Best Ever Vegan Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This rich and velvety vegan red velvet cake with dairy free cream cheese frosting is the ultimate vegan cake recipe! The perfect balance of cocoa and sweetness with a slight tang, this red velvet cake will be your favorite, vegan or not! Naturally dairy free and gluten free!
Why you’ll love this vegan red velvet cake:
Red velvet cake is high on the list of my top favorite cake recipes, especially this vegan version. When I used to work at Georgetown Cupcakes, the red velvet flavor was the best selling out of all flavors, even chocolate.
Red velvet cake is a classic for a reason.
It’s a wonderful celebration cake for holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, but not just those holidays: make this veganized vegetarian version of red velvet cake for Valentine’s Day, a birthday, graduation, engagement party, weddings, and more!
So when you take a bite out of this vegan red velvet cake, I think you’ll be shocked to learn that this cake is actually eggless, dairy free, gluten free, and can be naturally red!
All while maintaining the classically sweet and slightly tangy, yet uber rich and moist taste of the cake we all know and love.
This will be your go-to red velvet cake, vegan or not!
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What is red velvet cake?
People just can’t get enough of that red velvet! Now, in a good red velvet, you’ll have a very smooth, velvety texture thanks to the acidity, and with a slight tang to the sweet, it’s easy to just keep eating it!
Then of course you can’t forget the cream cheese frosting! My favorite part 🙂 For our vegan red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, the fluffy white frosting on top is completely dairy free.
And if you want to make it completely refined sugar free, there’s an option for that! Just please not that the color will definitely be more brown than white in the frosting, and the cake will look more purple than red.
Is red food coloring vegan?
This really depends on the brand of red food coloring you’re purchasing. Because some red food coloring can be vegan and others are definitely not. Aside from the basics of making a cake veganized, the tricky part when it comes to making a vegan and vegetarian red velvet cake is actually in the food coloring.
Most food colorings contain a red that is actually not vegan. Sometimes it’s made with vegan ingredients, but then it’s tested on animals, which ultimately means it’s not vegan, as then it’s not cruelty free.
However, there are some ways around this so that we can keep this healthier red velvet cake completely vegan.
I like to use a high quality plant based red food dye that I find at Whole Foods. I also know that the Wilton produces a vegan-friendly red food coloring gel that makes the most beautiful red hue. Wilton also doesn’t test on animals, which I think is a nice added note to make you feel good about purchasing!
I recently found a brand called Nomeca, found on Amazon, and they are entirely vegan. They also have a bunch of fun colors, like sunset yellow and pink that I’ve been using for cookie decorating! The best part? They don’t fade 🙂
Another option is using beet powder. My go to? Suncore Foods. Hands down the most potent red color I’ve found! Some other brands of beet powder might look more maroon rather than red. However, the taste will still be amazing.
What’s the difference between red velvet cake and chocolate cake?
Most people think that red velvet cake is basically just chocolate cake dyed red, but that’s not true!
There’s only a smidgen of cacao powder in red velvet, whereas with chocolate cake, you’re talking a whole lotta chocolate.
In fact, when red velvet cake was first made, it actually had way more cacao in it. However, the amount lessened over time, and the color became more red than maroon.
This vegan red velvet cake is very different than my vegan chocolate cake, so rest assured, you’re getting an entirely different flavor profile between these two recipes!
What is the flavor of red velvet cake?
I really don’t think that any red velvet cake recipe tastes chocolatey! There’s such a small amount, but it is necessary for that slight richness in my opinion.
But actually, red velvet cake gets its name from the vinegar creating that velvety texture in the cake. It’s truly unlike any other cake I’ve ever had. There’s a slight tang to it, but trust me, it’s not gross.
You’re going to fall in love with this cake!
Overview: Step by Step How to Make a Vegan Red Velvet Cake with Dairy Free Cream Cheese Frosting
For the full written instructions and ingredient measurements, see the bottom of this post in the recipe card. You can also hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of this post! Here, we’ll go over a brief overview of the steps, along with providing visuals for a better understanding of the recipe.
