Finally a red velvet cake that doesn’t use red dye and it’s actually red!
Big win today with this beet root powder red velvet cake!
I am literally obsessed with how this came out!
First let’s take a quick look at the origin of red velvet cake so we can clear up the fact that it never really had red dye to begin with, but over the years and our “need” for aesthetics before anything, we started adding tons of red dye to the cake better for a thrilling red that would make Dracula cringe.
The original Red Velvet Cake was actually a chocolate cake with a slightly red tinge to it.
Similar to the color on my chocolate cupcakes here, due to the reaction from the cocoa powder with the baking soda, the cake took on a slight red color upon baking.
But again as I mentioned we developed this insatiable need to have the most red of reds for this classic cake.
But who the heck wants to dump in a crap ton of red food dye?
Not me, and probably not you since you are here reading this post!
Well our prayers have been answered so allow me to introduce Beet Root Powder as the saving grace to the NO DYE Red Velvet Cake!
My original recipe (with the dye) had to get tweaked up a bit, by changing the leavener from baking soda to baking powder in order to get this color right.
So be sure you are using baking POWDER not SODA or you will get some weird shade of pinkish gray instead of this vibrant red!
The icing I am using is the classic Ermine Buttercream, if you have not yet tried Ermine Icing you are in for a double treat today!
This cake combination is perfection and I can also proudly announce that it is all a tad bit healthier than it’s predecessor!
With a buttercream that is way less sweet and doesn’t require shortening for stability and a cake that is dye free and hopped up on antioxidant beet root powder, well let’s just say you can have a second serving with out guilt!
Oh yeah one last thing, the red velvet cake balls are optional but sooooo goood!
With the trimmings from the cake layers add a touch of buttercream and mash it all together in a bowl! Roll them in white chocolate and YUMM!
CLICK HERE for a closer look at how to make cake balls
I found this ermine buttercream to be quite fragile and on the verge of "breaking" so be careful not to add the custard to fast AND after refrigerating, when rewhipping it had a tendency to break too! I would recommend to ice your cakes/cupcakes immediately after making the fresh batch to avoid the trouble of trying to save a broken buttercream from rewhipping.
Be careful on the measuring of this recipe, a heavy hand on the flour will cause this cake to be more like bread texture! CLICK HERE FOR MORE
- For the Cake:
- All Purpose Flour 3½ cups (437g)
- Beet Root Powder 9 Tablespoons (72g)
- Baking Powder 1 Tablespoon (10g)
- Salt 1 teaspoon (6g)
- Cocoa Powder * natural NOT Dutched Process 4 Tablespoons (24g)
- Egg Replacer *I am using The Plant Based Egg by Freely Vegan 2 Tablespoons
- Granulated Sugar 2 cups (400g)
- Vegetable Oil ¾ cup (177ml)
- Plant Milk * I am using soy milk 2 cups (473ml)
- Vanilla Extract 2 teaspoons (10ml)
- For the Ermine Buttercream:
- Granulated Sugar 2 cups (400g)
- All Purpose Flour ¾cup + 2 Tbs (110g)
- Plant Milk *I have used both soy & almond with good results 2 cups (473ml)
- Vegan Butter 4 sticks (454g)
- Vanilla Extract 2 teaspoons (10ml)
- Salt pinch
- For the cake batter, combine the sugar, salt, vanilla extract, oil and milk in a large mixing bowl and whisk smooth.
- Sift the flour, beet root powder, cocoa powder, baking powder and the egg replacer together then add it to the liquids in the mixing bowl.
- Whisk smooth then divide the batter evenly between your greased & parchment lined cake pans
- Bake immediately in a preheated 350°F oven for approximately 30 minutes or when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or better yet when they are springy to the touch when you gently press the centers CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO
- Cool cakes in the pan until you can safely touch them with your fingers then flip onto a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way
- Meanwhile to prepare your ermine buttercream, combine the flour, salt & sugar together in a medium heavy bottom sauce pot over medium - high heat.
- Whisk together and let the flour "toast" for about 2 minutes whisking to prevent burning on the bottom.
- Add the room temperature plant milk whisking constantly to smooth
- Bring the custard to a boil whisking constantly
- Once it starts to bubble gently, remove it from the heat add the vanilla extract and then pour into onto a large plate and cover it directly on the surface with plastic wrap or parchment paper to prevent a "skin"
- Cool in the refrigerator while you whip the vegan butter to fluffy.
- Add the cooled (be careful this is not the slightest bit hot or you will have a melted butter!) custard to the whipped buttercream 1 heaping tablespoon at a time, whipping on medium the entire time until it is all incorporated.
- Ice cake as shown in the video.
- For making the *optional red velvet balls to go on topCLICK HERE
While this is a strong buttercream, I have been told that it does not hold up very well in hot temperatures!
