Vegan Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake

A favorite all-American cake gets a makeover: introducing my easy vegan gluten-free red velvet cake! It is moist, delicious, & decadent.

I love a blog post that requires little explanation, and this is just such an instance.

Hence, an über-brief overview in place of prose. May the photos and recipe (largely) speak for themselves!

Friend, in need of cake recipe:

• Longing for grandmother’s red velvet cake
• But…need a vegan version 
• Gluten-free, if possible?
• Birthday cake! Needs to be special.
• Please??? Is it even possible???

Me:

• Yes! (Wait…I think it is…)
• Here goes nothing
• OMG
• Best red velvet cake ever!

Recipe Benefits

• Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
• Gluten-free
• Made in 1 bowl (easy!)
• No artificial food coloring

Ingredients

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.

• all-purpose gluten-free flour blend (or regular flour, if not gluten-free)
• natural cane sugar (or granulated sugar)
• unsweetened cocoa power
• baking soda
• salt
• plain nondairy milk
• vegetable oil (e.g., melted coconut oil, avocado oil, safflower oil)
• vanilla extract
• white or cider vinegar
• natural red food coloring (use natural, like Chefmaster made from plant extracts)

How to Make the Cake

Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180C). Grease and flour (with some additional GF flour) two 9-inch (22.5 cm) round cake pans. Tap out the excess flour.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the GF flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
• Add non-dairy milk, oil, food coloring, and vanilla to flour mixture and stir until just blended. Whisk in vinegar until just blended.
• Immediately pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack.
• Run a knife around edge of pans, then invert cakes onto rack to cool completely.
• Place one cake layer, flat side up, on a cake plate or platter. Spread 3/4 cup of the frosting evenly over bottom layer. Top with the second cake layer, flat side down.
• Spread the remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. If desired, arrange berries decoratively on top. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Easy-peasy. The batter is mixed and in the pans in about 5 minutes flat. Take that, Betty Crocker! Nickster loved the batter. He asked if I was making blood cake. Is it wrong that I said “yes”? (I did qualify it: robot blood. Nick proclaimed this  as very silly. Indeed.)

This recipe produces particularly uniform, crumb-free layers, making them a breeze to frost (no experience required)

These layers came out so perfectly; makes me blush with pride 🙂

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

The frosting is simple, too. Use a good-quality dairy-free vegan cream cheese and plant-based butter. It is extremely simple to make and spread. 

Happy baking!

More Delectable Vegan Cakes to Try:

1. Vanilla Almond Flour Cake {oil-free}
2. Chickpea Flour Chocolate Layer Cake
3. Easy Cashew Cheesecake
4. Vegan Coconut Flour Cupcakes
5. Gluten-Free & Vegan Vanilla Bundt Cake
6. Vegan & Grain-Free Vanilla Layer Cake
7. Chickpea Flour Gingerbread Bundt Cake
8. Pumpkin Hemp Heart Cheesecake

Is there anything better than a homemade birthday cake?