Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake Recipe

This gluten free red velvet cake is moist, fluffy with the perfect hints of chocolate and vanilla and made totally from scratch! With a simple cream cheese frosting, this is a cake you'll keep coming back to!

Two slices of gluten free red velvet cake on two speckled plates with a fork.

I am SO excited for ya'll to make this cake. Red velvet has always been one of my favorite kind of cakes. You have hints of both vanilla and chocolate, but it's not a true rich chocolate cake since there is so little cocoa powder.

Just enough to make you taste the chocolate, but it is subtle and blends beautifully with the vanilla, tang from vinegar, and richness from the butter. The color comes from red food coloring, but you can also use beet juice or powder, though that won't yield quite the same rich red color. You can also leave it out completely, the taste won't be affected!

Plus, this gluten free red velvet cake is easy to make, moist, fluffy and you would truly never know it's gluten free! It is not vegan, but I do have vegan red velvet cupcakes you can make instead!

Up close image of the slice of cake with cream cheese buttercream.

How to make this cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease and then line two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans with parchment paper and set aside. I used 8 inch pans, if you use 9 inch, the layers will just be a bit thiner.

Sift together all dry ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together. Be sure tospoon and levelthe flour, do not pack it in or scoop from the bag. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the room temperature butter, oil and sugar until well combined. Beat in all remaining wet ingredients except for the food coloring.

Combine the dry ingredients with the wet and whisk together until smooth. Add in the food coloring and whisk until well combined.

Note: You don't have to add food coloring to red velvet cake. It obviously won't be red without it, but the flavor will still be the same! You can try beet extract for a natural color as well.

Transfer to the prepared pans and bake in the center of the oven for 25-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from the oven, let cool for about 10 minutes, then flip onto a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Cream Cheese Buttercream

To make the buttercream, beat together the butter and cream cheese until well combined. Beat in the vanilla and powdered sugar about 2 cups at a time until smooth and creamy. Wait until the cake has cooled completely before frosting.

Frost the top of one layer, then add the second layer on top and frost the top and sides. Enjoy!

Final cake after coming out of the oven on a cooling rack.

Tips to make this perfectly

Use room temperature ingredients. This is so important! The butter, milk and eggs all must be at room temperature before you begin baking. This is key for making sure the cake rises properly and the ingredients mix well together when making the batter.

Spoon and level the flour. I say this all the time and you're probably sick of it but this is so important! If you scoop the flour from the bag or pack it into the measuring cup, you'll end up with way more flour than you need which will result in a dry cake.

Watch the bake time. All ovens are different which is why I give a range for the bake time. It will also depend on whether you use 8 or 9 inch pans, 9 inch pans will cook a bit faster. Start on the low end of the time, check with a toothpick and add just 2 minutes at a time until the cake is done.

Storage tips

If you're making the cake before decorating, you can allow the sponges to cool at room temperature, then wrap them in plastic wrap and stick in the fridge for 24 hours until ready to frost.

Once the cake has been frosted, keep it covered to prevent it from drying out. Once it has been frosted and sliced, keep it even more tightly covered to prevent the inside from drying out.

Gluten free red velvet layer cake with a fork taking a bite.

Try these other gluten free cakes next!

Funfetti Cake
Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
Lemon Cake
Banana Snack Cake

Lastly, if you want more recipes straight to your inbox, be sure tosubscribe to my email list. If you make this recipe, be sure to tag me on instagram and leave a comment below!

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Total: 40 mins

Buttercream:

▢ 8 ounces plain cream cheese at room temperature I used dairy free
▢ 4 ounces butter at room temperature I used dairy free, 4 ounces=1 stick
▢ 1 tbsp vanilla extract
▢ 4 cups powdered sugar
▢ pinch of salt

*please make sure your ingredients are at room temperature before baking!*
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease and then line two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans with parchment paper and set aside. I used 8 inch pans, if you use 9 inch, the layers will just be a bit thiner.
Sift together all dry ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together. Be sure to spoon and level the flour, do not pack it in or scoop from the bag. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the room temperature butter, oil and sugar until well combined. Beat in all remaining wet ingredients except for the food coloring.
Combine the dry ingredients with the wet and whisk together until smooth. Add in the food coloring and whisk until well combined. I used one of these containers.
Transfer to the prepared pans and bake in the center of the oven for 25-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from the oven, let cool for about 10 minutes, then flip onto a cooling rack and let cool completely.
To make the buttercream, beat together the butter and cream cheese until well combined. Beat in the powdered sugar about 2 cups at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the salt and vanilla. Wait until the cake has cooled completely before frosting.
Frost the top of one layer, then add the second layer on top and frost the top and sides. Enjoy!

I used liquid red food coloring and used just over 2 tablespoons, which was a 1 ounce container. If you use gel, it is more concentrated, so you'll likely need just 2-3 teaspoons. This is strictly for color purposes and does nothing to the flavor! It can easily be made without.

I used the Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour in the blue bag. I recommend sticking to that one for best results, but if you use a different blend, just make sure it has xanthan gum. All blends are different, so I can't guarantee the results.

Serving: 1 slice / Calories: 443 kcal / Carbohydrates: 72 g / Protein: 5 g / Fat: 21 g / Saturated Fat: 5 g / Fiber: 3 g / Sugar: 45 g