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red velvet cake. all natural. no red dye.
This cake ended up being a science experiment.
I wanted to make a red velvet cake without any red food coloring. Though I can handle a little food coloring here and there, the idea of putting in such large amounts into a homemade cake . . . well, I just couldn’t do it. I mean, why would I want to eat a cake that is red for no reason, other than the fact that someone calls it red?
In my research, and the research of my sister (who actually inspired my making this cake after she had made an attempt at something similar), we discovered a number of people in the blogosphere that get quite uppity about what a red velvet cake is and isn’t. I won’t get into that. But I will say that many of these red velvet soap boxers were suggesting the color should come from beets.
So I started there.
My first attempt was brownish purplish. My daughter called it the Purple Satin Cake. It tasted good, so good in fact, that when I stood there, holding the last piece, thinking that I should snap a picture for the blog to show what it looked like, my will power buckled, and into my mouth it went. But it was still brownish purplish.
I spent the next few days reading other blogs and websites. Amy, from BakeCakery*, had a recipe that was a great starting point. From her post, I could see that it could be done. Then, with the help of her descriptions, beet cooking methods, and links to other bloggers, I was able to piece together the science I needed to get a red cake. Oh, and by the way, if you haven’t seen her blog yet, she is extremely talented you should definitely take a look.. She has this tres leches cake that will amaze you.
Amy directed me over to bittersweetblog, where the writer painstakingly experimented with the pH levels in the cake, and how it affects color.
Armed with that knowledge, and before I dove in and wasted another couple pounds of ingredients, I put a small amount of beet puree into two small cups. Then I added different ingredients to each, to see if they would keep the color pink, or turn it purple. Once it turns purple, you see, you will be making the lovely Purple Satin Cake, instead. Which, sadly is more brown than purple.
The goal was to keep the pH as acidic as possible, with no additions of anything alkaline. So baking soda is obviously out. Anyone who has ever helped their kid with a model of a volcano for the science fair knows what I’m talking about. And then Dutch Process or Dark Cocoa powder is out, too. Apparently, chocolate is sometimes processed with alkali to make it smoother, so don’t add regular chocolate or melted chocolate chips, either. To achieve the chocolate taste, you can really only use natural cocoa powder. It’s easy enough to find, though. Hershey’s cocoa powder—as long as it’s not the Special Dark variety—works perfectly. (In the pictures, I used only two tablespoons of the cocoa powder, which kept things very red. If I were to make it again, though, I’d probably add as much as 4 tablespoons.)
Working with this knowledge, I took out my trusty old cream cheese pound cake recipe to use as a base, and created this cake. It’s moist, but dense, smooth, and has the exact crumb I was looking for. My kids loved it, even after I told them it was made with beets. They didn’t care. This cake was all they talked about for days. They wanted it after school, for breakfast, and dessert.
While I was frosting this, I kept thinking of Rosie and her blog Sweetapolita. Oh my goodness is that girl talented! And she has a beautiful family, and she’s an excellent photographer. She’s is the Queen of Cakes. Here are some of my favorite posts:
Her asparagus cake. Crazy beautiful.
This chocolate bundt cake is so stunning.
And her latest is a buttermilk cake with fudge frosting.
So if you’ve never seen her blog, make sure you go take a look.
For good measure, and based on Amy’s suggestion, I used quite a bit of lemon juice just to keep things as bright as possible. So keep these things in mind when you make your cake. Keep the acidity high, and the pH numbers low!!
*Earlier, I had said that Amy’s blog was called CakeBakery, when it is actually BakeCakery. Sorry, Amy! And sorry for any confusion!
all natural red velvet cake
2 large beets (enough for 1 1/2 cups puree)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened, but not quite room temperature
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened slightly
2 1/3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons natural (not dark or dutch processed) cocoa powder*
cream cheese frosting (recipe follows)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (165 degrees celsius). Place beets in a small baking dish and add a 1/2 cup of water. Cover with parchment paper and foil, and roast until quite tender, about 60-90 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
2. Butter 3 8 inch cake pans. Cut out parchment paper circles and place in the bottoms of the pans. Butter the parchment paper and dust with flour. Set aside. Peel the beets and cut into large chunks. Place in a food processor (or a very good blender) with the lemon juice, and pulse until smooth and pureed.** Stir in the vinegar.
3. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and cream cheese. Pour in sugar and mix until smooth. Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing well until each is incorporated. Mix in vanilla.
4. While ingredients are mixing, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder in a separate bowl. Slowly add flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of the beet puree mixture, and fold into the cake batter. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans. Tap pans on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Invert cakes onto cooling racks, and allow to cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze until ready to frost.
