It’s almost Valentines Day and the pink and red items have hit the stores. Recently Red dye #3 was banned by the FDA for use in foods. In 1990, red Dye #3 was banned from cosmetics but it was still allowed for foods. I remember when Red Dye #2 was banned from foods and cosmetics in 1976. Red M&Ms were pulled from sale for a decade because of the scare caused by the ban and my strawberry Bonne Bell Lip Smacker changed hues too. Bonne Bell introduced the first flavored lip balm in 1973. The Biggy size was 4 times larger than regular lip balm, a big stick with a screw on cap and a string lanyard. But I digress, Bonne Bell is a topic for another time.
There are several artificial food dyes used today. Most artificial colorings are synthetic petroleum-based chemicals that do not occur in nature. Food dyes are most used in foods with a low nutritional value, such as snacks, soda pop and gelatin so a good rule of thumb is simply avoiding all dyed foods If you are concerned.
One of my favorite Valentine flavors is red velvet. This ruby-hued chocolate cake originated in the 1920s and was adopted into Southern American culture and turned into an iconic dessert. The term “red velvet” refers to the cake’s famous color and plush, velvety texture as well. While this signature cake is my favorite, I’ve never been a fan of food coloring for it. It’s said that this cake originally did not use food coloring. The subtle red color of red velvet cake came from the chemical reaction of vinegar/buttermilk with cocoa powder (Subtle red color being a light brown color). Food dye was something later added along the way in recipes to make the red color much more pronounced. I have recipe for a dye less red velvet cake. It takes a bit more work but it is worth it. It uses beets to color the cake. I know some of you are like whaaat?! Yes, just like how we use carrots in carrot cake, beets work similarly in this red velvet cake, adding sweetness and color.
Red Velvet Cake
Ingredients
For the mini red velvet cake:
1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup canola oil
¾ cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla essence (I use vanilla bean paste)
1 large red beet, roasted & pureed- (about ½ cup)
For the cream cheese frosting:
8-ounces block-style cream cheese, softened
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 ½ cups powdered sugar
1–2 teaspoons vanilla essence (I use vanilla bean paste)
Instructions
Beet prep: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Trim and clean your beet(s). Then coat your beet with oil and wrap tightly in foil (if roasting more than 1, wrap each one individually). Place the beet on a small baking sheet just in case there’s any leaking. Roast the beet for 45 minutes to 1 hour- or until the beet is completely tender. Let the beet cool until safe to handle then use your hands (fitted with disposable gloves if desired) to peel the skin off or run under cool water for the skin to slip off. Then place the roasted beet into the body of a high-speed blender or food processor and blitz until the beet is pureed and smooth. If needed, add a tablespoon of water to help loosen. This recipe will use a ½ cup of beet puree, set aside. Beet note– This recipe uses a ½ cup of beet puree. I recommend 1 large beet but feel free to use 2 medium or a few small beets to achieve that measurement. When roasting more than one, wrap each beet individually. Use gloves– Working with beets can cause stained hands. If you don’t mind it, cool. Otherwise, wear disposable gloves to prevent staining.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray the bottom and sides of two 6-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Then line each pan with a parchment paper round for good measure and spray the parchment paper as well, set baking pans aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, and granulated sugar and stir the ingredients well to combine. Then add the oil, buttermilk, vinegar, eggs, vanilla essence, and roasted beet puree. Whisk the cake batter until smooth and just combined- the batter should be loose and somewhat runny.
Divide the batter evenly between both pans and gently tap the pans on the counter to help release any air bubbles.
Bake the cakes for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then carefully invert the cakes onto a wire rack to continue cooling. Let the cakes cool down completely before frosting (below). Once cooled, level the cake tops with a leveler or serrated knife if you have domed tops. I like to save these scraps for decorating crumbles -optional.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. On low speed, add the powdered sugar and then slowly increase to high, continue beating until the frosting is well combined and free of any lumps, about 2-3 minutes. Then add the vanilla essence and beat until fully combined, about 1 minute.
On one cooled cake add about a ½ heaping cup of frosting on top of the cake and spread the frosting to the edges. Top with the other cooled cake, and frost the top and sides of the cake. Feel free to do a crumb coat: a thin layer of frosting along the outside of the cake then place it into the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes to seal in before you finish frosting the cake.
When done frosting, garnish the cake with red velvet cake scrap crumbles, if desired. I like to place the finished cake back into the fridge to chill before slicing. Slicing into a completely chilled cake is best! You can keep this mini red velvet cake at room temperature on the counter for up to 1 day- otherwise, it will stay good in the fridge, covered for freshness, for about 3-4 days.