Red Velvet Cake is not just cake dyed red. It’s a lot more than that.
It’s a mix of subtle flavors: vanilla, chocolate, buttermilk. All these flavors are represented gorgeously, and subtly.
It’s like you can’t quite put your finger on it, is that vanilla I’m tasting? Oh wait no, it’s chocolate.
Paired with lemon buttercream frosting and some maraschino cherries this is a cake to remember!
Perfectly smooth, moist, dreamy and decadent, not to mention absolutely gorgeous with that glorious red color.
A note about the color. I used red food dye.
I just got mine in a regular supermarket. Foster Clark is a good one to use if you have it available, it’s been confirmed to be definitely vegan and works like a charm. It’s a UK brand though so not available everywhere I imagine. But from my research it seems that most red food dye is vegan these days. The non-vegan ingredients – cochineal or carmine – are not usually seen anymore.
I did try using beet juice to dye previous versions of this cake, and…. oh yuck.
It was the grossest cake I have ever made and the whole thing went straight into trash.
First off – it wasn’t moist, it was wet. Disgustingly so.
Okay sure, I clearly hadn’t balanced my wet and dry ingredients properly, but aside from being wet, it tasted like beets (not what you’re going for in a cake) and the red color did not even hold!
The chemical reactions that take place while baking stripped that red color right out of it and it was a rather gross shade of reddish brown. But way more brown than red.
I’ve heard of beets being used successfully but it sure isn’t something I ever want to try again, so red food dye it is!
Red food dye enabled this cake to come out beautifully, with the color holding absolutely perfectly.
This cake is ideal for birthdays or other special occasions and it definitely stands out from the crowd.
You will love this cake for its smoothness, richness, moistness, vibrant color, subtle flavors, hints of vanilla, hints of chocolate, hints of buttercream and lemony creamy frosting.
And if you love red velvet then check out our vegan red velvet cupcakes. Our midnight blue velvet cupcakes are something special too!
So go on and make this gorgeous vegan red velvet cake!
And let us know how it goes by rating it and leaving a comment.
And you’re definitely going to want to show off your creation, so take a photo and tag it #lovingitvegan on Instagram so we can go nuts over your gorgeous cake. 🙂
- For the cake:
- 2 cups (250g) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 cup (200g) Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)
- 1 cup (240ml) Vegan Homemade Buttermilk
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ⅓ cup (80ml) Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp White Vinegar (or Apple Cider Vinegar)
- 2 and ¾ Tbsp (28ml Bottle) Vegan Red Food Dye
- For the frosting:
- 3 and ¾ Cups (450g) Powdered Sugar
- 3 Tbsp (45g) Vegan Butter
- Juice of one lemon
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- For decoration:
- Maraschino Cherries
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit (180 degrees celsius).
- Sift the flour into a mixing bowl.
- Add the sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.
- To make the vegan buttermilk, squeeze half a lemon into a measuring jug and add soy milk up to the 1 cup line. Leave to sit for a minute, it will curdle into buttermilk.
- Add the buttermilk, vanilla extract, olive oil, vinegar and red food dye into the mixing bowl and mix in.
- Use a hand whisk to get rid of any lumps.
- Grease two 7 inch round cake tins with coconut oil and then cut circles of parchment paper to line the bottoms and divide the batter evenly between them.
- Place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake and if it comes out clean, it is cooked.
- Place the cakes onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.
- While the cakes are cooling, add the powdered sugar, vegan butter and vanilla to an electric mixing bowl and squeeze in the whole lemon.
- Start off at slow speed and gradually increase speed until the frosting is thick and smooth.
- It should be thick enough that it doesn't slide off the cake, but not so thick that you can't easily spread it. If the frosting is too thick, add a tbsp of soy milk. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar until you reach the right consistency.
- Spread frosting over the top of one of the cake layers. Add the other layer on top and frost the top and sides.
- Add cherries to decorate.
*Always weigh your flour for the most accurate results.
Hi!
Beautiful recipe, beautiful cake.