*Some people have commented and said that their cake has turned out maroon in color, instead of the red like the picture. I just tested the recipe again, to see if I could recreate what happened. It could be the cocoa. In the photographs, I used only 2 tablespoons of cocoa because the red color was my main objective, not the chocolate flavor. So, if you’re more concerned about the color than the chocolate flavor, then just use 2 tablespoons of cocoa instead of the 1/4 cup.
**The other thing I discovered while testing it today, is that I didn’t make my puree as fine. In the pictures from last time, you can see that the texture of the beet puree is very smooth, almost like baby food. I think that may have affected the color. Each tiny piece of beet adds to the color, and if there’s more surface area surrounding each teeny tiny piece, then you’ll get a stronger red. I think.
cream cheese frosting
2 packages cream cheese, at room temperature
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 pound (4 cups) confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Switch to the whisk attachment, and mix until smooth and slightly fluffy.
499 Responses to “red velvet cake. all natural. no red dye.”
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So happy it worked out for you, Maureen!
OK – final post I promise
I did this cake again for Christmas Eve using buttermilk in place of cream cheese and omitting the vinegar. I also used half butter/half oil.
It. Was. AMAZING! Fantastic flavor
I used a little extra cocoa powder (because, again, I wanted the chocolate flavor), and maybe a little less beets than called for (because my beets wound up creating less puree than necessary), so my cake was obviously not as bright and beautiful and probably closer resembled your purple velvet cake.
Still, it was fantastic. And my cousin, when she sliced the cake, exclaimed “I thought this was dye-free?!” haha
I (and several other people in my family) am allergic to red food dye, so THANK YOU SO MUCH for this recipe. I have never in my life had red velvet cake, and thanks to you I can finally satisfy my curiosity. Thank you!
Do you think it would freeze well (frosted)? I’d like to make this for Valentine’s Day in advance. Thank you so much for the recipe!!!
Diana—I think it probably would freeze well, just as you said. My favorite way to do it, though, is to freeze the cakes separately, and then frost them—it’s so easy like that. You could even make the frosting ahead of time and freeze it, too. Just defrost it in the fridge the day before. That way, the cake will look really fresh once you frost and decorate it. But either way. It’s whatever you have time for.
Wow! Thank you for having the willingness to publish an actual red velvet cake without the disappatizing food coloring. The cake itself looks way different from the red velvet cakes with tablespoons of food coloring – how natural. To brag, mine looks spongier than the image. The Vitamix is extraordinarilly helpful for the beet pureeing. This recipe is not as elaborate as it seems. The frosting is royally delicious and beautiful. I feel like I’m treating my party guests as royalty. Thank you for all of your experimentation, especially you Jamie for the daring use of beets in a dessert to initiate everything. Yet, everybody else on google would rather use tablespoons of food coloring; bet I could find one with cup fractions if I spent the time. I tasted the transfer scraps of the cake and it tastes the way a cake is supposed to taset.
Wow, Jeff, what nice things to say! A Vitamix. What a great idea. Wish I had one of those . . . So glad it turned out for you and that you liked the flavor!
HI…
I tried this recipe and to me it tasted completely of beets. The texture was lovely but the overwhelming taste of beets was just too much for and my family.
hello! i am working on a vegan red velvet cake and i found your recipe because i want to use beets. i have the rest of the ingredients worked out but the beets – were the beets you used raw or boiled? thanks! happy valentine’s day! lisa
Lisa—I roasted the beets. I think that holds in the color and flavor the best.
E162 is beetroot extract and a red food dye. A lot of E numbers are ‘natural’ products (E150a is burnt sugar, E140 is from spinach or nettles etc) the E prefix is just an international shorthand. Mind you some E numbers are fairly nasty chemicals best look them up rather than just avoid them.
I am working on a gluten free red velvet cake and since I am omitting one troublesome ingredient (the wheat) then I wanted to also omit the red food coloring. I was thinking of using beet powder, do you know if that would produce similar results since the ph issue has been addressed?
Ande–I have tried beet powder, straight into the mix, and it didn’t work well. However, I just tried using it to color some frosting, and found that if I mixed the powder with some boiling water first, it worked much better. So I would give it a shot. I’m finding this cake is definitely open to experimentation. Good luck.
Hi:) I’m thinking of using your recipe for my hubby’s birthday (he asked for a RVC). My only concern is the beet flavor. Was it strong and/or noticeable in your cakes? It’s a toss-up, because we do want the chocolate flavor, but not if the cake will look too dark/purple:(
Help??
Thx!
Hi, Bek—You know, it’s hard to say. When I made it, I thought it was great, and that it didn’t taste like beets. It was a bit like eating a carrot cake, you know? Or zucchini cake. So, it did taste a bit on the earthy side, but nothing to run screaming out of the room over. My kids all loved it, even the ones who wouldn’t go near beets. However, I had one person write in the comments that it tasted like beets. So it’s up to you.
The version in the pictures, I used 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. It had a hint of chocolatey-ness, but not much. Does that help?
