Vegan Red Velvet Cake

Ligia Lugo

Published:

September 19, 2023

Last Modified:

May 20, 2026

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A moist and tender cake as rich in color as it is in flavor! My vegan red velvet cake is naturally dyed and kissed by cocoa, then smothered in a lusciously smooth, silky dairy-free cream cheese frosting.

a slice of cream cheese frosted red velvet cake is served on a plate

Red velvet cake always feels like a party! Its deep red coloring contrasts against a silky white frosting, feeling equal parts cozy yet opulent. Maybe, like me, you’ve even spotted a red velvet wedding cake or two in recent years.

The real magic though, is knowing that you don’t need a special occasion to enjoy this rosy slice of heaven. My vegan version maintains the rich red color and cocoa-kissed flavor of traditional red velvet cake, all while swapping out dairy ingredients with simple vegan alternatives.

You’ll whip up your own vegan buttermilk and fold it into a sleek batter. Then, add a splash of beet juice, blushing the batter red without the need for any artificial dyes. After baking and smothering in silky vegan frosting, you’ll wind up with a stunning layer cake. Special enough for a celebration, simple enough to be an everyday sweet-tooth satisfier.

Ingredient Notes

ingredients needed to make vegan red velvet cake

Soy milk + Apple cider vinegar – You’ll swirl these two ingredients together, creating your own homemade vegan buttermilk substitute! In addition to giving your cake batter a slight tang that complements the vegan cream cheese frosting oh so nicely, this subtle acidity also plays an important role in the chemistry of your cake. When you mix all of your cake batter ingredients together, the acid will react with the baking soda, creating bubbles that lift the cake crumb as it bakes and softens gluten in the flour. The result: a soft, tender cake with a perfectly fluffy texture.
Cake flour – Due to its lower protein content as compared to classic all-purpose flour or bread baking flour, cake flour forms less gluten in the first place. Working in tandem with the vegan buttermilk tenderizer above, using cake flour will give you an even softer cake crumb with a delicately spongy texture.
Unsweetened cocoa powder – In addition to providing the essential cocoa-kissed flavor to your red velvet cake, cocoa powder actually gives your red velvet cake some of its coloring too! It may look dark brown in the package, but once you mix it with the acidity in the buttermilk sub, some hidden red pigments will be pulled out and put on display.
Unsalted vegan butter – You’ll be using vegan butter in two places for this vegan cake recipe. First, in the cake batter itself, where it will give your cake its rich, melt in your mouth texture. Second, in the vegan cream cheese frosting, where it whips together with thick vegan cream cheese to give your fluffy frosting its velvety texture. Make sure to use unsalted vegan butter sticks or blocks here as the ultra-spreadable types sold in tubs won’t work as well.
Beet juice – While the cocoa powder gives your red velvet cake its reddish-brown foundation of color, it’s not quite colorful enough. That’s where the beet juice comes in, taking your cake batter from an earthy brick red to a vibrant, ruby red that looks like luxurious red velvet itself! Baking with beet juice is one of my all-time favorite vegan food coloring options. Most grocery stores sell bottled beet juice in the produce department near the other fresh juices, but if you have a vegetable juicer, you can certainly juice your own fresh, raw beets.
Vegan cream cheese – Out of all of the frostings, I have to say, cream cheese frosting might just be my favorite. It has a stable consistency that makes it really easy to work with, and its elegant ivory coloring is so striking against the bold red of this velvet cake. Its subtly tangy flavor is especially wonderful when paired with rich cocoa flavors.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Setup and mix buttermilk. Preheat your oven to 350℉ and line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Mix your vegan buttermilk by whisking soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl or pitcher. You’ll notice the mixture start to get thickened and slightly clumpy; this is exactly what you’re looking for! Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes while you start mixing the cake.
Combine dry ingredients. Measure the cake flour into a large mixing bowl, then sift in cocoa powder and baking soda. Sifting it makes sure that there are no clumps in your cocoa powder and baking soda, ensuring that a) your batter has the perfect balance of cocoa flavor throughout, and b) that the leavening agents are evenly distributed for a uniformly fluffy cake.
Stir. Whisk until the dry ingredients are well mixed.
Combine wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine room temperature vegan butter with the cane sugar. Room temperature butter should be soft enough to yield when pressed with your fingers, but not so soft that it is greasy or melty.
Cream. Use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar for about 2-3 minutes. At first it won’t seem like it’s changing all that much, but after a couple of minutes you’ll see the ingredients really come together, creating a pale yellow, fluffy mixture; just the right base for a perfectly fluffy cake!
Add remaining ingredients. To the butter mixture, add vanilla extract, beet juice, and the dry ingredient mixture you whisked together earlier.
Fold. Use a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients together until just combined. As you incorporate the beet juice, you’ll see the streaks of color even out and work their magic, turning the entire batter a brilliant ruby red. This is my favorite step of the whole recipe!
Divide. Once mixed, equally distribute the cake batter between the prepared cake pans.

Bake. Transfer the cake pans to the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack, letting the aromas of rich cocoa and sweet vanilla fill your kitchen!
Start the icing. While waiting for the cakes to cool, start making the frosting. Combine the remaining vegan butter and the vegan cream cheese in a large bowl, then beat with a mixer until light and fluffy; like you want to swipe your finger through it for a taste!
Beat in the sugar. Sift the powdered sugar into the butter mixture and continue beating. In this stage, you’ll see a magical transformation occur, where the crisp powdered sugar seamlessly melts right into the creamy frosting base. As it whips it, it will help to give your frosting its structure and sheen.
Make the first cake layer. Check the cakes to make sure they are cooled to room temperature before starting to frost them. This is super important because the cream cheese frosting is sensitive to warmth and may melt and slide off if rushed! Sometimes to hurry things along, I’ll pop my cakes out on the deck if it’s a cool, dry day. To frost: place one of the cakes on a work surface in front of you and dollop about ⅓ of the prepared frosting on the top. Smooth into an even layer.
Add the second layer. Place the second cake atop the frosted first cake, then dollop another ⅓ of the frosting on top and smooth until even. Use most of the remaining frosting to coat the sides of both cake layers and touch up as needed. Don’t worry if there are some blemishes in your icing! Just keep going and once you’re done, clean off your spreader and hit any problem areas with a dab of more frosting, smoothing over any problem areas like a pro.
Chill and serve. Transfer your entire red velvet cake to the refrigerator and allow it to chill for at least 2 hours, as this helps the layers meld together, making the cake much easier to slice and serve.

Tips From Ligia

Take extra care when handling beet juice.

It can easily stain clothes, light-colored countertops, and even your hands! I once worked in a restaurant where we processed tons of beets and learned real quick that wearing gloves is a must when working with this ingredient. An apron is a good idea too, and be sure to wipe up any spills or splashes right away.

How To Store

Refrigerating Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I recommend using a lidded cake keeper if you have it, or portion the cake into slices so that you can fit them into smaller tupperware containers.

Freezing To freeze the red velvet cake, chill it in the fridge first to firm up the frosting a bit, then wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped cake pieces in an airtight container and freeze for up to 4 months.

Thawing When you’re ready to enjoy your cake, just transfer it from the freezer to the fridge and thaw it for several hours or overnight.