Turn this recipe into a Red Velvet Cheesecake too!
If i dont use an egg replacer how much egg do i use
I do not use eggs, and this cake was formulated to use the egg replacer so it work perfectly as it is written. I think you can probably find a NON vegan recipe on the internet that you may like if you did not want to try it this way.
Typically it’s 1egg per 1 TBS of egg replacer. (I have a dairy allergy so I cook with and without eggs)
So this recipe would use 2, depending on the type of egg replacement being used.
Happy baking!
I have never heard of ermine buttercream. That’s really interesting! I’m going to have to try that. I love the no red dye in the cake as well. Beet root. Who knew? Thanks for sharing!
can you tell me what vegan butter you use please?
I prefer Earth Balance but sometimes use Fleishmans Margarine
This is a little off the topic, but I’m wondering if it’s possible to make the vegan Swiss buttercream frosting recipe with only a small portion (like maybe 1/4) of vegan butter rather than the full amount listed in the recipe. Would that work? Thanks.
I have seen a lot of white velvet cake recipes online and was wondering if I left out the beet root powder and the cocoa powder could this become a white velvet cake? Also would I need to replace the cocoa powder with flour?
Yes this recipe originated from my Vanilla Cake! CLICK HERE
Hi Gretchen we’re can I get that wisk?
LOL I get more inquiries about that whisk than anything else! haha
It was a gift to me about 20 years ago, but the company is called Rosle – they are in business still, but I have a hard time finding that giant balloon whisk nowadays
Heya! This looks amazing! I was wondering if you could use ground flax seeds as the egg replacer? I’m from the uk and I don’t know if egg replacer is the same here
yes you can use it, 2 Tbs and then use 6Tbs of the liquid from the recipe to reconstitute it.
**Just a note, I do prefer the Plant Based Egg (or one similar- like Orgran? I think is in your country??- The flax is a high fat replacer, so it adds a slight “heaviness” or rather I should say Moistness that I dont think this recipe needs, since in my opinion it is already super moist!! That said, Yes you CAN use it, just be aware of that slight different in the final)
Oh!! I can only find orgran here, could it use it as a subtitute? Same amount?
Thank you and love your content!
Sorry for the late reply, my blog has been broken for a couple weeks and I could not reply!! Yes you can use it, I have not used that brand so I am not sure the result, but I think it should work. The PBE is able to go into the dry ingredients, and I am not sure about Orgran, so you may have to reconstitute it in some of the liquid ingredients here
Hi Gretchen and thank you so so much for your amazing knowledge and kindness, I am a vegan baker and I am so happy I finally came across this recipe! I was thinking of adding some cocoa powder to make a chocolate version!
When would you suggest to add the cocoa powder? I would put 3 TBS, and add them just before adding the milk to the toasted flour and sugar…Thank you so much again!
Sara
Hi there, I am assuming you mean for the buttercream? If so, then yes! Sounds like a good idea!
Thank you! Yes sorry I did not specify, I tried and it came out great but I added a lot more cocoa powder while I was mixing the buttercream to reach right taste and color…Success anyway!
My cake turned out quite dry. I baked it for 40 minutes in two 8 inch pans. Should I have baked it less?
A few things can contribute to a recipe not turning out exactly as intended. #1 yes too long baking could be the ultimate cause of a cake coming out dry, so I often dont like to rely on “exact times” but rather sight and touch to know when your cakes are done baking, All ovens bake slightly different as well. CLICK HERE for more into on How to Know When Your Cakes are Done But another reason could be the way you measure ingredients. The best method is to always use a scale CLICK HERE FOR MORE, because everyone seems to scoop ingredients into dry measuring cups differently. SO a heavy hand on the flour measurement could also cause a dry result.
If you used 8″ pans, versus my 7″ pans that could also be a reason. My 7″ pans are going to produce thicker layers than an 8″ pan so the time baking on an 8″ cake layer will always be less.
Hi Gretchen, was wondering if this egg replacer is suitable for this recipe? Was not sure if the potassium bicarbonate In it could change the red colour? I am from the uk and am not able to get the vegan egg replacer in your recipe.
Kind Regards.
https://www.thevegankindsupermarket.com/products/yes-you-can-vegan-egg-replacer-allergen-free-180g?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=googleshopping&variant=31117519847518&gclid=Cj0KCQiAsbrxBRDpARIsAAnnz_P7xBt9LkhjDujyFrZTBoVs8SnCJnKj07DVPvZqfgwSwbdB1Pk5C0gaAuprEALw_wcB
Hey there, so basically the potassium bicarb, is a low sodium sub for baking soda, some egg replacers have leaveners in them (like EnerG) which I dont love… I prefer egg replacers that just bind so I can control my own leavening (thus the various reactions from them as well as you mentioned) as far as it working with this recipe, I don’t know how much of it is actually IN the egg replacer you listed, but one thing I KNOW for sure is this recipe did NOT work out (color was terrible) with baking soda rather than baking powder.
