This vegan Red Velvet Cake is worthy of a celebration, but simple enough to make any day of the week! Topped with our best vegan cream cheese frosting!
1cupsoy milk or other vegan milk(240mL), room temperature
2cupswhite granulated sugar(400g)
3cupsall-purpose flour(360g)
2tablespoonsunsweetened cocoa powder(16g)
2teaspoonsbaking powder
1teaspoonsea salt
¾cupoil(150g)
1teaspoonvanilla extract
1oz.liquid red food colouring(bright red)
1cupwarm soy milk(240mL)
2teaspoonsbaking soda
1teaspoonwhite vinegar
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
8ouncesvegan cream cheese* bring to room temperature
½cupvegan butter sticks bring to room temperature(4oz/113g)
1teaspoonvanilla extract or vanilla paste
pinchof sea salt
3cupsto 4 cups of powdered sugar sifted(480g for 4 cups)
1/4cupcornstarch sifted(32g)
Instructions
Grease and flour two 9” cake pans and line with parchment paper. It’s essential so that the cake doesn’t stick.
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
In a jar, add the tablespoon of vinegar and room temperature vegan milk together to curdle to form a buttermilk. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and sea salt. Using a whisk, whisk all the ingredients together, removing any clumps that may form.
Pour in the oil, the buttermilk mix from earlier, the vanilla extract and the red food colouring.
Heat up that additional milk in the microwave for 40 seconds (or on stove top until warm, not boiling). You want it warm enough to dissolve but not boiling.
Add it to the bowl on top of everything. Beat on medium speed of electric mixer for no more than 1 minute on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl once in between to ensure that everything is incorporated. You want to mix until just combined.
In a small bowl, mix together the white vinegar and baking soda. Yes, it will fizz! Add it to the cake batter and stir well to combine, for about 30 more seconds. Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and place them in the preheated oven.
Tap the pans on the counter three times lightly to remove any air bubbles.
Place the pans in the middle rack of your oven and in the center of that rack. Bake for 25 minutes until fully baked.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then carefully remove them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
After cooled, frost with vegan cream cheese frosting and some red velvet crumbs. Enjoy!
Since Red Velvet can be very messy with crumbs going everywhere, it would help to do a crumb coating first to help “glue” down the crumbs before doing the entire cake.
Using an offset spatula, 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. Get your frosting as smooth as you can and let it dry slightly until it crusts over a little bit and is dry to the touch. Sometimes placing it in the fridge for 30 minutes helps too.
After the coat is dry, you can apply the final layer of frosting.
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together for about 2 minutes until fully incorporated.
Add in the vanilla extract or paste and the pinch of salt.
Add in a cup of sifted powdered sugar and all of the sifted cornstarch. Mix for about 1 minute or until incorporated. Add in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until the frosting has reached the desired thickness.
Place the frosting wrapped or covered into the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight, until being used. You can enjoy it right away, but it will thicken up beautifully in the fridge.
You can apply it immediately to a cooled cake, then place in the fridge, or place the frosting itself, then apply to the cake later. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
How to Store: Red velvet cake can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let it come to room temperature before serving.How to Freeze: To freeze the 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 place the cake slices in an airtight container.