Vegan Red Velvet Cake
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You have to make this vegan red velvet cake for your next birthday party! This is seriously the red velvet layer cake of your dreams, and no one will believe it’s vegan. This super moist cake is topped with my favorite dairy-free cream cheese frosting.
You guys know I love a good slice of cake! After making my red velvet Oreo cake, I knew I wanted to make a classic red velvet with cream cheese frosting. But since I’m dairy-free, I decided to make it vegan!
I know cream cheese frosting can be kind of tricky to work with, so I’ve got all the tips to help you assemble the perfect red velvet layer cake! I love making this vegan red velvet cake for Valentine’s Day, but it’s also great for birthday parties or any celebration.
Why You’ll Love My Vegan Red Velvet Cake
- This is just like everyone’s classic and nostalgic red velvet, but make it vegan!
- The red velvet cake is super moist thanks to oil and you don’t even need a mixer to make the cake layers.
- This is a three-layer cake, but you can easily make it two layers!
- You only need simple pantry ingredients here, nothing too fancy.
- This cake is perfect if you have food allergies or are vegan!
Ingredients Needed
- Cocoa Powder: I’ve using dutch processed cocoa powder but you can swap it out for natural cocoa powder in a pinch.
- Oil: I recommend using a neutral oil like sunflower oil or canola oil. You want something that doesn’t have a strong taste.
- Milk: feel free to use your favorite vegan milk!
- Vinegar: I usually recommend using white vinegar, but you can swap it out for apple cider vinegar if you’ve run out of white vinegar! We’re adding the vinegar to the milk to make vegan buttermilk.
- Food Coloring: did you know that not all food coloring is vegan? Make sure to choose a vegan one! The color will vary depending on the brand you use, and you may need less if you’re using gel food coloring compared to liquid food coloring.
- Cream Cheese: the consistency of the frosting will vary depending on the brand of vegan cream cheese you use. I’ve had success with Violife, Tofutti, and Vitalife.
- Cornstarch: don’t skip the cornstarch! It’s going to help thicken the frosting.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Start by making your vegan cream cheese frosting. In a medium bowl or in a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until combined.
Step 2: Add in the salt and vanilla extract. Mix in the cornstarch and powdered sugar slowly until you get your desired consistency. I recommend starting with a lower amount of powdered sugar and adding more as needed.
Step 3: Cover the bowl and store in the fridge until ready to use.
Step 4: Make your vegan buttermilk. In a bowl or measuring cup, mix 2 tablespoons of white vinegar with your vegan milk. Set aside until it looks curdled.
Step 5: Preheat the oven to 350°Fahrenheit and spray three 8-inch cake pans with cooking spray, then line the bottoms of the pans with circles of parchment paper.
Step 6: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Step 7: Add the oil, red food coloring, and vanilla extract to the bowl with the buttermilk and whisk.
Step 8: Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined.
Step 9: Divide the batter evenly between the three cake pans and bake in the preheated oven for 20-26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
Step 10: Let the cakes cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then remove from the pans and let cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
Step 11: Frost your cake and enjoy! I recommend checking out my tips below on how to assemble a layer cake with cream cheese frosting.
Assembling The Cake
Here are a few tips on how to assemble your red velvet cake!
- Make sure you make the cream cheese frosting first! Let it chill in the fridge so it can firm up.
- Make sure the cake layers are completely cool before you start assembling. Cream cheese frosting is already a bit runny, so if you frosted a warm cake with it you’re going to end up with a frosting landslide!
- Once your cake has cooled, add the frosting between the 3 cake layers and place in the freezer for 10-20 minutes.
- Take the cake out, and frost the sides and top of the cake. I like to use a bench scraper to make the sides smooth. This is called your crumb coat! Place the cake back in the freezer for 10-20 minutes.
- Remove the cake and frost the outside of the cake with a thicker layer of frosting. If there’s frosting left, repeat this process until you’re happy with the level of frosting.
Expert Tips
- Like all my cake recipes, I recommend using a kitchen scale if you can! It’s so easy to add too much flour if you use measuring cups, which is going to make your cake dry and dense.
- Don’t have a kitchen scale? Make sure you use the scoop and level method to weigh out your flour!
- Don’t skip out on lining the bottom of your cake pans. Otherwise, they might get stuck in the pan and fall apart when you try to take them out.
- Want to make this a two-layer cake? Divide the batter evenly between two 8-inch cake pans. Just note the layers will be thicker and will need a few more minutes in the oven.
Storage Instructions
Because of the cream cheese frosting, I recommend storing this cake in the fridge.
To freeze the cake layers, let them cool completely and then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze in ziploc bags for up to 3 months, then let them thaw at room temperature.
More Recipes You’ll Love
If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Vegan Red Velvet Cake
Ingredients
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- 10 oz vegan cream cheese, softened
- ¾ cup (157 g) vegan butter, softened
- ¾ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 4-5 cups (480 g) powdered sugar (icing sugar/confectioner's sugar)
- 6 Tablespoons cornstarch
Vegan Red Velvet Cake
- 1 cup + 6 Tablespoons (353 ml) vegan milk
- 2 Tablespoons (17 ml) white vinegar
- ¾ cup (161 ml) neutral oil , (like sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, or canola oil)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2½ teaspoon vegan red food coloring
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1⅓ cup (267 g) granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (16 g) dutch process cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a medium bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer, add the cream cheese and butter and beat until fully combined.
- Mix in salt and vanilla extract. Add in the cornstarch and powdered sugar slowly until the desired consistency is reached. Start with the lower amount of powdered sugar and add more as needed.
- Cover the bowl and store the frosting in the fridge until ready to use. For more tips check out the full vegan cream cheese frosting post.
Vegan Red Velvet Cake
- Make vegan buttermilk. In a large liquid measuring cup, (or a bowl) mix 2 Tablespoons of white vinegar with vegan milk of choice. Set aside until it looks curdled.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare three 8 inch round cake pans. Spray the inside with cooking spray, then cut round pieces of parchment paper so that they fit in the bottom of each pan (do not skip the parchment paper lining!)
- Whisk flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda together in a large bowl.
- Add oil, red food coloring, and vanilla extract to the measuring cup or bowl of buttermilk and whisk together.
- Slowly add the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and whisk until combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three cake pans and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 20 minutes, then run a butter knife around the outside of the cake to loosen it from the pan and flip upside down onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once the cakes have cooled completely, frost and assemble. Please see tips in post above or in vegan cream cheese frosting post for tips on how to successfully assemble a cake with cream cheese frosting, as it is runnier than traditional buttercream!
Equipment
Video
Notes
The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.