Hi there!
I was so excited yesterday when I found this recipe! I really don’t like the idea of using masses of food dye, and thought “finally a recipe that has been tried and tested!”. But I tried this recipe today and it was a complete flop! I don’t know what I did wrong :/ It needed cooking for absolutely ages and then the outside went quite chewy and the inside was sloppy, not like raw mixture, but more like a pudding as opposed to cake. The only thing I could think was that you say to use “all purpose flour” which I took to mean plain flour, whereas maybe I should have used self-raising?!? I feel a bit silly now, come to think of it. I’m pretty sure that’s where I went wrong… some advice would be great as I’m really disheartened! The colour also wasn’t as red as I had imagined and I only used 2 tbsp of cocoa. Hmmm?
Thanks,
Gill.
Hi, Gill—
I feel your pain. This is, by far, my most finicky recipe I have ever created. I guess it’s why most people use the dye. Even I had trouble with it the first time around, and then again, on my third try with the recipe. I’m finding that any deviation in the recipe can be a problem, whether it’s the kind of beets I use, how fresh they are, how long I cook them, how long I puree them, and on and on. Some people will write in and say it was perfect, and others say it’s a complete flop.
I’m also finding that when people have been trying it in different parts of the world, they’re getting even stranger results. Where are you? I’m assuming from the way you spell ‘colour,’ you’re either in Canada, the UK, or somewhere else where they drive on the left side of the road? Someone recently came to me with problems with this cake, and they live in the Netherlands. Her cake turned out orange!! I know in Europe, Philadelphia brand cream cheese is the big brand over there, as it is here, but I wonder if it’s a slightly different formula.
All-purpose flour is, in fact, what you call plain flour. You were right. Which now has me completely baffled. How long did you mix the cake with the flour in it? Then I wonder if the oven temperature is right, since it sounds like it didn’t cook right in the center. This cake, is however, more of a pound cake than a fluffy cake. If you plan on trying it again, I might try it by swapping out the cream cheese for a cup of buttermilk, and mixing it in at the end, right before you add the flour.
Then, I’m wondering if its the beets. Now on that count, I have no idea. When I made this last year, it wasn’t beet season yet, so I wonder if the beets were dryer than the ones I got directly out of the garden a few months later. The fresher ones gave me more of a problem, actually. So, I have no idea. Maybe if we put our heads together, we can figure this out!
Hi! I am on a quest to make a red velvet cake with out red dye, and came across your sight. I wanted to know if you have any inputs as to substituting the following:
- replace butter with coconut oil
- replace half the amount of sugar with apple sauce)or some other natural sugar substitute– any suggestions?
- replace all purpose flour with a whole grain flour? like oat flour or spelt flour
Any thoughts on this?
Usually when I bake, I make these replacements, and USUALLY things end up in a pretty good state, but I am really looking for that RED color too, so I am not sure if any of these changes would have an effect. Am curious to know if you have experimented with any changes yourself and have any thoughts to offer here.
Thank you!
Katie
Katie—This is my most unpredictable recipe. Though I’d love to say all the substitutes should work fine, but you’ll definitely need to experiment. I would probably try using whole wheat pastry flour or the oat flour—maybe a combination of the two. Apple sauce would probably work, since it is acidic, but then you might run the risk of having it turn out gluey. But it would probably still taste good. As for the coconut oil, I would melt some, and then mix it with some of the beet puree and a little bit of powdered sugar (which will act as a white medium so you can see if there is any color change). If the beets don’t change to a deeper color, such as purple, or a bluer sort of pink, then your pH is probably fine.
Good luck!!
Loved the recipe and explanation. For natural decorations and colors or more information about natural colors you might visit chocolate craft colors.
Jaime–
Thank you so much for this recipe: I’m sort of amalgamating it with Hanna Kaminsky’s Bittersweet blog’s recipe, as I’m trying to keep it egg & dairy free. My two issues are as follows: Instead of a 3-layer cake, I’d like to make it a 2-layer cake. How does that affect the baking time and temperature? Also, as far as you know, does the Ener-G egg replacer have ingredients that are alkaline (and that would affect the moisture/color/taste content of the cake)? Somehow, I need the 8-inch cake to feed 11-12 people, and I need it to freeze fairly well once it’s frosted and taste spectacular once it’s thawed. (It’s for a food swap.) Any suggestions you can offer are most appreciated.
Thanks!
I’m looking for a beet red velvet cake recipe that will work in a bundt pan. The volume of batter for this recipe sounds right, but I’m wondering about the cooking time? Do you have any suggestions as to cooking longer/shorter or adjusting the oven temperature to get a bundt cake to cook evenly?
Ooh, that’s a tough one, Erin. But for bigger things, like Bundt cakes, I’m usually pretty successful with using 325.º Good luck!!