Making this healthier red velvet cake is seriously a breeze, and you can decorate it however you want! I’m going to walk you through the basic steps for getting your cake baked and frosted, then let yourself have fun with the decorations.
The vegan red velvet cake
I know sometimes it’s intimidating if you’re making a vegan cake for the first time, but I promise, it’s actually so similar to making a regular cake! So don’t sweat it: just trust the process!
Alright, in order to make this vegan red velvet cake, you’ll need the following:
- Flour: you can use all purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour (if needed for GF!)
- Vegan butter: I used to make this recipe with coconut oil, but vegan butter will give you the best tasting red velvet cake.
- Dairy free milk
- Vinegar
- Granulated sugar: I also used to recommend that you could make this cake refined sugar free. You can, technically, but please note that the color will not be traditional red velvet then.
- Unsweetened applesauce
- Baking soda + powder
- Cacao Powder
- Beet powder or plant based food coloring
To make this vegan red velvet cake, simply:
- Combine the flour, cacao powder, baking soda, and powder in a large bowl and set aside.
- Cream together the vegan butter and sugar. Then add in the applesauce, vanilla, and red food coloring.
- Add in the dry ingredients and vegan buttermilk in increments of two, mixing just until the dry combines into the wet.
- Distribute the batter evenly among three 6″ cake pans and bake for 35 minutes.
- Let cool before you frost.
That’s it! Not too far off from making a regular red velvet cake, right?
The vegan cream cheese frosting
Making a vegan cream cheese frosting is, like making a vegan cake, just as easy as its conventional counterpart. The only difference is that it’s completely dairy free!
To make the vegan cream cheese frosting, you’ll need:
- Vegan cream cheese
- Vegan butter (Flora Plant Butter is by far the best!)
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
Next, you’ll want to make sure that the vegan cream cheese and the vegan butter are at room temperature, but still cool. This means that they’ll be slightly soft, enough for you to effortlessly dent a fingerprint into it, but still cool enough to work with without it melting. The ideal temperature is 68F.
Then, you’ll just make the frosting like you would a regular cream cheese frosting. Beat together the vegan cream cheese and butter until they’re whipped and fluffy.
Add in the powdered sugar in increments until it’s a fluffy frosting. Then finish with a little vanilla beaten into the frosting and there you have it!
Now you can frost your cake in layers! Make sure you level your cakes before beginning. I recommend using a frosting knife and bench scraper to get the cleanest look that will almost resemble fondant (but without the icky fondant taste!).
Note: vegan cream cheese frosting can be softer than regular vegan buttercream frosting. This means that it will start to soften more quickly at room temperature. It’s best to refrigerate your cake in between crumb coating and applying the final layer.
Can red velvet cake be made without food coloring?
You can omit the food coloring if you’d rather not include it all together in your vegan red velvet cake. It won’t have that red color to it, obviously, but the red coloring doesn’t add any flavor to it, so not to worry!
Tips & Tricks for making the best healthy red velvet cake:
- How to make this a gluten free vegan red velvet cake: making this a gluten free red velvet cake is actually quite simple. I love using Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten free flour or King Arthur’s 1-to-1 gluten free flour. Then it’s just an easy swap in!
- Make sure to level the cakes before frosting! If you’re building this cake in multiple layers, make sure to level your layers before frosting! This means evening out that top section before you frost. I recommend using a sharp, thin knife (just be careful), then when you’re stacking your cake layers, fave the crumbed, sliced side down to make it easier to frost!
- Sift the flour before beginning: this ensures that your cake comes out really tender. I also recommend using cake flour if you’re not gluten-free. If you are GF, add in a bit of cornstarch or arrowroot powder for that same result.
How to store vegan red velvet cake
I recommend storing any leftovers in a cake container or sliced and placed into an airtight container. The cake will last for about a day or two on the countertop, but you can also store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You are just going to LOVE this vegan red velvet cake! It’s the perfect balance of notes of cocoa powder and vanilla, and that beautiful sweetness with a slight tang.
As always, I love to see your beautiful creations, so be sure to tag me on Instagram and Pinterest!
Happy cake baking!
