that I knew exactly what you meant. I have 3 boys and I girl. Boys are 12, 12, (twins) and 3. Girl is 8, nearly 9.

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Annabakescakes Posted 26 Jan 2013 , 7:11pm
post #12 of 15

A

Original message sent by BakingIrene

I asked one kid whether he liked the flavour, and he hummed and hawed, so I asked if he liked the colour.  He said he liked the way it turned his tongue blue.

I have come to consider blue tongues and blue hair to be preferable forms of rebellion.  I used to have neighbours that would comment on the local outbreaks of green or purple streaks, and I always said "better that they choose something so visible and innocent". Healthy children are always looking for ways to push the boundaries...asking for brightly coloured food is OK by me.

So OP can look forward to requests for rainbow cake and Rubiks cube cake.  Lots of info online.

Exactly! My twin boys have had Mohawks and long hair to the middle of their backs. I would rather see that than have them stealing, or bullying, and having $ex.

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tsal Posted 26 Jan 2013 , 7:58pm
post #13 of 15

Update: torted the cakes, my hands were stained red.  Then I took a small piece and ate it and my tongue is stained red.  Dh had some and his tongue is stained too.  The rest went in the trash!  Time to rebake with the correct amount of color (perhaps just a tbsp altogether for a double batch).

 

Super red is REALLY strong!  wow!

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BakingIrene Posted 26 Jan 2013 , 8:38pm
post #14 of 15

You could probably just add the colour by eye after you have added the first half of the flour.  It might only take 1 teaspoon of that super red to look right.

 

Eaton's used to make red velvet cake that was a fairly light shade of red, with the red-red paste available at the time. I wish I could give you a reliable equivalent but it was surely not nearly as deep as the red in the Bakerella blog's photo, it was about as deep as a half-ripened winter tomato. It didn't stain the teeth.

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tsal Posted 26 Jan 2013 , 9:34pm
post #15 of 15

I'll go slowly next time for sure.  This is why I always test recipes before actually having to serve them to people.

 

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