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.
Deepa says
Hi, Can I use the same recipe for cupcakes instead of a whole cake? I saw flax egg in your cupcake recipe which I don’t like to use..
Alison Andrews says
Yes you can.
Bele says
Hi would it be okay if I skip the red color?
Alison Andrews says
Of course, if you don’t need it to be red, you can omit it.
Leonie Sinclair says
Can this cake be made ahead of time and frozen. How many days do you think would it last if I just refrigerated it, prior to decorating it?
Alison Andrews says
If you refrigerate overnight and frost the next day that will be fine, but keeping it in the fridge for a few days will have diminishing returns in terms of taste. It’s fine for leftovers, but it’s always going to be best in the first day or two after baking. If you freeze it the day of baking though then that will be fine.
Beatriz Ortiz says
Hello! I really want to try to incorporate some strawberries or mixed berries into the batter. Do you think it would change something? Like, with the baking or quality of the cake? Im worried its gonna destroy the recipe, but I’ve eaten other red velvet cakes with fruit. Do you think fresh or frozen ones are better?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Beatriz, I think it could be very risky because it’s adding a lot of water content to the batter via the fruit. I think if a recipe is designed with this in mind then that’s a lot better. I’m not sure how well this would adapt to that.
Honalq says
Hello for the frosting can I use something instead of the butter?
Alison Andrews says
Some have success using coconut oil, but it’s not something I’ve tried.
Pınar says
Hi, I made your recipe more than once. It tastes great. But I have a problem with the color. I can’t have it red it comes out brown as a light cocoa cake. I tried to use less cocoa but it’s not still red enough. Do you have any idea what’s the reason ?
Alison Andrews says
Hi there, some liquid food coloring is just not that strong and doesn’t hold that well with baked goods. I would try a different brand of food coloring, or use a gel food coloring instead (if you do use a gel you will be able to use much less, about a teaspoon).
Elisabeth says
This looks great! I love red velvet, however I’m looking to make this into a sheet cake for the 4th of July . What size baking dish should I use and should I adjust bake times? Thanks!
Alison Andrews says
Hi Elisabeth, I haven’t tested this as a sheet cake so I’m not sure. I would probably try a quarter sheet cake pan and see how it goes. As far as timing goes, you’ll just have to keep a watch on it and check for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center.
Angelina Phillips says
hi what could I substitute the white vinegar for?
Alison Andrews says
You could use apple cider vinegar instead, but white vinegar is preferable.
Melanie says
Hi Alison! Did you use gel or liquid food dye? I used powdered and my cake come out a little bit salty, besides from that the texture was great.
Alison Andrews says
Hi Melanie, we used liquid. The gel is more powerful so you could likely use less of it. I’ve never used a powder so I’m not sure at all what effect that has. Glad the texture was good though! 🙂
Samantha says
Hi!
This cake looks amazing! My family is vegan and we’ve been on the hunt for the perfect red velvet cake recipe for my mom’s birthday!
My question – I have several 9-inch pans, no 7-inch pans. Is it possible to make this or modify it to work in 9-inch pans? I don’t bake often (pretty much never) so am hoping not to have to purchase 7-inch pans just for this recipe if possible.
Thanks so much for your time!
Samantha 🙂
Alison Andrews says
Hi Samantha, you can double the recipe for a 2 layer 9-inch cake. Baking times will be exactly the same.
Soni says
How about for an 8inch tin? Would 1.5 times the recipe work? Also could I use lemon juice instead of vinegar?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Soni, yes that should work, and lemon juice should also be fine. 🙂
Conn says
Hi Alison,
The cupcakes are to die for 🙂
I was wondering why you add flax egg in them but not in the cake.
Dhara says
This works !!!!
Brilliant..super happy with the results..I’m going to try more of your recipes..
Thank you so much !!
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! Thanks so much Dhara! 🙂
Lauren says
hello! I would love to try this for my son’s birthday cake but I’m not an experienced baker. I only have 8″ round pans….do you know what adjustments I would need to make to accommodate that pan size? Thank you!
Alison Andrews says
Hi Lauren, I would increase the recipe by half. So 2 cups of flour becomes 3, 1 cup of sugar becomes 1 and 1/2 cups and so on. I would definitely test it before the time so you can see how you go with it. All the best! 🙂
Helen Kim says
Hello! I made this with my kids today and it was a big hit! The cake turned out perfect but the frosting (although delicious) had a very strong lemon flavor and not quite the traditional red velvet frosting I was going for. I used 4 tablespoons of lemon juice and measured out 450 grams of powdered sugar, 45 grams of vegan butter and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Do you know what I can do to fix the taste of the frosting? Thank you so much!
P.S: My kids and I have made your baking recipes countless times and it’s so delicious every single time! Thank you!! 🙂
Alison Andrews says
So glad you enjoyed the cake! Sorry the frosting wasn’t to your taste. In terms of fixing it, you could add more vegan butter and powdered sugar to dilute the lemon flavor. So happy you enjoy the recipes and thanks so much for the great rating! 🙂
Helen Kim says
We will definitely try that! Thank you so much! ????????
Alice says
Hi, I’m looking to bake this for a friend, and I have a couple of questions. Firstly, could I substitute 2tsp-3tsp of baking powder for the baking soda? Secondly (this is more just out of interest!), how come you have chosen a buttercream frosting rather than a cream cheese one? Just because I always thought cream cheese was more traditional, so I was wondering if you did it for a specific reason. I love your recipes and am really looking forward to testing this one out!
Alison Andrews says
Hi Alice, the baking soda and the vinegar react together in this recipe to give the cake rise. I’m not sure how well it would work to switch for baking powder. It might be fine but I haven’t tested it. When I made this cake, I didn’t have any vegan cream cheese options so I couldn’t make a cream cheese frosting. We do have a vegan cream cheese frosting recipe now and it would definitely work well here too! 🙂
Vanessa says
Ermine frosting is traditionally used for a red velvet cake but I found this frosting to be surprisingly great. This cake has become my new favorite birthday cake! I honestly couldn’t tell that it was vegan.
Alison Andrews says
Thank you so much Vanessa! 🙂
Abisola Olaleye says
Hi
Lovely red velvet cake. Just made it. Is the whole cake less than 500 calories?
Thank you!
Alison Andrews says
Nooo, that’s per slice. 🙂
Hana says
Hello,
How would I increase this recipe to 3-9 inch pans?
Thank you
Alison Andrews says
Hi Hana, I would double the recipe. All the best! 🙂