More vegan cake recipes that you’ll love:
The Best Vegan Vanilla Cake I’ve Ever Had
Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
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If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!
Print
Vegan Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 20 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This rich and velvety vegan red velvet cake with dairy free cream cheese frosting is the ultimate vegan cake recipe! The perfect balance of cocoa and sweetness with a slight tang, this red velvet cake will be your favorite, vegan or not! Naturally dairy free and gluten free!
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup (300 g) vegan buttermilk, room temperature
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour or 1-to-1 gluten free flour with 1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder
- 1 1/4 cup (250 g) sugar or coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup (113 g) vegan butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (250 grams) unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 oz vegan red food coloring or 2 tbsp beet powder
- 1 batch vegan cream cheese frosting
Instructions
- Read through all instructions before beginning.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F and grease three 6″ cake pans or two 8″ cake pans with olive or coconut oil. Line with parchment paper and set aside. Add the apple cider vinegar to unsweetened dairy free milk and set aside to curdle for 5 minutes.
- Prepare the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Set aside.
- Make the batter: In a stand mixer with paddle attachment or large bowl, cream the vegan butter for 2-3 minutes, until fluffy. Add in the sugar, and continue mixing until the sugar is almost dissolved into the butter. Then add in the applesauce, vanilla, and red food coloring. Mix on medium speed until combined. Add in the flour mixture and vegan buttermilk in increments of two, mixing until the flour is JUST integrated into the wet ingredients.
- Bake the cakes: Divide batter evenly amongst the cake pans. Place cake pans into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes: Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a drying rack to cool completely before frosting.
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting:
- When ready to frost the cakes, make sure that each cake layer is leveled using a knife.
- Add vegan butter and vegan cream cheese to a large bowl and beat together with a hand mixer.
- Add in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time, continuing the beat the mixture until it’s a thick buttercream.
- Add in vanilla and continue to beat until desired texture.
- Frost cake and enjoy!
Notes
Food coloring options:
- Wilton Food Coloring Gels
- Whole Foods Plant Based Food Coloring
- Suncore Food Beet Powder
If using coconut sugar: your cake will look more tan/brown than red, even with using the vegan food coloring, but it will still taste delicious!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 392
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 449.5 mg
- Fat: 21.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 48.5 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: vegan red velvet cake, vegan red velvet cake recipe, red velvet cake recipe, vegan red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting
Oh what a beautiful winter wonderland! That cake is almost too beautiful to eat. ALMOST 😜
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Aw thank you so much! It definitely was easy to eat after the first bite haha!
I’m going to try this recipe for Christmas! How long should I bake it and at what temperature if I’m making it into a Bundt cake?
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Oh wonderful!! I haven’t personally made this recipe in a bundt cake pan, but I know it will bake for a lot longer- I would try to do a test before Christmas if you can, and start at 40 minutes at 350F. You shouldn’t need higher than 350F, but you will need longer! I’m just not sure how long the cake will need, it could need up to 55 minutes, because there’s a decent amount of batter in there!
Hello! I was wondering if this recipe could be made into cupcakes? Thank you!
Hi Kendall!! Absolutely!! You’ll get about 28-30 cupcakes, but they’ll be delicious!! If you need to cut the recipe in half, I use the website mykitchencalculator.com to get the precise measurements!
Hello! This looks incredible. I was wondering if I could replace the applesauce for mashed banana? Or if you have any recommendations on the best replacement? Thank you! Amazing recipes!!
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Hi Tanja! Aw so excited to hear this!! So banana is a bit denser than applesauce- it will work, per say, but won’t yield the exact desired texture. It also will have a bit of a banana taste to it! I would recommend flaxseed over banana, but that will also lose a bit of the texture, as applesauce is super moist and also adds a bit of sweetness to the cake.
Looks delicious! This is the perfect cake for my father’s birthday 🎂 red velvet is his favourite, and I’ve been looking for a vegan recipe but there wasn’t one that I liked. This one is perfect 🤩
Aw I’m so happy!! I hope you both love it!! Let me know how it goes and enjoy! 🙂
This cake looks amazing! If I use three 6” cake pans will that be ok? I’m assuming it’ll just bake for a different amount of time. Thanks!
