Red Velvet Cake made Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, and Soy-Free

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, I’ve been seeking sweet recipes to honor the occasion. And what could be more fitting, in both color and indulgence, than a decadent Red Velvet Cake. But this isn’t any old cake recipe. This is a gluten-free vegan red velvet cake from The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook by Cybele Pascal. We originally featured this recipe in 2010, but are giving it a big update!

Gluten-Free Vegan Red Velvet Cake from the Allergen-Free Baker

Cybele is the founder of the amazing cookie company, Cybele’s Free to Eat, and she definitely knows her way around sweets. According to Cybele:

My whole family goes crazy for this gluten-free red velvet cake. It’s so gorgeous and festive and sounds so luxurious. This old-fashioned Southern favorite can be made even healthier by using Seelect Natural Food Coloring, which I order online. That way, you can let them eat cake without the slightest tinge of guilt.

Unlike most recipes, this gluten-free red velvet cake has a creamy dairy-free “velvet” frosting. But you can make a dairy-free cream cheese style frosting, if preferred. Either way, it’s a wonderful dessert that you can make without dairy, egg, gluten, nuts, sesame, and soy.

More Ingredient Tips

• Cocoa Powder: Use a natural / unsweetened cocoa powder, not Dutch-processed. It lends some natural red hue to the cake and also reacts with some of the baking soda.
• Baking Powder: I always test my baking powder before using it. Put a little in a dish and add some hot / boiling water. It should fizz and bubble vigorously. If it’s lackluster, your baking powder is losing its oomph. Buy fresh baking powder before proceeding! Using flat baking powder can result in a denser cake that taste flour-y.
• Baking Soda: If you don’t have enough neutralizing ingredients, your cake can taste bitter. That’s why it’s essential to use the vinegar and natural cocoa powder.
• Food Dye: Some brands can taste bitter or unpleasant when used in quantity. Natural brands tend to be better overall for taste, but it helps to use a brand you trust.

Special Diet Notes: Gluten-Free Vegan Red Velvet Cake

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, vegetarian, and top food allergy-friendly.

Cybele Pascal

Gluten-Free Vegan Red Velvet Cake

4.50 from 8 votes

This two-layer cake works for all occasions, including birthdays and holidays. But it's deep reddish hue makes it especially festive for Valentine's Day, 4th of July, and Christmas.

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings: 16 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 443

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

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Red Velvet Cake

• 2 ¾ cups Basic Gluten-Free Flour Blend
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 ½ teaspoons double-acting baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 ½ cups plain rice milk or milk alternative of choice
• 1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• ¾ cup dairy-free, soy-free shortening
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 4 ½ teaspoons powdered egg replacer mixed with 6 tablespoons rice milk (equivalent of 3 eggs)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1-ounce bottle red food coloring
• 1 recipe Velvet Frosting (recipe follows)

Velvet Frosting

• 1 cup dairy-free, soy-free shortening
• pinch salt
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 tablespoons plain rice milk or milk alternative of choice
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method

 

For the Red Velvet Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans, line with cutout parchment paper, grease again, and dust with a little cocoa powder.
2. Whisk together the flour mix, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Combine the rice milk and cider vinegar in a medium bowl.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the shortening, sugar, egg replacer, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the food coloring and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Sift in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the rice milk mixture, and beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
4. Divide the batter between the two pans, and smooth down the surface using a frosting spatula.
5. Bake in the center of the oven for about 35 minutes, or until the cake is beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Rotate the pans halfway through the baking time.
6. Let cool in the pans on a cooling rack for 30 minutes. Cover the cake pan with a large plate, flip, peel off the parchment paper, and flip the cake back onto the rack, right side up, to cool completely. Repeat with the other cake.
7. Once the cakes have cooled completely, you may use a serrated knife to trim the tops to make them level.

For the Velvet Frosting

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the shortening and salt on medium speed for 1 minute.
2. Add the confectioners’ sugar in three batches, beating after each addition.
3. Add the rice milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until smooth, creamy, and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
4. Frost the cake with the Velvet Frosting.
5. Once the frosting has set, store covered at room temperature. This cake is even better on days two and three.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 443kcalCarbohydrates: 58.7gProtein: 2.4gFat: 23.5gSaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 360mgFiber: 2.6gSugar: 40.9g

Notes

Credit: Reprinted with permission from The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook: How to Bake Without Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Eggs, Soy, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, and Sesame. Copyright © 2009 by Cybele Pascal, Celestial Arts, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA. Photo credit: Chugrad McAndrews.

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