Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake Recipe

Posted by admin on Feb 06, 2020

This is an easy gluten free red velvet cake recipe from scratch. It makes a stunning 3-layer cake thats surprising simple to make and is frosted with cream cheese frosting.

A gluten free Red Velvet Cake on a white marble cake stand with a wood base. The cake is decorated with cream cheese frosting and red velvet cake crumbs.

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Red Velvet Cake is an iconic cake thats been on my to-make list for far too long. I finally started testing it in December for my moms birthday and it was a huge hit.

I havent had a ton of red velvet cakes or red velvet cupcakes but Ive had enough to know that this is easily the best red velvet cake recipe Ive had. Its moist with a tender/velvety crumb. Its just really, really good.

Not only is the cake great but its and easy red velvet cake recipe to follow. You dont need a stand mixer or a hand mixer; you can just mix this up by hand.

What is Red Velvet Cake?

Red Velvet Cake is not really a vanilla cake because it does have a little bit of cocoa powder in the batter but is red velvet cake chocolate?

Definitely not, there just isnt enough chocolate to call it a chocolate dessert there isnt even enough to be able to taste it. But it also doesnt taste like a plain vanilla cake because of the slight tang from the buttermilk and vinegar.

So what flavor is red velvet cake? The best way to describe the flavor of red velvet cake is a buttermilk cake (thats been dyed red).

Did you make this recipe? Leave a star rating and let me know in the comments! You can also leave a photo/comment on this pin for others to see.

Whats the best Red Velvet Cake frosting?

Personally, I like red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. When you buy red velvet cake or cupcakes from the store or a bakery, theyre almost always paired with cream cheese frosting. Its pretty much the standard these days.

However, the most traditional way to serve red velvet cake is with Ermine Frosting. Ermine frosting is also often called Ermine Icing, Heritage Frosting, Boiled Milk Frosting, or Flour Frosting. Since Ermine frosting is made with flour, its not gluten free. I might have to experiment with making a gluten free Ermine Frosting!

Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake on a white cake stand frosted with cream cheese frosting and decorated with red velvet cake crumbs

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Key Ingredients for Homemade Red Velvet Cake

Red Food Coloring I use AmeriColor Gel Food Coloring in Red Red which is what you see pictured here. AmeriColor Super Red is also a great choice it produces a cake with a slightly deeper, less vibrant shade of red.
Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder I use Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder in this recipe, not dark or Dutch Processed. It gives the cake a very subtle hint of cocoa without making it the main flavor. You can use regular Hersheys Cocoa Powder or my favorite Organic Cocoa from Saco Conscious Kitchen which can be found on Amazon and at Walmart in the baking aisle. This isnt sponsored, I just really like their cocoa and its my go-to when Im not using Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder.
Buttermilk I love baking with buttermilk. It gives baked goods such a great tender crumb and its perfect in cakes and cupcakes. Ive included a dairy-free sub in the recipe notes.
Vinegar a little vinegar is added to the cake batter. See above for a more in-depth explanation!
Hot Water gluten free cakes have a tendency to be dry with a tight crumb. Adding hot water to the batter at the end makes the cake more moist and it blooms the small amount of cocoa powder.
Gluten Free Flour I use my Nightshade Free Gluten Free Flour Blend in this recipe, its excellent in cakes. If you use a 1:1 gluten free flour blend that contains xanthan gum, omit the xanthan gum called for in the recipe.

Why is vinegar in Red Velvet Cake?

Originally, vinegar was added to Red Velvet Cake because it reacts with the baking soda and cocoa to help bring out a natural red hue. Now, the acidity helps give the cake a tender crumb. It also acts as the acid (in addition to the buttermilk) to react with the baking soda to help the cake rise.

This cake doesnt contain any baking powder so it relies completely on the acid and baking soda reaction.

Can I make a dairy free Red Velvet Cake?

Yes! The only dairy in this cake to replace is the buttermilk. To make this cake dairy free, use 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk beverage + 1 tablespoon vinegar in place of the buttermilk.

Typically, youd use 1 tablespoon vinegar per cup of milk and since this recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups, youd use 1 tablespoon vinegar plus 1 1/2 teaspoons. However, theres already a tablespoon of vinegar added to the wet ingredients which is typical of Red Velvet Cake recipes. You dont want to have too strong of a vinegar flavor here because youll end up with a sour cake vs. a little tang thats traditional in red velvet cake.

Why do you add water to the cake batter?

Theres two reasons why I add water to this cake. It provides moisture and it blooms the cocoa powder. Its similar to my gluten free chocolate cake but in that recipe I use coffee.