Aw thank you! I hope you love it! Yes 6″ works!
Is it okay to skip butter in the frosting?
You’ll definitely need the butter in the frosting! Both vegan butter and vegan cream cheese help in making the frosting!
If I use gluten free cake flour do i have to add baking soda + powder aside from Xantham gum?
Yes, please do!
This recipe looks amazing! Thank you so much for sharing! I just wanted to ask, how do I adjust the recipe to keep 3 layers but for 8 inch cake tins? As that is only size cake tin I have. Also I’ve only ever come across applesauce in the supermarkets, but never any option for unsweetened… Is there a difference? And where can I find unsweetened applesauce specifically? Thank you so much!
Aw thank you! If you’re making an 8″ cake, you can bake the layers in two 8″ cake pans- but if you want the cake to be taller with still thicker layers, you can actually do the recipe 1.5x in size and it will work! For the applesauce, there is a slight difference, the cake might come across too sweet if you used sweetened applesauce vs unsweetened- you can actually typically find the unsweetened applesauce in the “healthy/GF” section of the store (thinking Giant/Stop n’ Shop), but Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods also both carry an unsweetened applesauce as well that’s usually easier to find! I hope that helps!
This cake ACTUALLY tasted like red velvet cake. Couldn’t even tell it was vegan. Also used Violife for the cream cheese frosting. The best vegan cream cheese frosting I’ve made so far. Thank you for the recommendation and the recipe!
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So happy to hear it!! And YES love Violife!! 🙂 Enjoy!
I am trying to find the perfect gluten free/vegan cake to make for a wedding next weekend and the couple loves red velvet! We don’t have forager butter anywhere in town. Have you tried his with either miyokos or earth balance? Also, is this recipe enough to do 2 layers of 8 in cake and 2 6 in layer cakes or would I need to double it? Thanks so much!
Hi Jasmine! Aw how exciting, that’s awesome! For gluten free flour, I’ve tested this with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour mix (the one in the blue bag). That’s the brand GF flour I typically always use, so I can’t guarantee it with another brand, as they all function a bit differently. For the vegan butter, I have tried it with Miyokos and Earth Balance- they both will work. Miyoko’s I’ve noticed is a bit salty, and it shows through in the cake more so than other vegan butter brands. I feel like I’ve seen them come out with an unsalted version so if you have that, I would use the unsalted version then add 1/4 tsp salt to the flour mixture. For the cake layers, you’ll need to double it in order to get 2 8″ cake layers and 2 6″ cake layers! I hope you all love it! Enjoy!
I’m sorry I also meant to ask how far in advance this could be made and still be good for a Saturday wedding? Thanks again!
No problem at all! How I’ve done it (I’ve had to make a few cakes for baby showers, birthdays, graduations!), if I have the time, I’ll bake the cake 2 days out from delivery in the morning (so if it’s Saturday, I’d bake it Thursday), allow the cakes to FULLY cool a few hours at room temperature, place a cake board on top and bottom of the cake layers, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and place them in the fridge overnight. Friday, I’d make the frosting and assemble, then place the cake in the freezer uncovered for 30 minutes to harden the frosting, then remove the cake, wrap it, and place it back in the freezer to freeze until about 8 pm Friday night. At 8 pm, I move the cake to the fridge to thaw overnight (will prevent any condensation from forming), then for transport, I keep the car EXTREMELY cold as I’m bringing it there!
If I don’t have time to make the cake 2 days out, I have made two cakes that were for delivery on Saturday by baking the cake layers on Wednesday then freezing them until Friday to decorate! Giving the cake layers time to thaw in the fridge after being in the freezer helps! But they will still be moist once at room temperature, even without simple syrup, as long as you wrap them well enough! I recommend using the cake boards in the wrapping process too just to keep the layers flat. I hope that helps!
Thank you SO much for both of your detailed responses. This helps ALOT!