As a last resort, You can sub in flax egg for the egg replacer I am using 2 Tbs ground flax reconstituted with 6 Tbs liquid from the recipe. (Add the falx “egg” with the other wet ingredients
I haven’t tried the cake recipe yet (waiting for my local bulk foods place to stock their beet root powder), BUT I used this ermine buttercream recipe for the red velvet cake recipe I’m developing.
It is hands down the absolute BEST buttercream I have ever eaten in my entire life. I even used really cheap imitation vanilla because I ran out of my vanilla bean paste, and it was still phenomenal.
This recipe made enough to ice my 3-layer 8″ cake with just a tad left over. It decorates beautifully, and it freezes and thaws perfectly, too (decorated, at least. I haven’t tried in bulk yet)!
Gretchen, thank you so much for introducing the world to a vegan version of this buttercream. I don’t know how I ever lived without it!
Hi Gretchen, this looks amazing and can’t wait to make it myself! Question: do you think that the same measurements would work for 3 8” cake pans? Otherwise, how much % would you add for each ingredient? Hope you can let me know. Thank you!!
yes! Would be fine, you will just have SLIGHTLY thinner layers that’s all!
Hi friend!
I was wondering if this amount of beet powder lends any of that signature earthy flavor to the cake? I’d like to make this, but worry about that.
Thank you!
Hey there, while some people are more sensitive to this taste than others, I do find it gives a slight “sweet, earthy taste” but nothing that is offensive in my opinion! 🙂
Hello Gretchen. Would I be able to add fruit purées to flavor an ermine frosting? Or would that ruin/split it? I would love to try versions like banana, apple cinnamon, or mango and I don’t have access to fruit essences or dehydrated fruit powders.
Thankyou. You saved my life once again. Keep them coming.
This is the first time I have heard of the beet root powder. It’s a more natural color to the cake. Does it affect the flavor of the cake? Gretchen, remember the strawberry shower cake recipe you shared? I have made it for dinner guests and they absolutely loved it!! I’m looking forward to trying the beet root powder as long as it does not change the flavor of the cake. Would Whole Foods carry it?
Hi Ines! Yes it is a wonderful way to color our food naturally! I find it adds a very slight sweetness to the cake but I do not find it changes the overall taste of the cake. Red Velvet cake (in my opinion) is such an “odd” cake flavor to begin with- not many people can really put a finger on exactly what it tastes like, to me it is like a vanilla cake with a hint of chocolate?? So the beet root adds a slight “fruity” essence to it.
I believe Whole Foods would carry – if not, they may have freeze dried beets that you can pulverize to a powder yourself!
if i don’t have the exact same egg replacer you use, can i use a homemade flaxseed egg substitute instead? and would it be the same amount you use?
Yes! You can use 2 Tbs flax reconstituted with 6 Tbs liquid from the recipe
thank you! 🙂 i’m a little confused tho, why can’t i add the ground flax to the whole liquid in the recipe?
I have never been much of a cake baker… That said, I followed your recipe instructions and amounts as exactly as possible. The result looked (and tasted) fabulous, but, when I cut into it, the downward pressure of the knife caused the layers to slide and squeeze the icing out the sides of the cake. Where did I go wrong? I was cutting the cake in half so as to take half of it to my daughter and grandson. Further, on the ride to her house, the top two layers slid off of the bottom one. It all stayed in the large container I was transporting it in, so no real harm was done, but its glory was certainly diminished. What did I do wrong?
Hmmm this is odd! This has not happened to me! (at least not with a buttercream cake!- A fresh fruit whipped cream cake! Yes! I have had that nightmare!) But Usually buttercream icing (no matter which recipe you use) is like glue for the layers! The only thing I can guess is that it may be super hot where you live? Maybe humid? Condensation between the layers from a not cold cake when it was iced? Just throwing out ideas to trouble shoot the problem, but It’s hard to say for sure! i hope it tasted good at least! 😀
Oh, it tastes wonderful! In fact, I’m having a piece right now! I actually live in one of the coldest places in the U.S.: just south of the Canadian border in northern, N.Y. (350 miles north of New York City and 80 miles south of Ottawa). At present we have about 3′ of snow on the ground and piles of it higher than my head where we’ve plowed and shoveled it! I refrigerated the cake, and that has solidified the icing, so next time I may try icing the tops of the lower two layers and then chilling them before stacking them up and finishing the whole cake. Thank you for all of your beautiful and delicious creations. I’m the 75 year old grandmother of a teenaged boy who is vegetarian and has some severe food allergies. It’s wonderful to be able to treat him to one of your creations.
It’s also possible that I made a measuring mistake of some kind – although I was exacting. Or maybe the heat from the woodstove was enough to make the icing slippery?