Vegan Red Velvet Cake

I have great news for all the red velvet cake lovers: Vegan red velvet cake is possible, and it’s AMAZING. Red velvet cake may be something you figured you’d have to give up when switching to a plant-based diet. There’s the cream cheese frosting, of course, essential for any red velvet cake worth its salt. There’s also the pesky issue of food colouring: Many food dyes used in traditional red velvet cake recipes aren’t vegan-friendly, due to ingredients such as cochineal and carmine.

When creating my vegan red velvet cake, I knew I wanted a soft, moist chocolate cake that was just as vibrantly coloured as the original. The cake layers are a lovely deep red colour, rich and tender, and they have a subtle fudgy flavor thanks to the addition of cocoa powder. It’s a nice contrast to the sweet cream cheese frosting, which you may just want to eat with a spoon! 

What Makes This Vegan Red Velvet Cake Recipe So Special

• This layer cake is perfect for a holiday get-together or a birthday, with its bright red hue and creamy frosting that makes the perfect canvas for decorating.
• I keep the signature baking soda and vinegar combination in my red velvet cake recipe, plus vegan buttermilk, which gives the rich chocolate cake plenty of lift along with a perfect, subtle flavour.
• It’s surprisingly easy to make. I’ll whip up this cake on a weekend afternoon when I have a hankering for something sweet, and keep it stored in a cake carrier in the following days.
• You can make this recipe as a sheet cake instead of baking layers if you prefer. You can also make vegan red velvet cupcakes or try these easy red velvet brownies!

Notes on Ingredients

Head to the pantry to find your vegan red velvet cake ingredients (see the recipe card for the exact measurements):

For the Cake

• Vegan buttermilk – You can make this yourself by combining soy milk or another unsweetened, unflavoured vegan milk with apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.
• White granulated sugar – Or light brown sugar, but I haven’t tested this recipe with alternative sugars yet.
• All-purpose flour – Spoon the flour into your measuring cup rather than scooping directly from the bag. Better yet, use a kitchen scale to measure if you have one. Too much flour makes the cake dry.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder – Don’t use cocoa mix (it’s not the same!). You want natural, unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe so it will react with the baking soda.
• Baking powder – Make sure your leavening is very fresh.
• Oil – Use a neutral-flavored cooking oil, like vegetable oil.
• Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste is a must.
• Liquid red food colouring – Make sure you buy one that is vegan! A good example is AmeriColor or Chefmaster. You can also buy natural food colouring (I like the 365 one from Whole Foods), but note that it won’t be as bright in colour, more of a brown/purple shade. It’ll still taste delicious! Long story short, you’re trying to avoid ingredients such as cochineal and carmine.
• Baking soda – Like the baking powder, ensure it’s as fresh as possible.
• White vinegar – This gives red velvet cake a light, airy texture by reacting with the baking soda to create air bubbles.

For the Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

• Vegan cream cheese – This should be room temperature so it’s easy to whip into a creamy frosting.
• Vanilla extract – Or vanilla paste.
• Vegan butter sticks – Your butter should be room temperature too! I have a recipe for homemade vegan butter, but your favourite store-bought brand will work, too.
• Powdered sugar – Also known as confectioners’ sugar.
• Cornstarch – Thickens the vegan frosting.

How to Make Vegan Red Velvet Cake

Once you’ve gathered up the ingredients, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and start baking! Here’s what you’ll need to do.

• Prepare. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans and line them with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
• Make the buttermilk. Meanwhile, combine one tablespoon of vinegar with room-temperature vegan milk in a jar. Let it sit and curdle the milk so it thickens.
• Mix the dry ingredients. Next, in a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and sea salt. 
• Add the wet ingredients. Pour in the oil, buttermilk, vanilla extract, red food colouring, and warm milk. Beat the batter with an electric mixer on medium speed for no more than 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

• Combine the vinegar and baking soda. In a small bowl, mix the white vinegar and baking soda. (It will fizz.) Pour into the cake batter and stir to incorporate.
• Fill the cake pans. Now, divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and lightly tap them on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles.
• Bake. Place the pans in the center of the middle rack of your oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the centers of the cakes are baked through.
• Cool. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then carefully remove them and let them finish cooling on wire racks.

Assembling and Frosting the Cake

• Make the frosting. Beat the butter and cream cheese together in the bowl of a stand mixer for about 2 minutes until fully incorporated. Add in the vanilla and a pinch of salt, then beat in a cup of powdered sugar and all of the cornstarch until well-combined. Add the remaining powdered sugar a cup at a time until the frosting has reached the desired consistency.
• Assemble the cake. After the cakes have cooled, apply a thick layer of frosting to the top of one cake and stack the other on top.
• Add a crumb coat. Afterward, use an offset spatula to spread a thin layer of frosting over the sides and top of the cake. It should be thin enough that you can see the cake (and crumbs) through it. This is called a crumb coat. It’s used to help “catch” any stray crumbs so they don’t show through in the final layer of frosting.
• Frost the cake. Once the crumb coat is dry to the touch, frost the cake again. Store the cake in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.

Tips for the Best Vegan Red Velvet Layer Cake

• Don’t over-mix. Once the ingredients are incorporated, stop mixing! Stirring too much will ruin the texture of the cake.
• Level the cake layers. If your baked cakes have risen higher in the centers, creating “domes,” trim them before you stack the layers. This makes them nice and even and easy to frost.
• Chill the frosting. While you can use the frosting right away, I recommend refrigerating it for at least 4 hours, which helps it solidify a bit so it’s easier to work with.
• Be patient. Don’t frost the cake until the layers are completely cool. A warm cake will melt the frosting and result in a big mess!

How to Store

• Refrigerate. Keep this red velvet cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I recommend letting it come to room temperature before serving.
• To freeze this cake whole, place it on a plate or baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Place it directly in the freezer, uncovered, until the frosting is solid. Once the frosting is hardened, you can quickly wrap the cake with plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil, and freeze it for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
• If you’re freezing leftovers, you can simply freeze the cake slices in an airtight container.

More Vegan Cake Recipes

• Vegan Yellow Cake
• Vegan Carrot Cake
• Chocolate Strawberry Cake
• Vegan Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Frosting
• Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
• Pistachio Cake
• Vegan Coconut Cake

Enjoy, friends! If you make this vegan red velvet cake recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!