Always!! Let me know how it comes, and enjoy!! So fun 🙂
Hello, I am making this cake for my birthday, however, I don’t have a scale for food and use cups to measure most things so I was wondering what to conversions are for the grams, especially the apple sauce because all I can find is that I need a cup of it wich feels like a lot, as well as the others, would be helpful, thank you so much!
Hi Ingrid! I apologize for the delay! If you tap the “US” right above the ingredients to the right, it will convert everything from Metric to US measurements 🙂 I hope this helps! Enjoy!
Hello! Looks delicious and I’m planning on making this for my daughter’s birthday! I have a question about the Apple cider vinegar. The recipe calls for it to be divided. Can you clarify how much goes into the milk to make buttermilk and where does the other teaspoon go?
Thanks!
Hi Summer! Aw that’s so wonderful! I’m so sorry that was an error! All of the ACV will go into the dairy free milk- I’ve just corrected it to reflect that in the recipe! So sorry for that confusion!
Hi there! I’m so excited to make this red velvet cake but in your recipe after the apple sauces it says 2 tsp and blank what is it for?
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Hi Amy! I’m so sorry for the confusion! I’m trying to find where you are referring to- right after the applesauce in the ingredients section, it should read “1 tsp vanilla extract” is that what you’re referring to?
Hi! I am having the same issue. After the unsweetened apple sauce, there is a bullet point that reads “2 tbsp” and then it is blank. Is the “1 tsp vanilla extract” you are referring to for the frosting or do we add vanilla into the cake as well?
Ahh nevermind! I figured it out! If you look at the US unit version, it says “2 tbsp” after the applesauce.
I attempted red velvet before quitting dairy & it was so bad. I got a request to make a red velvet cake recently, I challenged myself to make it vegan. I was so nervous but this came out AMAZING. It was so good that I converted cake haters to cake lovers. A huge plus because they weren’t vegan. Thank you! 🙏🏼
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This is just so awesome!! Wow!! I’m so incredibly happy to hear it!! Thank you so much 🙂 Enjoy!!
Thanks for the recipe! Do you recommend all purpose flour or cake flour? Do you add the cornstarch listed in the recipe to the all purpose flour or only if using gluten free flour? Wasn’t quite sure. Also, if using wilton gel food color, approx. how many tablespoons? Thanks!
Hi Erin! The best results will be with cake flour, but you can absolutely use all purpose (or a homemade cake flour with all purpose and cornstarch! Definitely add the arrowroot to the GF flour, though, as that will help with any “grittiness” in the GF flour) and you’ll get amazing results! I used about 1.5 tbsp of gel food coloring (so a little less than an ounce, I found it was pretty strong).
I made this cake and although is smelled and tasted beautiful, it was nowhere near as red as the one pictured. 🙁 It was more of a very pale brown with a hint of red.
I did not change anything, the only difference is that my beet powder was not sun ore foods brand. Not sure what went wrong. Still excited to eat it. 🙂
Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
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Hi Alina!! So glad to hear you loved the taste 🙂 That can sometimes happen with just beet powder!! I believe here I used a mix of both suncore foods beet powder and vegan red food coloring to give it that punch of red. Some beet powders are really just low quality when baked and will yield that brownish color rather than a vibrant red. Did you also use coconut sugar or just granulated sugar? Coconut sugar will also yield a more caramel color! Suncore red beet powder is truly super vibrant, but I also have used Nomeca and Gourmet Foods’ vegan brands- they’re great!
This cake is the best cake and most delicious birthday cake I have ever baked! ( even including when I was non vegan) A triumph! Everyone loved it – especially the birthday boy! Thank you!!
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This is so so wonderful!! Thank you so much for the review!! Enjoy and happy holidays 🙂 And happiest and healthiest new year!
Hi! I am suppose to be making this cake for my brother, but I am confused about the measurements. For example when I switch it to US units, the recipe calls for 1/3 cup of butter. But when I switch it back to metric units, it calls for 113 grams of butter which would be around 1/2 cup of butter. Should I be following the recipe in grams or cups?
I’m SO sorry for the confusion! My recipe card has clearly glitched- the toggle isn’t working properly and not converting properly either. I just added the US cup measurements for you. I hope that helps! Enjoy!
