This vegan red velvet cake is rich, moist, vibrantly red and topped with a delicious tangy lemon buttercream frosting.
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 a tangy lemon buttercream frosting this is a cake to remember!
Perfectly moist, dreamy and decadent, not to mention absolutely gorgeous with that glorious red color.
This cake is ideal for birthdays or other special occasions and it definitely stands out from the crowd.
It’s also really versatile and can be adapted for different size cake pans.
And if you love red velvet then also check out our vegan red velvet cupcakes and vegan red velvet cookies. You’ll also love our vegan blue velvet cake and vegan blue velvet cupcakes.
Ingredients You’ll Need To Make This Cake:
Ingredient Notes
- Red gel food color – our favorite brand is Americolor Super Red. Gels are much more concentrated than liquid food colors, so you can use much less and still get a very rich vibrant color.
- White vinegar – distilled white vinegar does two things in this cake recipe. It reacts with the baking soda and the acid in the vegan buttermilk and causes the cake to rise. It also helps to strengthen the color.
- Canola oil – can be switched for vegetable oil if you prefer.
- Vegan buttermilk – we make a homemade vegan buttermilk by mixing lemon juice and soy milk. You can also make vegan buttermilk with almond milk but I prefer soy milk as it creates a thicker, richer buttermilk.
How To Make Vegan Red Velvet Cake
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Sift all purpose flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl and add the sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix together.
- Prepare the vegan buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to a measuring jug and then adding soy milk up to the 1 cup (240ml) line. Let it curdle into buttermilk.
- Add the vegan buttermilk, oil, vinegar, vanilla extract and red gel food color and mix it into a batter. Don’t overmix.
- Divide the batter between three 6-inch round cake pans (sprayed with non-stick spray and lined with circles of parchment paper along the bottom) and smooth down.
- Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for a few minutes and then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- If your cakes have domes, then use a sharp knife to level them.
- When the cakes are completely cooled, frost and decorate.
The Frosting
We used our vegan lemon buttercream frosting recipe to frost this cake. The tangy lemon is a perfect complement to the flavor of red velvet.
A more common pairing for red velvet is a cream cheese frosting and our vegan cream cheese frosting also works great.
About That Color!
A note about the color. I used red food dye.
Initially we made this cake with a liquid red food color but have since switched to a red gel color (Americolor is our favorite brand) and it works wonderfully and is confirmed to be cruelty free.
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…. I did not manage to make that work – to put it nicely.
It was the worst I have ever made and the whole thing went straight into trash, to put it more bluntly.
First off – it tasted like beets! Yum. Or rather, not yum at all!
All that and the red color did not hold.
The chemical reactions that take place while baking stripped that red color right out of it and it was a not terribly appealing shade of reddish brown. But way more brown than red.
I’ve heard of beets being used successfully but it might be out of my purview, so red food dye it is!
Red food dye enabled this cake to come out beautifully, with the color holding absolutely perfectly.
Baker’s Tips
- Weigh your flour or spoon and level. If you have a food scale then I highly recommend weighing out the flour for perfect accuracy. If you don’t have a food scale, then spoon and level the flour. Spoon it into your measuring cup and level off the top with the back of a knife. Don’t pack it into the cup and don’t scoop the flour.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing the batter can result in a dense cake. Mix it with a spoon or a hand whisk (don’t use a stand mixer) and mix it until just mixed.
- Don’t let the batter sit for too long before baking. As soon as your batter is mixed, divide it between your cake pans and then bake right away. Don’t let it stand too long or it can affect the rise.
- Level the cakes. If the cakes have domed on top then it’s best to level them with a sharp knife. If I’m making a two layer cake I seldom do it, but for a three layer cake it helps to level them. Serious Eats have a great tutorial on how to level cakes with a knife.
Recipe FAQ
The flavor of vegan red velvet cake is a gorgeous blend of vanilla and chocolate, with a hint of tanginess from the vegan buttermilk.
For a gluten-free red velvet cake try a gluten free all purpose baking blend to replace the regular flour, in the same quantity. We like Bob’s Red Mill brand.
This recipe makes a perfect 12 cupcakes! Bake for 20 minutes. Or just check out our vegan red velvet cupcakes.
Storing and Freezing
Keep it covered at room temperature where it will stay fresh for a few days (3-4) or keep it covered in the fridge where it will stay good for up to a week.
It is also freezer friendly for up to 3 months.
