Does red velvet cake get its seductive color from a chemical reaction or red dye?
A Southern dessert staple that all but fell off the culinary radar screen in the ’70s, red velvet desserts are making a comeback in shades of pink, Cupid-heart red and a lusty, reddish brown.
While researching the cookbook “America’s Best Lost Recipes,” editors of the popular Cook’s Country magazine dug up a list of red cakes dating to the late 19th century. They had names like Red Devil Cake and Oxblood Cake. Initially the faint red color of the cakes came from a chemical reaction between vinegar and/or buttermilk and natural rather than Dutch-processed cocoa powder. Over time the color was pumped up with a liberal dose of red food coloring.
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