Hi! I plan to make this cake for my son’s upcoming birthday. Do you measure flour before or after sifting? I love how you decorated the cake that you posted in the picture above. Do you double the frosting recipe? Thanks, Lisa
Hi Lisa!
Aw that’s wonderful! So if you’re weighing the flour, it doesn’t matter if you sift before or after. However, if you’re using the US cup measurements, as long as you’re spooning and leveling the flour, and not scooping the cup into the flour, you’re fine to measure the flour before you sift and whisk the dry ingredients together!
I am in tears right now because I don’t know what I did wrong. I used the beet powder thinking it would give it that red but not until I read the notes that it says it will look tan/brown. I feel also like I followed this recipe to a T and I was making a number cake for my husband for his birthday in a silicone mold shape. Do I need to have a stand mixer in order to make this? Also the icing I made came out so very very runny. Again I following everything that was said but I don’t have a stand mixer so did I mess it up because of that? The cake came out so dry that I tried to save it with milk but I am just a big crying mess on my husbands birthday with a cake I have to throw away. I am completely torn down and feel so terrible. I have never made a cake where everything didn’t work out and this would be that first time :'(. I just don’t know what happened.
Hi Jennifer- I’m so sorry I’m just responding to this! I’m so sorry this happened to you- my instant guess would be the silicone mold. I think they’re really not great for baking cakes as they tend to bake unevenly and often causes people to OVERBAKE because the middle takes so long to bake. The reason silicone is not great vs metal is that metal conducts heat much more evenly throughout the cake, whereas silicone doesn’t. Beet powder can turn out brown, and the best combination is to use it with a liquid red. I’m so sorry this happened to you!
Hi! I’m making this cake for my birthday. Is it 3 cups gluten free flour if I’m using Bob’s ?
Hi Molly! Yes, I recommend Bob’s 1:1 (blue bag!), and yes- 3 cups (measured by spooning and leveling!)!
Okay great!
Also for the cream cheese frosting can I use it in a pipet bag and what kind should I buy? I’ve never iced a cake before either so I bought an icing knife.
Second question-
Can you can a raspberry purée ’ filling in the middle of two of the layers? I know this recipe doesn’t have it but I found a recipe just for the purée and I was wondering if this cake out hold that inside ?
Hi Molly!
You can use a piping bag or just spread the frosting onto the cake with an offset spatula or a knife- for the piping on top, you could even use a plastic bag and snip the edge! Just as long as you have your favorite piping tip!
For the raspberry filling, that could definitely work! You just want to make sure you’re building a dam of frosting so that the filling doesn’t spill out of the edges (and make sure that your frosting is cold enough when you’re working with it so that it can hold up the cake layers and frosting dam!). I hope that helps!
Hi Brit,
Sounds good. I am serving this cake on sunday. So should I make the buttercream and the frosting today to have it ready ahead of time? Since the frosting has to be cold to hold up the cake? And can I use this same frosting to do the top design. And the red crumbles are this just left over from the baking process?
Thank you!
Molly Taylor
Hi Molly!!
That sounds lovely! I would recommend making the cake layers actually on Saturday late afternoon/early evening. Allow them to cool at room temperature, then cover them to store overnight at room temperature. You can make the frosting today, tomorrow, or Sunday, whichever is easiest! When you’re ready to frost though, give the frosting some time to sit at room temperature (about 1-2 hours) so that you can easily frost the cake!
Correct, you can use the same frosting for the top of the cake design. If you want to do an 8″ three layer cake, you’ll need about 1.5 batches of the batter, and then I make 1.5-2 batches of the cream cheese frosting to decorate then! And the red crumbles are just from the baking process, yes! My cakes domed a bit, so I torted them, and used the leftover scraps for the decoration 🙂
Enjoy!!
Hey, I’m wondering if you can advise.. the cake has turned out beautifully moist but it’s not the colour I was hoping for? It’s more brown in colour than red… are you able to help please. I done this one as a practise run but need to make the real thing for Monday morning…
Hi Chrissy!
