This Gluten-Free Vegan Red Velvet Cake is so much healthier than the traditional version, but every bit as delicious.
Red velvet cake has always been one of my favourite sweet treats, and so this Gluten-Free Vegan Red Velvet Cake has been on my list of recipe ideas for the blog for ages. I’m glad I finally got round to making it, and I really hope you’ll love it as much as I do.
Just like a normal red velvet cake, this one is made up of a moist, fluffy and vividly red sponge that boasts a lovely balance of sweet, salty, sour and chocolatey flavours, and is finished off with a sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting.
But, it’s entirely vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar free, and uses completely natural ingredients, so there’s no artificial red food colouring involved. Let me show you how!
I used my favourite vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar free sponge as a base for this layer cake – I love its taste and texture, and what’s more, it requires just one bowl and uses easily accessible ingredients. The coconut oil gives the sponge a rich, buttery flavour whilst ground almonds add a nutty sweetness and fluffiness.
The recipe is also easily customisable, as you can use any liquid sweetener you like, and substitute the coconut oil with olive or vegetable oil if you wish.
Traditional red velvet cake is made with buttermilk, so I made a simple vegan buttermilk by mixing almond milk with vinegar and letting it sit for about 10 minutes. This trick works with any kind of non-dairy milk, as the vinegar curdles the milk so that it resembles real buttermilk.
To create a brilliant red hue, I added a few teaspoons of beetroot powder, which you can buy in most local health stores, as well as online. I love how it adds a lovely colour but is completely natural, and it also has a very subtly sweet flavour. But if you can’t get hold of it, it’s not a problem if you leave it out – you’ll just end up with a slightly differently coloured cake, but the taste will be the same and still delicious!
I also love the cream cheese frosting on this cake. It’s so simple to make vegan cream cheese at home – just mix some coconut cream or coconut yogurt with a little lemon juice, which brings out a tartness perfectly reminiscent of cream cheese.
I then topped it off with freeze-dried raspberries and cacao nibs, but you can use whatever you want to decorate it. Let me know in the comments below if you come up with any fun decorations! 🙂
This Gluten-Free Vegan Red Velvet Cake would be so good for birthday parties and other such gatherings. Looking for more cake inspiration? You might like my:
- Tropical Carrot Cake
- Chocolate Truffle Cake
- Tropical Carrot Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Cherry Bakewell Cake
- Chocolate Sponge Layer Cake
- Black Forest Cake
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.
Helpful tools to make this Gluten-Free Vegan Red Velvet Cake:
For the cake:
glass mixing bowl
measuring jug
18 cm / 7 inch sandwich baking tin
baking paper
cooling rack
For the frosting:
electric whisk
palette knife for frosting
- 200 ml (4/5 cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
- 60 g (1/4 cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
- 8 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener_
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 150 g (1 1/4 cup) ground almonds* (almond meal)
- 150 g (1 1/4 cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
- 2 heaped teaspoons baking power (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
- 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- Optional: 3 teaspoons beetroot powder adds red colour but not completely necessary for the recipe to work
- 400 g (14oz) tin of full-fat coconut milk**
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
- Measure out the milk and, leaving it in the measuring container, add the tablespoon of vinegar and stir - leave to sit for around 10 minutes, while you make the rest of the cake
Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil)
- Once melted, add the vinegar to the same bowl along with the maple syrup, vanilla, salt and ground almonds
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cocoa powder and beetroot powder
- Add the 'buttermilk' and mix well, adding a tiny splash more milk if it’s looking too dry
- Divide mixture between two greased baking tins lined with baking paper (I used two 7inch/18cm baking tins)
- Bake in oven for around 15 minutes until risen slightly and an inserted skewer comes out clean
- Once out the oven, transfer cakes from baking tins onto a wired rack to leave them to cool completely before applying the frosting
- You’ll need to keep your tin of coconut milk in the fridge overnight for the rich creamy bit to separate from the watery bit at the bottom. Make sure it is full fat coconut milk, otherwise this separation won’t happen and you won’t be able to make this cream!
