Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake Recipe

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.

Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake Recipe

4.58 from 239 ratings

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.

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 50

Servings: 16 slices

By: Sharon Lachendro

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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.