The Cutest Cake on Pinterest
Have you seen all of the cute heart cakes on Pinterest? They always look perfectly styled and SO delicious. It’s been on my vision board to make one of these heart cakes for a minute. Enter… the Gluten-Free Vegan Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting!
This cake is the ultimate treat for you and someone you love. It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day, an anniversary, a surprise party, or even a Friday night. And of course, it’s plant-based, gluten-free, and free of highly refined white sugar.
Obviously, I knew when we made this cake, it would be gluten-free, vegan, and packed with better-for-you ingredients. The only thing better than a cute heart cake is one that’s made with clean ingredients.
A gluten-free vegan red velvet cake with clean ingredients
Instead of refined white sugar, we’re sweetening the cake with coconut sugar. Why? Because coconut sugar won’t spike your glycemic index nearly as much. Coconut sugar also has this subtle caramel flavor that goes so well with red velvet’s deep chocolate undertones. And for the frosting? Monkfruit is the goat here. If you can’t find powdered monkfruit, you can make it! Using a high-speed blender, blend regular monkfruit on high for a few minutes until it’s a fine, snow-like dust.
Swap red food coloring for beets
Red 40 (found in red food coloring) has been linked to so many gnarly things. These things include gut inflammation and hyperactivity in kids, and it even has potential links to certain cancers. So we’re staying away from the food coloring. And you know what? It’s so easy to do!
Beets are the perfect substitute for red food coloring. No nasty chemicals here—just the beets in all their beauty! I blended 3 cooked beets with a few tablespoons of water to create the beet puree. You can also use a few teaspoons of beet juice too. Start with a small amount, mix fully, and then add more beet puree until the desired color is reached.
Alright, let’s get to this recipe!
Gluten-Free Vegan Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Gluten-Free Vegan Red Velvet Cake
- 1.5 cups plant milk (I used oat)
- 1 lemon juiced
- 3/4 cup vegan butter, melted
- 1.5 cups coconut sugar
- 3 tbsp coconut yogurt
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp beet puree (see notes) You can make beet puree by blending 3 cooked beats with 3 tbsp of water. You can also use beet juice instead.
- 3 cups gluten-free all purpose flour
- 3 tbsp cacao powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup vegan cream cheese
- 1 cup softened vegan butter
- 3 cups powdered monkfruit
- 2 tbsp beet puree
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350. Prepare cake pan by lightly coating it with coconut oil. I used a 9" heart cake pan.
- In a large bowl, mix together plant milk, butter, coconut sugar, coconut yogurt, vanilla extract, and beet puree until smooth.
- Next, add in flour, cacao powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until smooth. Be careful not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the cake is set. Allow it to cool completely.
To make the frosting:
- In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and vegan butter with electric beaters until it's creamy and slightly fluffy.
- Gradually add in the powdered monkfruit, beating in 1 cup at a time. Beat until fully combined.
- Finally, add in 1 tbsp of beet puree, beat until fully combined. You can add in more beet puree until the frosting reaches your desired hue.
I hope you have fun making this cake. I think it would also be suhc a cute thing to do with your special person too!
XO,
Lauren
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