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.
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Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake
Red Velvet Cake is an iconic cake that’s been on my to-make list for far too long. I finally started testing it in December for my mom’s birthday and it was a huge hit.
I haven’t had a ton of red velvet cakes or red velvet cupcakes but I’ve had enough to know that this is easily the best red velvet cake recipe I’ve had. It’s moist with a tender/velvety crumb. It’s just really, really good.
Not only is the cake great but it’s and easy red velvet cake recipe to follow. You don’t 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 isn’t enough chocolate to call it a chocolate dessert – there isn’t even enough to be able to taste it. But it also doesn’t 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 (that’s been dyed red).
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What’s 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, they’re almost always paired with cream cheese frosting. It’s 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, it’s not gluten free. I might have to experiment with making a gluten free Ermine Frosting!
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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 Hershey’s 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 isn’t sponsored, I just really like their cocoa and it’s my go-to when I’m not using Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder.
- Buttermilk – I love baking with buttermilk. It gives baked goods such a great tender crumb and it’s perfect in cakes and cupcakes. I’ve 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, it’s 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 doesn’t 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, you’d use 1 tablespoon vinegar per cup of milk and since this recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups, you’d use 1 tablespoon vinegar plus 1 1/2 teaspoons. However, there’s already a tablespoon of vinegar added to the wet ingredients which is typical of Red Velvet Cake recipes. You don’t want to have too strong of a vinegar flavor here because you’ll end up with a sour cake vs. a little tang that’s traditional in red velvet cake.
Why do you add water to the cake batter?
There’s two reasons why I add water to this cake. It provides moisture and it blooms the cocoa powder. It’s 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 you’ll have to increase the baking time a bit.
- Parchment Paper – I always line the bottoms of my cake pans with parchment paper. It’s 100% insurance that your cakes will not stick to the bottom of the pans.
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.
Tips for Making this Gluten Free Cake Recipe
- Follow the recipe exactly or with the notes for subs I’ve 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, you’ll be sure you don’t get any flecks of red cake crumbs mixed into the frosting.
- Use room temperature ingredients. The cake won’t rise as well if the ingredients are cold and the texture won’t 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 you’ve cut and turn it into crumbs for decorating the tops and side of the frosted cake.
Other Gluten Free Cake Recipes 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
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Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake Recipe
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.
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Nutrition Information
Disclaimers
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Facts are estimated and aren't always accurate. Please consult a doctor or nutritionist if you have special dietary needs.
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.
This was absolutely delicious. My seven year old helped bake it and no one knew it was gluten free. My husband said it was the beat red velvet cake he’s ever had, and everyone’s plates were completely empty. The cream cheese frosting recipe is also fabulous.
Hi. I made this last night and it was dense, didn’t feel baked even thought it was and was very chewy / gummy texture. I followed the instructions fully ! I don’t understand what happened 🙁
Hi Gigi, it sounds like you maybe used a flour blend that already contains xanthan gum and then added the amount called for in the recipe. You may have also inadvertently over-measured your flour. Here’s my tip on how to measure flour correctly: https://what-the-fork-food-blog.ck.page/d90b8360fe
I used avocado oil and found it left a terrible aftertaste. Threw that batch out and made agin with vegetable oil. MUCH better. Great recipe. Used cup4cup flour and it really turned out well
Hi Patty! It sounds like your oil may have been off! Glad you enjoyed it with the vegetable oil!
The whole family agreed that this cake recipe was the best that we’ve made! Best consistency and flavor. Bounce, light and fluffy for GF compared to the expected dense cake that we’ve gotten used to. I recommend making the icing, skimped on time and used store bought, regretted it. This cake deserves better!
Made this recipe last night and it’s wonderful! My husband is gluten intolerant, but my kids and I are super tasters (I have to make gf and regular pastas, etc). It is very hard to find flour based recipes that we all like the taste and texture. This recipe was a winner. Thanks so much for sharing.
You’re welcome! I’m so glad your whole family was able to enjoy it!
Can you recommend a store red dye? Want to make this for Valentine’s Day but the dye you shared will take a while to deliver. Thanks!
Wilton makes a red gel food coloring that can be found at Michaels or even Walmart. You could also use liquid food coloring but adjust the amount to your liking.
Made this for my gluten-free sister and it was a huge success!! I was scared to try it, but followed the recipe to a T and it turned out perfect 🙂
Thank you, I’m so glad your sister enjoyed it so much!
5/5
I’m about to do this cake for my husband birthday I have to become a baker since I’m gluten sensitive and celiac and other many food allergies. So my only question is why natural cocoa( slightly bitter) instead of Dutch process cocoa? I’m asking because I do rather use the one on hand. It sounds great and it seems it’s not overpowering sweetness which I love the idea. Thanks again
Natural cocoa powder is the traditional ingredient used in Red Velvet cake that gave the cake a red hue. There’s just a small amount of cocoa powder in this and it won’t make the cake bitter and isn’t even to flavor the cake.
Thank you for sharing this delightfully easy, mouthwateringly delicious recipe. Have baked this cake several times since I first tried it a few weeks back and it’s been a huge success each time!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! My cake turned out perfectly. This is the best GF cake I’ve ever made. I will no longer be buying GF cake mixes. This is so much better and more economical. I use Pillsbury GF flour blend; that’s what is available in my local grocery store, and it’s the least expensive. I look forward to trying your other recipes. Thanks again!
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for sharing this recipe always get nervous when using a recipe online, this was spot on… moist, soft and my clients loved the flavor and texture
cake is flat as a pancake, what happened followed recipe to a t
This cake bakes up with a nice flat top, ideal for stacking and layering 🙂
Made this for a friend who is gluten free and it turned out fantastic! They said it was the best gluten free red velvet cake they had ever had. I’m not gluten free and I could not tell it was gluten free, it was not grainy, it was moist and I’d totally make it again!
Thanks Aimee, I’m so happy you and your friend loved it!
Hello,
Can we replace Xanthan Gum with Cornstarch ? What would be the new quantity of cornstarch ?
Hi Rita, I haven’t experimented with a xanthan gum replacement.
Hi! Can I make this into cupcakes or do you think they would dry out?
I am wondering this too!! Will try!
The cake is so pretty.
I have always made a gluten-free red velvet cake with ermine frosting. I always use your wife rice blend and it turns out beautifully.
Ooops. White rice flour blend. I cant wait to try this cake because other GF red velvet cakes have disappointed me. I am sure this will be a hit as your recipes have been a great success. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Can you make this with natural red dye? I have a sensitivity to red dye. Will that replacement change the flavor at all? Thanks!
You’re welcome, I hope it lives up to your expectations!
I make the ermine frosting using your white rice flour blend. Cannot wait to make this cake. I have been disappointed with other GF red velvet cake recipes. Given the success I have had with your recipes, I know we will enjoy this cake. A tradition in our house for 50 years! Thanks in advance for this recipe.