Vegetarian Red Velvet Cake

Total time2 hr 5 min

Prep time30 min

Cook time35 min

This layered red velvet cake is everything a celebration dessert should be: two tender, deep-crimson layers with a subtle cocoa backbone, a hint of tang from buttermilk, and that classic soft, moist crumb. The batter comes together with pantry staples like flour, sugar, and a touch of vinegar to balance the cocoa, then bakes up with a delicate spring to the top that signals it's ready for frosting. A rich cream cheese frosting, beaten until thick and spreadable with butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar, gets swept generously over each layer and down the sides for that iconic tangy-sweet finish. Chilling the assembled cake before slicing keeps the layers clean and the frosting perfectly set, so every piece looks as good as it tastes. Since there's nothing in this recipe that steps outside a vegetarian kitchen, it's an easy one to bake for birthdays, holidays, or any excuse for a showstopping slice.

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Ingredients

12 servings

For the cake

2 tbsp ground flaxseed
Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flaxseed Meal - 16 Oz Carrington Farms Organic Milled Flax Seed Paks Gluten Free Spectrum Essentials Cold Milled Organic Premium Ground Flaxseed - 24 oz Barlean's Organic Forti-Flax Premium Ground Flaxseed Carrington Farms Flax Seeds Milled Gluten Free Organic (Ground)
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6 tbsp water
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp fine salt
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup neutral oil (such as canola oil or vegetable oil)
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp red food coloring
1 tsp white vinegar

For the frosting

16 oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch fine salt

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and grease the parchment.
2
In a small bowl, stir together the ground flaxseed and 6 tbsp water until combined. Set aside for 5 minutes until the mixture thickens to a gel-like consistency — this is your flax egg.

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