More Vegan Cake Recipes
- Vegan White Cake
- Vegan Banana Cake
- Vegan Carrot Cake
- Vegan Vanilla Cake
- Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Lemon Cake
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Red Velvet Cake
Ingredients
For the Red Velvet Cake:
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour (250g)
- 1 Tablespoon Cocoa Powder Unsweetened
- 1 cup White Granulated Sugar (200g)
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Vegan Buttermilk (240ml) 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice + Soy Milk up to the 1 cup (240ml) line
- ½ cup Canola Oil (120ml) or Vegetable Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Distilled White Vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon Red Gel Food Color
For the Frosting:
- 4 cups Powdered Sugar (480g)
- ½ cup Vegan Butter (112g)
- 2 teaspoons Lemon Extract
- 2-3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray three 6-inch cake pans (*see notes for different pan sizes) with non-stick spray and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper.
- Sift all purpose flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl and add the sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix together.
- Prepare the vegan buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to a measuring jug and then adding soy milk up to the 1 cup (240ml) line. Let it curdle into buttermilk.
- Add the vegan buttermilk, oil, vinegar, vanilla extract and red gel food color and mix it into a batter. Don't overmix.
- Divide the batter between the three prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for a few minutes and then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- While the cakes are cooling, add the powdered sugar, vegan butter, lemon extract and 2 tablespoons lemon juice to the bowl of your stand mixer and starting at slow speed gradually increase speed until the frosting is thick and smooth. If needed add more lemon juice (see notes*).
- If your cakes have domes, then use a sharp knife to level them.
- When the cakes are completely cooled, frost and decorate.
Notes
- Measure the flour correctly using the spoon and level method – spoon the flour into a measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife – don’t scoop it and don’t pack the flour into the cup. Alternatively weigh it on a food scale.
- Vegan buttermilk can also be made with almond milk. Other non-dairy milks may not curdle as well as soy or almond milk but could still be used.
- Red gel food color. We used Americolor brand and highly recommend it.
- Level the cakes. If the cakes have domed on top then it’s best to level them with a sharp knife. If I’m making a two layer cake I seldom do it, but for a three layer cake it helps to level them.
- Frosting – the amount of lemon juice you need for your frosting will depend on the brand of vegan butter you use. Stick style vegan butter has a much lower water content than a soft tub style vegan butter. Only use as much lemon juice as you need to get a thick but spreadable frosting.
- Baking pan sizes. This cake can adapt as follows:
- Three 6-inch round cake pans – bake for 20 minutes
- Two 7-inch round cake pans – bake for 25 minutes
- Two 8-inch round cake pans – bake for 20 minutes
- One 9-inch round cake pan – bake for 30 minutes
- One 9×9 square cake pan – bake for 25 minutes
- Cupcakes – This recipe makes a perfect 12 cupcakes. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Gluten-Free – if you’d like to make this cake gluten-free then I recommend using a gluten free all purpose baking blend to replace the regular flour.
- Storing and freezing – store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. The frosted or unfrosted cake is freezer friendly for up to 3 months.
- This recipe has been updated with new photos and lots of extra tips, but the recipe itself is the same.
Lyndsay says
Would I need to adjust the quantity to make this as a single-layer cake in a quarter sheet (12″ x 9″) tray? Thanks.
Alison Andrews says
Hi Lyndsay, I think you would need to increase the recipe by half and then the baking time would be 5-10 mins shorter but you’d just have to keep a check on it.
Lyndsay Walker says
Many thanks Alison, I will give it a try.
A.S. says
My 11 year old son and I just made this cake (minus the frosting). He has recently developed a dairy allergy and red velvet cake is his favorite cake in the world. He found this recipe and read the reviews.
I am blown away. I made it in a springform pan and I followed the recipe exactly. I think I may add one more Tbsp of cocoa powder next time but besides that it was perfect for us.
Very moist (I thought it would be dry). I can tell I’ll be baking this for him a lot.
Thanks for this website!!!
Alison Andrews says
I’m SO pleased it was a success! Thanks so much for the amazing review! 🙂
Ishita says
Hii
I want to try this recipe for my best friend’s birthday tomorrw. But i noticed there js no baking soda in this recipe . How would the cake rise without baking soda?
Alison Andrews says
Hi, there is baking soda in this recipe. 🙂
Zoey says
Can I use almond milk instead?
Alison Andrews says
Definitely.
