Red Velvet Cake made Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, and Soy-Free

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, I’ve been seeking sweet recipes to honor the occasion. And what could be more fitting, in both color and indulgence, than a decadent Red Velvet Cake. But this isn’t any old cake recipe. This is a gluten-free vegan red velvet cake from The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook by Cybele Pascal. We originally featured this recipe in 2010, but are giving it a big update!

Gluten-Free Vegan Red Velvet Cake from the Allergen-Free Baker

Cybele is the founder of the amazing cookie company, Cybele’s Free to Eat, and she definitely knows her way around sweets. According to Cybele:

My whole family goes crazy for this gluten-free red velvet cake. It’s so gorgeous and festive and sounds so luxurious. This old-fashioned Southern favorite can be made even healthier by using Seelect Natural Food Coloring, which I order online. That way, you can let them eat cake without the slightest tinge of guilt.

Unlike most recipes, this gluten-free red velvet cake has a creamy dairy-free “velvet” frosting. But you can make a dairy-free cream cheese style frosting, if preferred. Either way, it’s a wonderful dessert that you can make without dairy, egg, gluten, nuts, sesame, and soy.

Special Diet Notes: Gluten-Free Vegan Red Velvet Cake

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, vegetarian, and top food allergy-friendly.

4.0 from 3 reviews

Gluten-Free Vegan Red Velvet Cake

 

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Prep time

40 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

 

This cake works or all occasions, including birthdays and holidays. But it's deep reddish hue makes it especially festive for Valentine's Day, 4th of July, and Christmas.

Author: Cybele Pascal

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Serves: 1 8-inch layer cake

Ingredients

Red Velvet Cake

• 2¾ cups Basic Gluten-Free Flour Blend
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1½ teaspoons double-acting baking powder
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 1½ cups plain rice milk (or milk alternative of choice)
• 1½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• ¾ cup dairy-free, soy-free vegetable shortening
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 4½ teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 6 tablespoons rice milk (equivalent of 3 eggs)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 (1-ounce) bottle red food coloring (preferable natural)
• 1 recipe Velvet Frosting (recipe follows)

Velvet Frosting

• 1 cup dairy-free, soy-free vegetable shortening
• Pinch of salt
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 tablespoons plain rice milk (or milk alternative of choice)
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Red Velvet Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans, line with cutout parchment paper, grease again, and dust with a little cocoa powder.
2. Whisk together the flour mix, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Combine the rice milk and cider vinegar in a medium bowl.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the shortening, sugar, egg replacer, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the food coloring and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Sift in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the rice milk mixture, and beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
4. Divide the batter between the two pans, and smooth down the surface using a frosting spatula.
5. Bake in the center of the oven for about 35 minutes, or until the cake is beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Rotate the pans halfway through the baking time.
6. Let cool in the pans on a cooling rack for 30 minutes. Cover the cake pan with a large plate, flip, peel off the parchment paper, and flip the cake back onto the rack, right side up, to cool completely. Repeat with the other cake.
7. Once the cakes have cooled completely, you may use a serrated knife to trim the tops to make them level.

For the Velvet Frosting

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the shortening and salt on medium speed for 1 minute.
2. Add the confectioners’ sugar in three batches, beating after each addition.
3. Add the rice milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until smooth, creamy, and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
4. Frost the cake with the Velvet Frosting.
5. Once the frosting has set, store covered at room temperature. This cake is even better on days two and three.

Notes

Reprinted with permission from The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook: How to Bake Without Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Eggs, Soy, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, and Sesame. Copyright © 2009 by Cybele Pascal, Celestial Arts, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA. Photo credit: Chugrad McAndrews.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1/16 cake Calories: 443 Fat: 23.5g Saturated fat: 7g Carbohydrates: 58.7g Sugar: 40.9g Sodium: 360mg Fiber: 2.6g Protein: 2.4g

3.5.3229

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