This Plant-Based Red Velvet Cake is made with whole food ingredients - no dyes or food coloring, no oils or refined sugars, and it's gluten-free. It's rich, fudgy and incredibly decadent. Perfect for birthdays, celebrations, and holidays.
Fun fact: I don't like chocolate cake. In fact, given the choice of chocolate or vanilla (insert dessert here: ice cream, cake, brownies, etc.) I would choose vanilla every time.
But red velvet is different. It has just that hint of richness from the chocolate, but is still basically vanilla cake.
Combine that with a rich cream cheese frosting and I'm sold.
So, when I was thinking about what dessert I wanted for my birthday (the day this post goes live) I knew I wanted to make red velvet cake.
I already have a red velvet cupcake recipe on the blog, but there's something much more decadent about an entire cake. Especially a layer cake. It feels birthday worthy.
Vegan baking can be tricky. And it's even more tricky to avoid refined & processed vegan products like vegan butter or vegan sugar that bakers often use as substitutes.
So there are a few tricks in this cake. It's not your typical ingredient list but it DOES result in a rich and decadent plant-based layer cake.
To create that rich, moist cake that you expect in good baking, we need to get creative. Chickpeas add both and help bulk up the cake, so it doesn't feel like it's missing anything. Don't worry - you can't taste the chickpeas at all!
Baked goods need some fat to create a richness. Instead of using oil or butter, this cake has cashew butter, which is a great whole food fat source. Cashews are a sweeter nut which adds to the overall sweetness of the cake. They don't have much other flavor though, so they don't distract from the overall cake flavor.
Most cakes use white sugar in the batter and powdered sugar in the frosting. As a less processed option, this cake uses maple syrup.
You usually don't have to worry about color in a cake, but red velvet cakes use food coloring to create the rich red color.
Did you know that most red food dye is not vegan?! I don't know about you, but it freaks me out a little that food coloring isn't vegan. There are some vegan options out there, but for this recipe I opted for the whole food version - beets!
Beetroot powder is a pinkish red powder made from dried beets. It achieves that red color without any non-vegan ingredients sneaking in.
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
Step 2. Add the chickpeas to a food processor or blender and process until the chickpeas are blended into a paste.
Step 3. Transfer the chickpea paste to a large bowl and add the remaining cake ingredients. Stir until everything is well combined.
Step 4. Divide evenly into the cake pans.
Step 5. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean and the center of each cake feels firm to the touch. Let the cakes cool completely (this is important!!). For best frosting results, refrigerate the cakes for 30-60 minutes before frosting.
Step 6. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer beat the frosting ingredients until combined and slightly fluffy. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 7. When the cakes are cooled, spread half of the frosting on top of one cake. Then top with the second cake. Spread the other half of the frosting on top. Serve and enjoy!
You can make this recipe in a 9-inch cake pan instead - the layers will be shorter and the cake will be wider.
You can also make this cake in a 9x13-inch sheet pan.
Alternatively, turn this recipe into cupcakes. It makes about 3 dozen.
This cake is gluten-free. Oats are naturally gluten-free. If you have a strong sensitivity, look for certified gluten-free oats to avoid cross contamination.
If you aren't gluten-free, you can still use oat flour - blend your own or buy it from the store. You could also use all purpose flour.
I've tested multiple versions of this cake in an attempt to avoid using a powder. Unfortunately, if you want the red color, beetroot powder is the best option.
You can also use pink pitaya powder - this is what I used in my red velvet cupcake recipe and it worked fairly well.
If you don't care about the color, you can omit the beetroot powder altogether and replace it with more flour. Alternatively, you can try a vegan food coloring.
To frost any cake, you'll want an offset spatula. It makes things so much easier.
If you don't have an offset spatula you can use a regular knife.
I recommend frosting only the top of this cake, not the sides.
Since it doesn't have any butter, the frosting is thinner than a normal cream cheese frosting. Unless it is really cold, it will slide off the sides of the cake.
If you want to attempt to frost the sides of the cake, you should make the frosting thicker. You have two options:
One. Add more arrowroot powder. This will thicken the frosting, but if you add too much you will dilute the sweetness.
Two. Use vegan powdered sugar. This is definitely not whole food plant-based, but if you want the effect of a fully frosted cake, this is a great option.
By far the most difficult part of the cake is the layering and frosting. For a simpler approach, make cupcakes instead. This recipe will make 3 dozen cupcakes.
Store this cake in the refrigerator for up to a week.
The cake can also be sliced and frozen. If you know you will be freezing part of the cake, don't frost the parts you will freeze.
Thank you God for this cake. Remain with us as we celebrate birthdays, holidays, and time with friends. Amen.
Looking for more whole food plant-based desserts? Try some of my favorites:
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This Plant-Based Red Velvet Cake is made with whole food ingredients - no dyes or food coloring, no oils or refined sugars, and it's gluten-free. It's rich, fudgy and incredibly decadent. Perfect for birthdays, celebrations, and holidays.
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