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Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake

By Audrey Roberts

5 from 12 votes

Dec 10, 2020

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An easy recipe for gluten-free red velvet cake. The classic southern cake that is moist, flavored with a hint of cocoa, and topped with cream cheese frosting. This gluten-free cake recipe also has a dairy-free option. 

Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake

One of my favorite classic southern cakes to make is my gluten-free red velvet cake! It is a super moist and velvety cake that is flavored with a hint of cocoa and topped with cream cheese frosting. Red velvet cake is unique because it has a buttery vanilla flavor but also a hint of chocolate.

Gluten-free red velvet cake is topped with a rich cream cheese frosting. If you are not a cream cheese fan, you can always frost it with my buttercream instead. Either of the frosting choices really brings out the flavor of the red velvet cake.

You can see just how easy it is to make homemade gluten-free red velvet cake in the recipe video.

Ingredients

• Milk: Adds moisture and richness to the cake. For a dairy-free option, use unsweetened almond or coconut milk.
• White Vinegar: Pulls double-duty by turning the milk into buttermilk and combining with the baking soda to produce an ultra-light and fluffy cake.
• All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour with Xanthan Gum: Gives the cake structure. We like Pillsbury gluten-free. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
• Baking Soda: Helps the cake rise to be light and fluffy.
• Salt: Enhances the chocolate flavor of the cake.
• Cocoa Powder: Adds a hint of chocolate flavor to the cake.
• Unsalted Butter: Adds moisture and fat to the cake to make it tender. We also use butter in the frosting to give it structure. For a dairy-free option, use Smart Balance butter.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the cake, while powdered sugar sweetens the frosting without making it gritty. If you make your frosting dairy-free, you may need to add extra powdered sugar to get the right consistency.
• Eggs: Add structure and richness to the cake.
• Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the sweetness of the cake.
• Red Foor Color: Gives this cake its signature color. For a dye-free cake, substitute 1 tablespoon of beetroot powder.
• Boiling Water: Creates steam that helps the cake retain moisture as it bakes. It also helps to bloom the cocoa powder, which gives this cake a richer chocolate flavor.
• Cream Cheese: Adds tanginess to the frosting, which provides a great contrast to the rich cake. For a dairy-free option, use Kite Hill cream cheese.

How To Make Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Trace the bottoms of the cake pan on parchment paper. Cut the parchment paper for the bottom of your two 9″ cake pans and spray with gluten-free cooking spray.
• Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to 1 cup of milk. Allow it to sit for a few minutes to make homemade buttermilk. Dairy-free option uses unsweetened almond milk. (photo 1)
• In a medium-sized bowl, add the gluten-free flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda. Stir to combine the ingredients. (photo 2)
• In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar with a mixer until fully combined and fluffy. (photo 3)
• Add the eggs, pure vanilla extract, red food color, and 1 teaspoon of white vinegar to the butter mixture and mix until fully combined. (photo 4)
• Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until fully combined. Scrape down the sides if needed. (photo 5)
• Add the milk and vinegar mixture (homemade buttermilk) and mix until fully combined.
• Add the boiling water to the cake batter and mix until fully combined. (photo 6)
• Pour half of the batter in the first 9″ cake pan and then pour the rest of the batter into the second 9″ cake pan.
• Bake on the middle rack for 30-35 minutes. Please watch your cakes because all ovens are different.
• Check the center of the cake by inserting a toothpick to make sure it is done. You will also see the sides of the cake pulling away from the side of the pan.
• Allow the cakes to cool fully before frosting. I let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes then finish cooling on a baking rack.

How To Make Cream Cheese Frosting

• In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth. (photo 9)
• Add the pure vanilla and mix until fully combined.
• Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time to the butter mixture and mix until fully combined. (photo 10 & 11)
• Place the first cake with the shiny side down on a plate or a cake plate.
• Frost the top of the first cake. This will be the frosting in the center of your cake. I like a good amount of frosting in the center.
• Place the second cake on top of the frosted first cake with the shiny side down.
• Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. I used a Wilton 1M tip to decorate. Enjoy! (photo 12)
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Tips For Making The Best Red Velvet Cake

• Line the bottoms of the cake pans with parchment paper. Trace the bottoms of the cake pans with a pencil and cut out with scissors to have them fit perfectly!
• Use gluten-free cooking spray to grease the cake pans. I like coconut oil cooking spray.
• Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, and then finish cooling on a cooling rack.
• Allow the cakes to completely cool before your frost them.
• Red velvet cake is a really moist cake, and you can get red crumbs when you frost it. You can do a crumb coat first, which is a think layer of frosting. Chill the cake until the crumb coat is dried, and then add a second frosting layer.
• I like to decorate with a 1M Wilton frosting tip.
• As a short cut, you can use Pillsbury’s canned cream cheese frosting. Please check your labels because companies change their ingredients all the time.

Do I Have To Use Red Food Coloring?

No, you do not have to use red food coloring in this gluten-free cake recipe. If you want your cake to have a red tint, you can use 1 tablespoon of beetroot powder. Or you can just enjoy the cake without. It will still be delicious!

Can You Freeze Cake?

Yes, you can! It’s really easy to freeze the cake. Once your cakes are completely cool, wrap the cakes with plastic wrap (I like the press and seal wrap), wrap again with aluminum foil, and then place in a freezer bag.

The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. You can defrost the wrapped cake at room temperature for 2-3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. I have found that it is better to thaw the cake at a slower rate in the refrigerator.

