A Little Food Coloring Goes A Long Way In Blue Velvet Cake

Picture this: a rich, luxurious cake in a vivid shade of blue that's bound to steal the show. Blue velvet cake, an eclectic twist on the classic red velvet cake, can be served as a sweet treat for birthdays, baby showers, gender reveal parties, weddings, holidays ... pretty much any gathering that deserves a touch of charm, whimsy, or elegance. If your favorite color happens to be blue and you crave cake — well, that's a good reason, too.

Blue velvet cake shares the same tender crumb and moistness as its scarlet cousin but surprises guests because of its striking cerulean color. Since blue doesn't appear in foods often, the delightful hue is achieved with food coloring.

The key to engineering the perfect blue is in the type of food coloring. For instance, gel and paste food colorings are more concentrated and vibrant than liquid. Start with a tiny amount — drop by drop — and gradually add more. If you're not a fan of artificial food coloring, you can opt for purer alternatives like blue spirulina or butterfly pea flower powder, which both yield a lovely sapphire pigment without synthetic additives. To ensure an even distribution of color, mix your preferred coloring into the batter's wet ingredients before incorporating them into the dry ingredients. This helps prevent streaking and ensures a gorgeous blue tint throughout the cake.

When whipping up a homemade blue velvet cake, it's important to keep in mind that a little food coloring can go a long way. Just a few drops of liquid food coloring are typically enough to create the desired shade. Of course, that amount can vary depending on the brand and type you use, but a general guideline is about one to two teaspoons of royal blue food coloring. For a deeper indigo, you can also add a couple of drops of violet food coloring. It's essential to add the coloring gradually, checking the color along the way to avoid overdoing it. As mentioned, gel or paste food coloring is typically recommended by bakers for a more intense color without altering the iconic cake's soft consistency.

The number of occasions that call for a slice or two of cake is virtually endless. Long day or week? Cake. Anniversary? Birthday? Big win? Cake. No matter the celebration, blue velvet cake has the magic to bring a sense of wonder and joy to the dessert table and spread sweetness and smiles.