I just made it, but I’m afraid my pans were too big… My cake don’t look as “tall” as yours. I ended up making the cake again and having four layers in order for it to look good. I admit, it doesn’t look good, it looks a-ma-zing. But it may just be that I’ll be eating Red Velvet for the next year!
What size of cake pan do you use? (I used 8 inches round.)
Thank you!
Hi Isabelle! So glad it came out so beautifully! I can just imagine 4 layers of gorgeous red velvet! Yum! Okay good question, I just took a measuring tape to my cake tins as I wasn’t entirely sure. They measure 7 inches round. So yes, they are pretty small! Thanks so much for commenting, I’ll update the recipe and remember to include my cake tin sizes in future recipes 🙂
Do you have to use soymilk? Can you use any other non-dairy milk?
Hi Gaby, you absolutely can switch it out for any non-dairy milk of your choice 🙂
Hello! Lovely recipe 🙂
I was just wondering if tou could use Rice flour instead of all-purpose flour…
Thank tou!
Hi Patricia, thank you! I have tried doing a straight swap on one of my cake recipes and using rice flour instead and it flopped. It simply did not hold together. I tried again with a gluten-free all purpose flour blend and that worked, and with a few adjustments tasted great. I wrote about it on my post: http://lovingitvegan.com/gluten-free-chocolate-cake-with-chocolate-ganache-frosting – the gist of it is, gluten-free flours absorb more moisture, so increasing the oil in the recipe is also a good idea. 🙂
I was told it works better if you increase the “wet”, yes, so maybe I’ll try that. Thank you so much!
Hi,
Thank you so much for this lovely recipe! The cake looks absolutely grate (and tastes even better 🙂 )
I did make one adjustment though, because I find 450 gr of powdered sugar a little bit too sweet for my taste. So instead i used 200 gr of powdered suger and 60 gr of powdered coconot milk. I turned out great, still tastes really sweet and the consistency is also perfect. , so next time I might use even less sugar and a little bit more powdered coconot milk.
But thanks again!!!
Cake looks Great, not grate 😉
Awesome Pauline! Thanks so much for commenting! So glad it turned out well. 🙂
This cake looks wonderful! I have a few questions. I would like to bake this as cupcakes. Would the temperature affect the moisture of the cupcake? Do you any suggestions? Also, could coconut oil be used in lieu of the olive oil? Have you tried using coconut oil in this recipe before? If so, how was it?
Hi there! The temperature won’t affect it, and would stay the same, but you would bake it for less time. Cupcakes are usually cooked in around 20-25 minutes. I can’t give you an exact number as I haven’t tested this yet. I would check them after 20 minutes and if a toothpick inserted into the center doesn’t come out clean then put them back in and check every few minutes thereafter.
How does your cake stay together without a binder like flaxseed or applesauce? Does it crumble easily?
Hi Teresa, not at all. The gluten in all-purpose-flour binds pretty well on its own. If I were making a gluten-free version I would be more concerned about a binding agent.
I made this into cupcakes for my vegan daughter. The batter tasted excellent. I did use almond milk instead of soy. Thank you for this recipe. Today is her birthday. Red velvet is her favorite. Sweet sixteen today!
So cool! Hope she loves them! Thanks for posting! 🙂
For a fan oven will it need to be 160°C?
Hi Anya, the temperature stated is for a standard oven, I believe that in the case of a fan oven the temperature should be reduced by 20 degrees celsius, so in this case yes, that would be 160 degrees celsius, but to ensure accuracy, check your manufacturers instructions as ovens do differ.
This cake looks so amazing and I am beyond excited to make it, but for the cake batter do I use granulated or powdered sugar? Thank you!
Hi Blair, definitely granulated sugar for the batter. 🙂 Hope it comes out great!