What vegan food coloring did you use? And did you swap in coconut sugar instead of granulated sugar? Sometimes beet powder will yield a more brown color- if it’s for a wedding, I tend to just use Nomeca, as they are vegan (you can order them on Amazon). While it’s obviously not as natural as beet powder, it is vegan which makes me happier to use it! And if you used coconut sugar, I would swap in the granulated sugar (use organic for vegan) instead- the coconut sugar mixed with a food coloring will lead to the color not coming out as bright. I hope that helps!
Can you make this cake in a 9 inch pan i.e. one single layer cake?
Yes absolutely! It will just take longer to bake in the oven 🙂
I want to make this cake but cannot find anywhere in your recipe any mention of quantity of non dairy milk and apple cider vinegar to make the vegan buttermilk!
Hi Marilyn! It’s in the recipe card! If you click the link for the vegan buttermilk, it’ll give you the measurements for how to make it- but essentially it will be 300 mL of dairy free milk with a tbsp of ACV 🙂
I would like to make this recipe for a gluten-free /dairy-free friend but they are also allergic to apple (and banana). What would you recommend replacing it with? Maybe puree some beets (being red and slightly sweet)? Or avocado? or just some oil?
No problem at all! I recommend using King Arthur Measure-for-Measure flour for the gluten free flour. Then for the egg replacement, you can use dairy free yogurt!
Hi Britt! For the vegan butter is it unsalted or salted? Thank you
Hi Daniela! I use salted! 🙂 Enjoy!
Hiya! Planning to make this cake as a 6 inch tier next week for a birthday along with an 8 inch version of your vanilla cake to stack on each other!
I just have a couple questions about this red velvet cake:
1) What type of flour would I use in the UK? Self-raising or plain flour?
2) Can I use half coconut sugar and half a stevia caster sugar alternative?
3) Can I colour the frosting? And what products would you recommend in the UK please?
Look forward to hearing back from you!
Thanks a
Hi Sophie!
yay!! that’s so wonderful!! okay here are my answers:
1) You would use plain flour- that’s the equivalent to the US all-purpose flour!
2) You can swap in coconut sugar- I have not had great success with a stevia granulated alternative, but keep in mind that coconut sugar will alter the color of your cakes!
3) Absolutely! I use Nomeca food colors- I believe those are available in the UK, but alternatively, for frosting, I recommend using powders, like moringa for green (no caffeine!), turmeric for yellow, mixing turmeric and beet powder for orange, blue butterfly pea powder for blue/purple, etc!.
I hope that helps!! Enjoy!
Hi Britt,
I am making this red velvet cake for Christmas dinner. I have already baked the cakes and they came out wonderful! I was wondering, do you have a recipe for buttercream based on Swiss merengue (aquafaba) as well? It should be less heavy and you would not need the powdered sugar but you could use regular granulated sugar. I have tried a recipe for it but it did not come out well and was not very easy to apply – tasted great however. Thanks!
Hi Marcel! So happy you loved the cakes 🙂 This is one of my all time favorite cake recipes ever! For the Swiss meringue buttercream, I have actually attempted a buttercream like this before vegan, but found I still needed powdered sugar- I think because aquafaba is still a bit less stable than egg white (if you follow me on Instagram, then you’ve seen my many attempts at figuring out a vegan angel food cake- so difficult haha!). I’ve also done it in not a traditional meringue buttercream way- I make the frosting first THEN add in the aquafaba- it sounds so counterintuitive, I know, but I’ve found that it’s more stable this way! I haven’t perfected it, but the time that I used it, it was really lovely! Experimenting in that way might help!
How long of a bake would you suggest for mini cupcakes?
They really are quite quick, so I would bake them for no longer than 15 minutes but check them around 10!
This looks so good!! I’m planning to make it for my birthday, but i can’t find my baking tins (things are still in the boxes because we recently moved). Can I make all cake batter in a big square tin and then cut it? I’ve never baked a cake this way. Thank you in advance!
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Hi Anja! Happy early birthday!! Yes, absolutely!! That would be lovely (you could even shape the cake into a heart from the square pans! That would be so cute!). Enjoy!