I also added hot water to my gluten free gingerbread cake recipe which is why I thought to use it here. It makes the cake nice and moist without making it dense and heavy.

Equipment Needed to Bake Red Velvet Cake from Scratch

8-inch Round Cake Pans this cake makes a gorgeous 3-layer cake with 8-Inch Cake Pans. You could also make this in 2 9-Inch Cake Pans but youll have to increase the baking time a bit.
Parchment Paper I always line the bottoms of my cake pans with parchment paper. Its 100% insurance that your cakes will not stick to the bottom of the pans.

Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake sliced

How to Make Red Velvet Cake

Step 1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Step 2. In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, xanthan gum, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Try to press out as many cocoa powder lumps as possible then set the bowl aside.

Step 3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, vanilla extract, and the food coloring then whisk in the vinegar.

Step 4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the hot water and mix until the water is completely incorporated into the batter.

Step 5. Transfer the batter to the prepared pans dividing it evenly between the 3 pans.

Step 6. Bake at 350 degrees on the center rack for 28-32 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. I place all 3 of the pans on the center rack and mine take exactly 30 minutes to bake. When done, the center of the cake will spring back when gently pressed and the cake will start to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Step 7. Cool the cakes in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Then remove the cakes from the pans, discard the parchment paper, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Step 8. Once the cakes are cooled, frost with cream cheese frosting or wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze on a sheet pan until ready to use.

Slices of Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake on small white plates

Tips for Making this Gluten Free Cake Recipe

Follow the recipe exactly or with the notes for subs Ive included in the recipe notes. If you make any subs in terms of the amount of dry ingredients, sugar-free subs, oil substitutions, egg-free substitutions, using different amounts of the liquid ingredients, or a natural food coloring sub, I cannot guarantee the results. For the best red velvet cake, follow the recipe to a T.
Give the cake a crumb coat before covering completely in frosting. That way, youll be sure you dont get any flecks of red cake crumbs mixed into the frosting.
Use room temperature ingredients. The cake wont rise as well if the ingredients are cold and the texture wont be as light and fluffy.
Use Baking Soda and not baking powder. Always double check before adding!
Level the tops of your cakes with a serrated knife. Leveling the top will provide a nice, flat top for stacking and frosting. Save the tops of the cake that youve cut and turn it into crumbs for decorating the tops and side of the frosted cake.

Other Gluten Free CakeRecipes To Try

Gluten Free Marble Cake
The Best Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
Gluten Free Carrot Cake
From Scratch Gluten Free Yellow Cake
Gluten Free Coconut Cake
Fruity Pebbles Cake with Cereal Milk
Gluten Free Strawberry Cake (with fresh strawberries, no Jello)
Homemade Gluten Free Funfetti Cake

A slice of Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake on a small white plate with a bite taken out

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Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake Recipe

Yield: Serves 16

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

This is an easy gluten free red velvet cake recipe from scratch. It makes a stunning 3-layer cake that's surprising simple to make and is frosted with cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients

3 cups gluten free flour blend (see notes)
1 1/4 teaspoons (5 g) xanthan gum (omit if your flour blend contains it)
1 1/2 cups (325 g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons (10 g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature (see notes for dairy free)
2/3 cup avocado oil (or neutral oil of choice)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon red gel food coloring (see notes)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 cup hot water
1 1/2 batches cream cheese frosting

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, xanthan gum, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Try to press out as many cocoa powder lumps as possible then set the bowl aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, vanilla extract, and the food coloring then whisk in the vinegar.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the hot water and mix until the water is completely incorporated into the batter.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pans dividing it evenly between the 3 pans.
Bake at 350 degrees on the center rack for 28-32 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. I place all 3 of the pans on the center rack and mine take exactly 30 minutes to bake. When done, the center of the cake will spring back when gently pressed and the cake will start to pull away from the sides of the pan.
Cool the cakes in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Then remove the cakes from the pans, discard the parchment paper, and cool completely on a wire rack.
Once the cakes are cooled, level off the top with a serrated knife and then frost with cream cheese frosting or wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze on a sheet pan until ready to use.

Notes

I used my Nightshade Free Gluten Free Flour Blend in this recipe. 3 cups of my blend weighs 420g.
To make this cake dairy free, use 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk beverage + 1 tablespoon white vinegar in place of the buttermilk. For dairy free cream cheese frosting, follow the diary free notes in the cream cheese frosting recipe.
I used AmeriColor Red Red. I've also made this with AmeriColor Super Red which was a deeper shade of red.
To frost the cake as pictured, I made a double batch of cream cheese frosting and had about a cup leftover. I decorated the cake with red velvet cake crumbs from leveling off the tops of the cakes before frosting.