Hi,
I’m wanting to have a go at this cake, looks yummy. When you say All-purpose Flour, is that the same as Self Raising or plain? (sorry if that may sound a little dumb)
Hi Jess, no it’s not the same as self raising. It will usually say on the package ‘All Purpose Flour’. However, I know in some countries things are named differently, you’d have to find out what the equivalent would be for wherever you’re based if you don’t have one easily available that’s called ‘All Purpose’.
Hi Alison,
Thanks for the recipe! I have one question however what brand of vegan food coloring are you using? I only found one based on concentrated beetroot (E162) and the result is not as vibrant red as yours.
Tasted great however!
Hi Kobe, I don’t have one on hand now to check the brand. It’s not a specifically ‘vegan’ brand, but most red food dye these days is vegan. I have not found beetroot coloring to be successful as once it bakes the color strips out of it. The ingredient you want to avoid is carmine, which is what red food dyes used to contain years ago, but these days they seldom do.
Would you happen to have a bottle of vegan red food colouring in your cupboard now you could check the name of please? I’ve made this cake 3 times now and the first two were amazing – however I then realised the food colouring wasn’t vegan. The third time I made it I used sainsbury’s own vegan red food colouring and it was a disaster! The colour was a browny purple, and not vibrant at all so would love to know the one you used to get your amazing redness!
I’ve used a few different ones at various times – the ingredient to avoid is carmine or cochineal, neither of which are vegan. You’ll likely find this useful: http://www.isitvegan.com/2012/02/21/is-red-food-coloring-vegan/
mine turned out disastrous!! i will have to try again. the icing sugar was a mess it was too runny and I didn’t even add soy milk to it…..
Hi Louise, that’s a pity! If you try again my advice would be to weigh your flour, the accuracy of the flour measurement is where most people go wrong. And then for the frosting, if it’s ever too thin, just add more powdered sugar. All the best!
I tried this with my boyfriend the other day (who’s not vegan) and his family went completely nuts over the cake!
We added a bit more cocoa powder because they like chocolate, and it was still absolutely amazing.
5/5!
Yay! That’s fantastic! Thanks for posting Iris! 🙂
Hi Alison,
A few days ago, I made a wedding cake for my sister, using your recipe. It turned out wonderfully!
Thanks
Sarah
Great to hear Sarah! And I responded to your other query via email. All the best! 🙂
This recipe is great for my mother who is allergic to eggs- she’s never been able to have a red velvet cake, and finally knows what she has been missing! As she is not allergic to dairy, we just used plain buttermilk, but I have a question about consistency. It’s very, VERY thick, almost like a very gluggy brownie. Should it be this thick, or do I need to add extra oil/buttermilk?
Hi Alex, no it should not be super thick. The best thing to do here is to weigh the flour, without weighing the flour it’s very easy to use too much. Also, I’m not really sure how using regular buttermilk would affect this, perhaps buttermilk is much thicker than my homemade vegan version? Not sure, but that could also be a contributing factor. All the best with it!
Just made this cake followed the exact recipe and I am extremely disappointed, the cake is complelyed flat it did not puff up or rise at all in the baking process. I was left with two very flat dense cakes and now have to find another recipe to whip up.
What a pity Kate! There can be some reasons this happens, such as if your baking soda is not fresh enough or if your oven temperature is not calibrated properly or if you beat the batter for too long (it should be whisked just enough to remove lumps and no more). I don’t think it would have anything to do with the flour in this instance. It’s always very disappointing if a cake doesn’t work out, I know the feeling! But I am very confident in this recipe as I make it regularly. All the best!
I am interested in making the frosting but no vegan butter is sold in my country. Can I use an oil (Olive or coconut)?
Will it work out just the same?
Have you ever tried this?
I made it two days ago…and this cake was phenomenal…I always thought chocolate vegan cake was my favorite until I tasted this one…What’s even more remarkable… You reap the great tasting flavour at least two days after baking…moistly flavored…definitely decadent
I tripled the ingredients and made 1 large cake…in no time everyone was saying how it is and asking for more!
Thanks Alison for this recipe…Its a keeper!!
That’s awesome Tommica, thanks for posting! 🙂
Hi Alison!
