This vegan red velvet cake is incredible! It has a silky, velvety crumb, and is wonderfully soft, fluffy and moist. Made with simple pantry ingredients and mixed all in one bowl, this cake is super easy to make. And it’s topped with vegan cream cheese frosting for the most classic pairing!

Vegan red velvet cake on plate with slices cut open showing cross section of cake.

Simple Ingredients You’ll Need

Flat-lay of ingredients for red velvet cake.

The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Notes About The Ingredients

Vegan-friendly red food coloring. Red dye sometimes contains carmine which comes from beetles! Some vegan-friendly brands include AmeriColor, Wilton, and Queen Fine Foods (Australia). Beetroot powder can work but the results are inconsistent and depend on the brand and age of your powder. Some companies also sell vegan-friendly natural red dye.

Dairy-free milk. In baking, I always prefer using unsweetened soy milk, as it’s higher in protein and results in a more tender cake. However, any milk will work for example, oat milk or almond milk.

Sugar doesn’t only add sweetness but makes the cake fluffier and moister!

Cocoa powder adds a hint of chocolate flavor. Since cocoa powder doesn’t have gluten in it, it also helps create a lighter and fluffier cake. I used Dutch-process cocoa powder for a stronger chocolate flavor, but natural cocoa powder will also work.

Apple cider vinegar reacts with the non-dairy milk to make vegan buttermilk. It gives the cake a more tender crumb and reacts with the raising agents to add depth of flavor. Lemon juice or white vinegar will also work.

Close up of layers inside red velvet cake with contrasting deep red colored cake and cream cheese frosting.

Making The Cake Batter

The batter for this red velvet cake truly comes together in one bowl! First, stir all the dry ingredients until well combined. Add the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. And that’s it!

For the best vegan red velvet cake, here are some expert tips:

  • If your cocoa powder is lumpy, sift it beforehand!
  • I recommend adding more red food coloring than you think you’ll need. The red color will fade and darken in the oven!
  • Avoid overmixing your cake batter. Some lumps in your batter are fine, as long as they aren’t lumps of dry flour. If you use a hand mixer or stand mixer, I suggest mixing the batter on low speed to prevent overmixing.
Four image collage showing how to make the cake batter in one bowl.

Tips For Baking The Cake

This red velvet cake is also very straightforward to bake!

For the best results, here are some extra tips:

  • For even cake layers, use a kitchen scale or measuring cups to divide the cake batter evenly between your prepared cake pans. Having the same batter in each pan means the cakes will bake at the same rate. And you won’t have one dry thin layer and one underbaked thick layer!
  • For extra flat layers, I recommend using cake strips. Cake strips encourage cakes to bake more evenly and minimize doming. They’re always ideal for layer cakes!
Two image collage showing before and after cake in cake tin is baked.

Cream Cheese Frosting And Alternatives

This red velvet cake is perfectly paired with a soft and tangy cream cheese frosting. Here are my top tips for the frosting:

  • Use a reliable brand of vegan cream cheese for example, Toffuti. Some brands tend to split when you whip them. And make sure your cream cheese is fresh. If you freeze cream cheese then thaw it, it will also split in frosting.
  • Cream cheese frosting is more temperature sensitive and will soften quickly when it’s warm. When you frost your cake, make sure your cake layers aren’t warm at all. If your frosting softens while you decorate the cake, pop your cake in your fridge or freezer for 30 minutes.

If you don’t want to make cream cheese frosting, here are some other options:

Red velvet cake on plate with slice cut out lifted up revealing layers.

Storage Tips

If you’d like to make this vegan red velvet cake ahead of time, store the cake layers separately from the frosting. Store the cakes in plastic wrap or an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. And you can keep the frosting in your refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

If you live in a warm climate, store leftover cake in an airtight container in the fridge. Cream cheese frosting tends to soften when it’s warm! 1-2 hours before serving, let the cake come to room temperature and it’ll be perfect for serving.

If you live in a cooler climate, store the cake at room temperature for up to 1 day.

Close up of one slice of red velvet cake.

Customizing This Red Velvet Cake Recipe

Can I make this cake gluten-free or refined sugar-free?