Gluten-Free Flour

This gluten-free red velvet cake was made with Pillsbury gluten-free flour which is a rice flour cup for cup blend. A cup for cup all-purpose gluten-free flour blend is one that already has the xanthan gum and starches in it.

Most gluten-free all-purpose flour blends have starches and the xanthan gum already in them. The xanthan gum helps replace the elasticity and texture of gluten.

So make sure to check the ingredients of your gluten-free flour as not to add any extra xanthan gum to your flour if it already includes it. If you do, you will get a gummy cake!

My favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour is Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.

I have not tried this recipe with almond, coconut, or oat flour.

Pro Tip For Measuring Gluten-Free Flour

It is super important to use a measuring cup made for dry ingredients (not a pyrex liquid measuring cup) to measure gluten-free flour.

I always measure gluten-free flour with the “spoon & level” method. I use a large spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup. Then I use the back of a knife to level off the top of the measuring cup.

Please do not scoop the flour out of the bag with your measuring cup. If you do, you could end up with more flour than is called for in the recipe.

Dairy-Free Baking

I used unsweetened almond milk, Smart Balance butter, and Kite Hill dairy-free cream cheese for the dairy-free options for this red velvet cake recipe.

Most of my family are also dairy-free (including me), so I always try and have a dairy-free option for my gluten-free recipes.

Dairy-free cream cheese can be hard to find and is also expensive. You can substitute Pillsbury canned cream cheese frosting or dairy-free buttercream frosting from my gluten-free vanilla cupcakes recipe. Always check your labels because companies change their ingredients often.

Some of my favorite dairy-free alternatives that I like to bake with are unsweetened almond or coconut milk. I also like baking with Smart Balance butter or coconut oil.

Easy Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake

Making a homemade gluten-free red velvet cake is super easy! It only takes a few simple ingredients to make this super moist gluten-free cake. It’s a showstopping gluten-free dessert that is perfect to make for Christmas and Valentine’s day because of it’s rich red color.

More Gluten-Free Cake Recipes To Try!

• Cinnamon Roll Cake {Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Option}
• Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
• Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake {Dairy-Free}
• Gluten-Free Mini Cheesecakes

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5 from 12 votes

Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake Recipe

By: Audrey Roberts

Servings: 16 servings

Prep: 30 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr

An easy recipe for gluten-free red velvet cake. The classic southern cake that is moist, flavored with a hint of cocoa, and topped with cream cheese frosting. This gluten-free cake recipe also has a dairy-free option. 

Ingredients 

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Cake:

• ▢ 1 cup milk, Dairy-free use unsweetened almond or coconut milk.
• ▢ 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• ▢ 2 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour with xanthan gum, I like Pillsbury gluten-free. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
• ▢ 1 teaspoon  baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
• ▢ 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, Dairy-free use Smart Balance butter.
• ▢ 2 cups granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 2-3 teaspoons red food color, Substitute 1 tablespoon beetroot powder for a dye-free cake.
• ▢ 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• ▢ 1/2 cup boiling water

Cream Cheese Frosting

• ▢ 1 cup unsalted butter, softened, Dairy-free use Smart Balance butter.
• ▢ 16 ounces cream cheese, softened, Dairy-Free use Kite Hill Cream Cheese.
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 pinch salt
• ▢ 3-4 cups powdered sugar, If you want a stiffer frosting use 4 cups of powdered sugar to the cream cheese mixture. The dairy-free option will need more powdered sugar.

Other Dairy-Free Options: My buttercream frosting recipe or canned Pillsbury cream cheese frosting (please check labels).

US Customary – Metric

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Instructions 

Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Trace the bottoms of the cake pan on parchment paper. Cut the parchment paper for the bottom of your two 9″ cake pans and spray with gluten-free cooking spray.
• Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to 1 cup of milk. Allow it to sit for a few minutes to make homemade buttermilk. Dairy-free option use unsweetened almond milk.
• In a medium-sized bowl, add the gluten-free flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda. Stir to combine the ingredients.
• In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar with a mixer, until fully combined and fluffy.
• Add the eggs, pure vanilla extract, red food color, and 1 teaspoon of white vinegar to the butter mixture and mix until fully combined.
• Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until fully combined. Scape down the sides if needed.
• Add the milk and vinegar mixture (homemade buttermilk) and mix until fully combined.
• Add the boiling water to the cake batter and mix until fully combined.
• Pour half of the batter in the first 9" cake pan and then pour the rest of the batter in the second 9" cake pan.
• Bake on the middle rack for 30-35 minutes. Please watch your cakes because all ovens are different.
• Check the center of the cake by inserting a toothpick to make sure it is done. You will also see the sides of the cake pulling away from the side of the pan.
• Allow the cakes to cool fully before frosting. I let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes then finish cooling on a baking rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
• Add the pure vanilla and mix until fully combined.
• Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time to the butter mixture and mix until fully combined.
• Place the first cake with the shiny side down on a plate or a cake plate.
• Frost the top of the first cake. This will be the frosting in the center of your cake. I like a good amount of frosting in the center.
• Place the second cake on top of the frosted first cake the shiny side down.
• Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. I used a Wilton 1M tip to decorate. Enjoy!
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Video

Notes

• I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
• For a dairy-free option, use Smart Balance butter and unsweetened almond, milk, and Kite Hill dairy-free cream cheese. 
• Mama says, “Check all of your labels!”

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 487kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 5gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 491mgPotassium: 71mgFiber: 2gSugar: 42gVitamin A: 971IUCalcium: 66mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

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