Liked your recipe very much and want to try it out. But i have few queries, firstly, can i skip vinegar or replace it with anything else? Secondly, i dont want to add the colour, so can i just skip it, will it effect the consistency of cake in any ways? Please do let me know, i want to make it for my husband’s birthday.
Thank you
You can leave out the color and just replace it with a couple of tablespoons of non-dairy milk instead so that the mix of wet and dry ingredients is still balanced. I wonder if you wouldn’t prefer one of my other cakes though, such as my chocolate cake or vanilla cake. If you use the search bar on the site you’ll find them. The vinegar is integral to the recipe as it interacts with the baking soda. All the best!
Hi Alison!
Thanks for your reply. Yes you were right, i really liked the vanilla cake and chocolate cake recipe, its very simple, must b tasty too. I ll try them. But again one more thing i need to ask, about the frosting, i dont have vegan butter, actually not easy to find here, so what can i use instead?
Instead of soy milk, can one substitute Coconut Milk? Will it get the curdling reaction with the lemon to get the buttermilk consistency?
If it’s the full fat coconut milk you get in a can, then no. I have used this in cheesecakes along with lemon juice and it doesn’t curdle, which is great for cheesecake! I would assume most non-dairy milk would curdle but don’t use the coconut milk from a can/carton, try a different non-dairy milk and see.
Hi! This looks lovely! I would love to use your recipe for my wedding cake. Do you know how many cups of batter you had all together? So I can try to calculate how much I need of every component. Thank you!
Oh and also, how high is your cake? I tried this recipe but it looks a lot less high 🙁
Hi Kim! Sorry I have NO idea. This isn’t something that I measured. All the best with your wedding plans!
Hi, Alison, just wondered would this recipe be ok to use to make round lollipop cakes? It looks gorgeous and I can’t wait to try it , I want to make them for comic relief as red velvet noses.
Hi Mandy! Do you mean like cake pops? I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work perfectly for this! All the best and would love to see a pic! 🙂
Will send a picture when I do them thanks xxx
Hello! I really want to make this cake but would like it to be gluten-free. Can I use some other flour like rye, buckwheat, rice…??
Use a gluten-free all purpose baking blend like Bob’s Red Mill and then increase the oil to half a cup and also add 2 Tbsp applesauce. It can be a good idea (but not essential) to use brown sugar as well, as it has more moisture than white sugar and this helps with gluten-free baking.
Hello Alison,
Is it okay if I bake in a glass pan instead of a cake tin? Also, can I use normal milk instead of soy milk for the Vegan Buttermilk?
Thank you.
Hi, I don’t really know about the glass pan, it should be okay, if it’s oven safe. Yes, that milk would do fine for the homemade buttermilk.
I just made this cake. The taste is amazing, however it came out very dry.
It’s definitely not supposed to be dry, my guess would be using slightly too much flour, which is easy to do unless you weigh it. So the best thing to do is to always weigh your flour to get the expected results.
Hey Alison.
I just made the cake. The frosting turned out very dry and thick. Also the taste is very sweet and sour. What can I do for the frosting?
Thank you.
Maybe your lemon wasn’t good. You can add more vegan butter and/or some non-dairy milk to thin out your frosting.
I am so glad I came across this recipe and your wonderful website! This was the first vegan cake I baked and it was so easy! The birthday boy(my 7 year old) said it was the best cake ever 😀
I baked it in square tin pans as I was aiming for a soccer field and it worked wonderfully. The icing on the cake was perfect too!
Lovely! Thanks so much for posting!
Beet powder will impart a red color without the moist rooty taste of the beet juice. Raspberry powder is also an option. And there are companies that make maraschino cherries without red40. Once I started eating more healthfully, I came to appreciate the natural colors and the real foods that they represented. The “duller” natural colors are in contrast to the synthetic colors that were normalized to me growing up. The recipe looks amazing, though! Looking forward to trying it. Thank you for sharing!
Sure, these are all good options, thanks for sharing!