- Open the tin upside down – the coconut cream will be at the bottom and you can just pour off the watery liquid (save this for adding to soups or smoothies)
- Place the thick, creamy part into a bowl
- Add the lemon juice, maple syrup and vanilla extract
- Use an electric whisk (or a manual one and a lot of elbow grease) to whip up the coconut cream until light and fluffy
- Place one half of the cake onto a plate or cake stand, and spread just less than half of the frosting onto it
- Place the other half of the cake on top of that and use rest of the frosting to spread on top
- Decorate with freeze-dried raspberries and cacao nibs if desired
- Keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days
*You can alternatively use 
almond flour
**You can alternatively use 200g (7oz) coconut yogurt
Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you click through and purchase any of these films, a small percentage will come to me, with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.
Natalie Joel
hi do you think coconut flour or almond flour would work as well?
Rhian Williams
Hi Natalie, I don’t think completely subbing out the gluten-free flour with almond flour would work unfortunately, but almond flour would definitely work in place of the ground almonds. I’m not sure about coconut flour as I haven’t tested it with coconut flour and it requires completely different quantities. Please let me know if you try any new variations! 🙂 Thanks!
Maya
What type of gluten free flour (brand/mix) did you use? Thsnks!
Rhian Williams
Hi Maya! I used Dove’s Farm Free From Gluten Plain Flour. It’s a blend of rice, potato, tapioca, maize and buckwheat flours. I hope that helps!
Nikki
Hi! I was going to use almond milk instead of coconut milk, because my boyfriend is allergic to coconut. I can’t use soy milk because my mom is allergic to soy. Are adding the ground almonds necessary? I’m afraid the almond flavor would be too strong.
Rhian Williams
Hey Nikki! Do you mean almond milk instead of coconut milk for the frosting? The ground almonds are unfortunately pretty necessary, as this is what makes the texture of the sponge fluffy and moist without adding eggs. I genuinely don’t think you can taste the almonds at all in the cake because of the other flavours, but it will depend on taste obviously. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Thank you.
Sarmistha
Hi Rhian,
I was looking for one GF and DF recipe and lo, I found yours! 🙂 Thank you 🙂
Can I use rice flour instead of the gluten free flour? Do you think I can add 2 eggs and reduce 50 ml and 1 tablespoon of milk?
Thanks
Sarmistha
Rhian Williams
Hi! Yes rice flour should work in place of the gluten-free flour. I haven’t tried the recipe with eggs so can’t guarantee results for that but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work like that either…please let me know how you get on! Thank you!
Susan
I have been gluten and refined sugar free for a few years now. This is the BEST cake I have made so far. It is moist and has that wonderful velvet texture. Everyone, gf and not, loved this cake.
Rhian Williams
Hi Susan, so so happy to hear that, thank you so much!!
Annette
Hi could you use buckwheat flour instead of gluten free flour ?
Rhian Williams
Yes you could use buckwheat flour, though the flavour may be affected slightly! You could also use rice flour instead of the gluten-free flour 🙂
Laura
This is the first of your recipes I have tried and it was absolutely delicious! (although it didn’t look as nice as yours!). I’ll look at your other cakes too 🙂
Rhian Williams
Aw thank you so much, so happy to hear that!
Anonymous
Ah right up my alley thanks, I’ll have to look at your other cakes now!
Rhian Williams
Thank you so much!
Debs
I’m going to try this with fresh beetroot. Not sure how much to add though. I’ve seen non vegan recipes with 400g .
Rhian Williams
Great! I’m sorry I don’t know how much fresh beetroot to add as haven’t tested it this way. Please let me know if you try anything though! Thanks!
Anne
The best vegan red velvet cake I’ve tried, thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Rhian Williams
Thank you!
Jade Rogers
Hi, this looks like such a delicious recipe and I’m really looking forward to making it! Just wondering are there any carbs in this recipe?
Rhian Williams
Thank you so much! And yes there are in the gluten-free flour blend. Hope that’s ok!
Jade Rogers
Oh thanks that’s fine, just wondering. Oh and what other sweeteners could you use instead of maple syrup? (honey?)
Rhian Williams
Yes honey would be great if you’re not vegan. Or agave syrup or brown rice syrup. Hope that helps!