Since making this with two layers instead of three, I’m assuming the layers will be thicker. Though I wouldn’t necessarily suggest doing that at high altitude, it should be all right in most other places. I would just lower the baking temperature by about 25º and increase the baking time some.
As far as the egg replacer goes, I have no idea. But you can always test it the way I did with the little bowls of beet puree and powdered sugar. Just add the egg replacer and water into the mixture, and if it stays bright pink, you should be okay.
This cake is pretty huge, so it should feed 12 people with no problem. That cake in the picture fed lots of people and was around for days. Good luck!!
Hello!
Thanks for sharing your recipe! It looks so beautiful … I’m excited to try it for Valentine’s Day!
I’m curious if you think this recipe would work for cupcakes? I’m dreaming of delivering cupcakes to a few families in my neighborhood for Valentine’s Day since cupcakes are easier to share than slices of cake.
Thanks!
Kaitlin—Yes, I think they should work for cupcakes. Just decrease the cooking time to about 20-25 minutes. Good luck, and Happy Valentine’s Day.
What kind of vinegar did you use? I’m very excited to try this cake for Valentine’s Day. thank you.
My 3yr old and I are going to make this today in preparation for Valentines day! She is very excited when ever we break out the blender, and she LOVES to bake! We were going to bake it today and then I was going to freeze it and get it out monday to frost. Have you tried freezing this recipe does it thaw nicely?
I think I used red wine vinegar, but you could use any kind.
That’s great that you’ll be making it today. Good luck, and yes, I have frozen this before. In fact, I froze the one in the picture before I frosted it.
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Hi there,
I am going to make this cake and am very excited! I read in the comments that you can substitute buttermilk for the cream cheese in the recipe. I just wanted to verify that the substitution is 1 cup of butter milk instead of the 18oz of cream cheese.
Have you tried the version with buttermilk? If so, how does it turn out? Where I live, cream cheese is very expensive so I am looking to try the buttermilk version.
Thank you! Your cake looks beautiful and I can’t wait tot ry it
Lisa—I actually haven’t tried this cake with buttermilk, but apparently it comes out more fluffy than in the picture. Good luck to you!
When you say 2 packages of cream cheese for the frosting what size packages?
Oh, sorry. Two 8 ounce packages, Amy. Thanks for asking.
This recipe is AWESOME! I made it for my husband for his birthday. The whole family loved it! He asked me to make it again for his weekend get-away with his cousin… this time I made Whoopie Pies! Both times it came out perfect! And it’s so much fun to make! Thank you so much for sharing! ♥
That’s wonderful, Jill!!! I’m so happy it worked well for you!!
[...] Jaime’s Red Velvet Cake. All Natural. No Dye. [...]
What an incredible recipe! I love how much thought and work you put into perfecting this. I’ve pinned it to make some day. Gorgeous blog and photos!
Thank you for saying so, Katherine!
Oh Wow, I have been looking for this recipe for years! Growing up my Mom and Aunts made a fantastic Red Velvet Cake, but I can not bring myself to use the food coloring! It is my favorite cake of all time! I am so happy to have found your blog, and I will be making this cake this week for Valentine’s Day!! Thanks so much!
You’re welcome, Keara. Good luck, and Happy Valentine’s Day!
I’m going to try to make this for Valentines day. Didn’t want to use food colouring. Hope it turns out ok. Looks lovely.
Thanks for posting! Beet juice is quite the litmus test. The explanation spoke directly to the chemistry geek in me. I boiled the beets on the stove, r reserved some of the boiling liquid, and made food coloring from it before pureeing the beets, so I got two uses for one veg. I made this recipe as cupcakes for the office today . . . HUGE hit! Next time, I will make them vegan.
Thanks for posting! Beet juice is quite the litmus test. The explanation spoke directly to the chemistry geek in me. I boiled the beets on the stove, reserved some of the boiling liquid, and made food coloring from it before pureeing the beets, so I got two uses for one veg. I made this recipe as cupcakes for the office today . . . HUGE hit! Next time, I will make them vegan.
Turned this into cupcakes for my daughter’s 5th birthday. THANK YOU for sharing! So happy I didn’t have to use bottles of red food coloring. They received rave reviews and I am posting my success with your recipe on my blog (www.wholetothecore.com) tomorrow so you’ll get some additional hits I’m sure!
That’s wonderful to hear, Sophia! This cake has seriously had me geeking out myself!! Good luck when you make them vegan, and please let us know how they turn out!!
Can’t wait to see it, Michele. Be sure to let us know the final link when you post it!
[...] These cupcakes received rave reviews, and this is a recipe that will be used again! So thank you to sophistimom for all the time you took to put together and post this recipe! And thank you to God for giving us [...]
I’m making this receipe right now the vegan version. I’m turning it into a ladybird for my daughters 1st birthday tomorrow! Thank you for posting x