My team and I have tested a few gluten-free variations and recommend either King Arthur’s measure for measure flour, and a blend of all-purpose gluten-free flour and almond flour. Please see the notes in the recipe box for more details.

To make the cake refined sugar-free, you can use brown sugar or coconut sugar but your cake will be a dark red-brown color.

Can I bake the cake in a different cake pan?

This recipe will also work in:
– Two 7-inch and 9-inch cake pans. If using 7-inch pans, they’ll need to be at least 2 inches tall otherwise they will overflow. You will also need to adjust the baking time.
– One 9-inch square cake pan
– One 10-inch round cake pan
– One 9×13 inch rectangle pan for a sheet cake

You can also make this cake into a heart-shaped cake! For cupcakes, check out my vegan red velvet cupcakes recipe.

More Vegan Cake Recipes

Vegan Carrot Cake

Vegan Lemon Cake
Tall vegan biscoff cake decorated with a biscoff buttercream frosting, biscoff drip and cookie crumbs.

Vegan Biscoff Cake
Close up of two-layer vegan pumpkin cake showing golden fluffy texture of cake.

Vegan Pumpkin Cake

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Vegan red velvet cake on plate with slices cut open showing cross section of cake.
5 from 29 reviews

Vegan Red Velvet Cake

Yield: 16
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Author: Anthea
This vegan red velvet cake is soft, fluffy and moist! It comes together in one bowl and is easy to make using common pantry ingredients.
Print Leave a Review Pin Recipe

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

Wet ingredients

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting (note 3 for alternatives)

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line 2 x 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans with parchment paper.

Make the cake:

  • Add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk until the mixture is well combined. Add all the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. If desired, add more food coloring and gently mix until the batter is your desired color.
  • Evenly divide the cake between your two cake pans.
  • Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes. The cakes are ready when you insert a toothpick in their center and it comes out clean (a few crumbs are fine).
  • Cool the cakes in their pans for 15 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack. Cool completely.

Make the frosting:

  • Add the butter to a large bowl or stand mixer and beat until light fluffy. Add the vegan cream cheese and beat until just combined and there are no lumps. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until just combined. If you overmix the frosting, it will become loose and may not hold up. Add more powdered sugar for a firmer frosting. Chill until needed.
  • If your cakes are domed on top, use a large serrated knife to slice a thin layer off the tops to create a flat surface. Spread or pipe around ¾ cup of frosting on the cake and place the remaining cake on top. If you have time, I recommend crumb-coating the cake by spreading a thin layer of frosting on the sides and top to 'trap' in the crumbs. Finally, coat the cake with the remaining frosting.
  • Keep the cake in an airtight container in the fridge until serving. Allow it to come to room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.
  • Store leftover cake in a container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving.

Notes

  1. This red velvet cake can be made gluten-free by replacing all of the flour with King Arthur’s measure for measure flour OR 1 3/4 cup (280g) gluten-free all-purpose flour and 1 1/3 cup (135g) almond flour. I suggest baking the cake for at least 35 minutes to ensure it’s fully baked and won’t sink. I don’t recommend using Bob Red Mills 1:1 flour by itself because it results in a gummy cake.
  2. All brands of red food dye vary in color and intensity so you may need to adjust accordingly. I used 2 teaspoons of gel food coloring for a vibrant color. If you have a liquid food color, you’ll need around 1-2 tablespoons. Alternatively, you can use 3 tablespoons of beetroot powder. Beetroot powder has a distinct flavor and produces inconsistent results as some brands of powder and older powder will cause the cake to turn brown during baking. If using beet powder, add it with the dry ingredients.
  3. If you don’t have vegan cream cheese, I recommend making a classic buttercream with a hint of lemon. It’s also more stable than cream cheese frosting! Use the lemon buttercream recipe from my lemon cake post and adjust the amount of lemon juice to taste. The lemon flavor mimics the tangy flavor of cream cheese.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1 slice without frosting, Calories: 260kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 11g, Sodium: 198mg, Potassium: 63mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 19g, Calcium: 84mg, Iron: 2mg
Did you Make this Recipe?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @rainbownourishments on Instagram and hashtag #rainbownourishments!

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