Vegan Red Velvet Cake

square image of a red cake with white frosting and red crumbles on top

4.82 stars (22 ratings)

Vegan Red Velvet Cake

The most amazing Vegan Red Velvet Cake! Moist, fluffy layers of red cake with a hint of chocolate. Sweet, tangy vegan cream cheese frosting. Simply incredible!

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Cooling time1

Total Time1 55

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 329kcal

Author: Nora Taylor

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

3 cups cake flour
2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2-4 teaspoons vegan red gel food coloring or more if using liquid or beet powder

Frosting

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting double if you want a lot for piping

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray two round 8-inch cake pans with nonstick spray. Place a circle of parchment paper on the bottom of each pan, for easy removal of the cakes.
Make the cake batter - In a large bowl, whisk all dry ingredients together. Now add all the wet ingredients and stir until just combined, but do not over mix. Add a little more food dye until the batter is quite red - it will fade in the oven, so you need more than you think for a rich, red cake.
Bake the cakes - Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Cool - Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then transfer carefully to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Crumbles - If your cakes have domes, use a large serrated knife to slice a thin layer off the top. Crumble and use for decorating the top of the cake, if desired.
Frost and serve - Prepare the frosting. Once the cake has cooled completely (this is essential, or your cake will slip and break!), spread a layer of frosting on the first cake layer. Place the second layer on top, and frost the top and sides, piping additional frosting on as desired. Sprinkle crumbles on top for decoration. Serve immediately, or keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator until serving.

Notes

You may use another milk if needed, such as oat, almond or coconut.
You may use all purpose flour if needed, but cake flour will result in a much lighter, fluffier cake.
Gluten free - Replace all purpose flour with a quality gluten free flour. It might be rather gummy gluten free, but this will depend on the brand of flour you use. I like Better Batter.
Storing the cake - This cake should be stored in the refrigerator (for up to 3-4 days). Though before serving, let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. You can also freeze the cake.
Red food dyes vary a lot in terms of color and how much you need. With gel, you will need much less to achieve a deep red. If you don't want to use food dye, you can use about 3 tablespoons beetroot powder, but the cake still won't be as red.

Nutrition