Sam says
Hi,
This cake is delicious and a massive hit with my family! However, when I made the frosting, the lemon juice made the icing separate and go weird! Is there any way I can avoid this or is it okay to just leave the lemon juice entirely next time I make this?
Thanks!
Alison Andrews says
Hi Sam! So glad you like the cake. Pity about the frosting! That’s weird. You can definitely leave out the lemon juice, or just make a basic vanilla frosting for the cake. 🙂
Shan says
HI. I am going to try the red velvet cake for my son’s bday. First time for everything 🙂
Can I use cake flour instead of all purpose?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Shan, I think you can, others have successfully used cake flour in our recipes. All the best! 🙂
Danielle says
Hi so I just tried this recipe which tastes really good however my cake did not come as fluffy as yours, what do you think my mistake was ?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Danielle, so glad to hear it tasted good! I am not sure what might’ve happened, do you mean it was a bit dense?
Danielle says
Yes, it was quite dense rather than a soft type of centre. Could it be that I didn’t mix it enough ?
Alison Andrews says
The most likely thing would be accidentally using too much flour. Do you have a food scale? If you can weigh the flour that should help a lot. If you already weighed the flour and know you used the right amount, then it could be a case of over-mixing. You have to mix it just ‘enough’ that everything is properly combined, but if you mix it too much, that can also result in a cake that is a little dense. Hope this helps! All the best! xo
Vivian says
This cake is fabulous! Moist and delicious!
I had to add a little more lemon juice to the frosting but it’s really good!
If I could give this 10 stars I would!!
Thanks for sharing!!!
Alison Andrews says
Wonderful! So happy to hear that. Thank you so much Vivian! 🙂
Raz says
Hey Alison,
The recipe looks great and i’m definitely going to try it!
Is there a good alternative for the Maraschino Cherries? can i use fresh cherries?
Thanks!
Alison Andrews says
Hi Raz, sure, you can use any cherries or you can leave them off as well if you prefer. 🙂
tenk says
Caution: Do *NOT* use gluten free 1-1 flour! I made this for a friend’s birthday that needed to be gluten free and vegan. It looked wonderful in the pans when I removed them from the oven, and when I took them out, they all but crumbled. I tried to put them back together but sadly it just made a mess.
I admit that it’s my mistake (didn’t know it would happen that badly) but it was still delicious!
Chanti says
Did you use a gum to bind it ? As most gluten-free plain flour doesn’t contain it
Myra says
Also one more thing to be aware for all UK readers, make sure to buy “natural cacao”. Cacao powder over here is usually alkalized (unlike in the US) resulting in a much darker and richer colour which isn’t what you want in a red velvet cake. Usually found in the baking aisle of bigger supermarkets.
Myra says
Sadly quite a few supermarket brands for red food colouring are non vegan here in the UK such as Dr Oetker, Aldi own brand and possibly others. I get mine online from Ebay or Amazon. Rainbow dust is the company and their Ruby red is absolutely gorgeous in a red velvet!
Alison Andrews says
Hi Myra, thanks for sharing your favorite brand, I’m sure that will be very helpful to others. A UK brand that I’ve used is Foster Clark (they have confirmed to me that their red color is vegan) and that also turned out great.
Balendra Singh says
If I had to pick just one red velvet cake recipe to use forever, this would be the winner!
Alison Andrews says
Fantastic! Thanks so much! ?
rhiannon says
very tasty but i needed to bake the cake for longer x
Emma says
Hi, I am thinking about giving this a try next weekend but will be baking with 6-inch baking tins. Do you know if I would have to change the oven temperature or baking time?
Thanks x
Alison Andrews says
Hi Emma, it will be fine, the layers will just be thicker. No changes needed. 🙂
Crono says
Just made this yesterday, and it turned out great. I thought the lemon frosting might be slightly too lemony, but it’s not and actually complements the sweet, moist cake layers fairly well. I made one small substitution, though, using (real aged) balsamic vinegar instead of regular vinegar.
Alison Andrews says
Thanks for sharing! Glad to hear it worked with balsamic vinegar as well. 🙂
Vanessa says
Hi Alison,this cake looks amazing! I recently started a vegan diet because I have high cholesterol and would love to make this for my birthday next month. I noticed you didn’t include a flax egg. Does the cake not need it for structure ?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Vanessa, it doesn’t need it for structure no, I have quite a few cakes that don’t use a flax egg. 🙂 Congratulations on starting a vegan diet, hope you’ll have great success with it (and lots of fun!). Thanks for posting. 🙂