Vegan & Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake with 2-Ingredient Chocolate Frosting

Red velvet cake sweetened with coconut sugar and red with raw beets. Finish it with a 2-ingredient chocolate frosting.

Whenever friends tell me their favorite cake flavor is red velvet, I’m equal parts skeptical and intrigued.

Because what flavor is that, exactly, please?

Mildly chocolate and very red?

In our last neighborhood we had a cupcake shop down the street that sold vegan red velvet cupcakes and after sinking my teeth into the ruby red fluff, I understood what all of the fuss was about.

I set out to recreate the flavors in my kitchen with all natural ingredients that tell it like it is.

Because we want to eat our cake and know what’s in our cake too, yes?

This delicious Vegan & Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake with 2-Ingredient Chocolate Frosting doesn’t leave any mystery.

It’s made with vegan and gluten-free with whole foods ingredients and a decadent chocolate frosting.

Friends, I tried all of the red things to turn this cake bright red.

I tried roasted beets, bright berries, freeze-dried raspberries, and beet powders, all with no luck.

The cake, while delicious, kept turning a deep chocolate color.

And what is a red velvet cake without the red velvet aesthetic?

Finally, I read that a mixture of RAW beets and mild acidity helps preserve and brighten the red color.

The mixture of raw beet purée and a few tablespoons of lemon juice did the trick.

Don’t worry, you won’t detect any taste of the beets or the lemon– they neutralize into the sweetness of the cake.

This cake is sweet, moist, chocolatey, and perfectly frosted.

A blend of oat and almond flour create a fluffy gluten-free flour batter that’s sweetened with unrefined coconut sugar.

Originally, I wanted this recipe to be vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free- my usual F&V dessert code trifecta.

However, I found the taste and texture of the cake to be drastically improved with the addition of coconut oil.

I reduced the oil content with an applesauce swap out for a lighter version that I think you’ll agree is delicious!

If you’re oil-free, try subbing more applesauce for the amount of coconut oil for varied results.

Instead of the usual cream cheese frosting, I frosted this red beauty with a 2-ingredient chocolate frosting.

I kept the cacao powder to a minimum in the batter to let the beet color shine through, so I love the way the frosting draws out the chocolate undertones of the cake.

All you need is a can of coconut milk and plenty of Hu Kitchen dark chocolate.

I used the Cashew Butter Raspberry Jelly Dark Chocolate to make this frosting, but any of their clean-ingredient vegan chocolate bars will work here!

The frosting will be thick and spreadable so don’t be afraid to lay it on thick.

This Vegan & Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake would be perfect for a birthday party, Valentine’s Day dessert, or anytime celebration.

It’s excellent with a glass of almond milk, a latte, or a cup of tea.

I made mine into a sheet-pan cake for ease, but you can also pour the batter into circular pans to create a stacked cake or into muffin tins to make red velvet cupcakes.

If you have any leftover 2-ingredient Chocolate Frosting, I highly recommend spreading it on my Vegan & Gluten-Free Graham Crackers!

If you make this Vegan & Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake with 2-Ingredient Chocolate Frosting, let me know what you think!

Be sure to leave me a comment, rating, and review so I can use your feedback to create more yums. 

Give me a shout on Instagram and use #floraandvino to show me your creations.

Check out my Pinterest page to pin more recipes like this one to make later.

Want more gluten-free and refined sugar-free, chocolate desserts? Check out my Double Chocolate Cheesecake Bars and 6-Ingredient Vegan & Gluten-Free Chocolate Pie.

Do you love this post and want more? Go to my homepage and subscribe to get updates delivered right to your inbox!

XO Lauren

Vegan & Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake with 2-Ingredient Chocolate Frosting

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• Author: Flora & Vino
• Total Time: 2 hours 45 mins
• Yield: 12 servings
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Vegan and gluten-free red velvet cake sweetened with unrefined coconut sugar and made red with raw beets. Finish it off with a decadent 2-ingredient chocolate frosting.

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Ingredients

Vegan & Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake

• 2 flax eggs (2 TBSP ground flaxseed meal + 6 TBSP filtered water)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 3 TBSP lemon juice
• 1 1/4 cups raw beets, puréed*
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 1/3 cups unrefined coconut sugar
• 2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free oat flour
• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 tsp baking powder

2-Ingredient Chocolate Frosting

• 3 cups Hu Kitchen Cashew Butter & Raspberry Jelly Dark Chocolate Bar, finely chopped
• 1 15-oz. can full-fat coconut milk

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large rectangular pan with nonstick spray or parchment paper.
2. (If you haven’t made your beet purée* yet, see notes). To a blender, add the beet purée, almond milk, lemon juice, applesauce, and flax eggs. Pulse everything until it’s well-combined and vibrant red.
3. Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl and set it aside.
4. Heat the coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once it’s completely melted, add it to the mixing bowl with the cacao powder and coconut sugar. Mix everything well with a spatula to combine.
5. Next, sift in the oat flour, almond flour, and baking powder and stir until there are no flour clumps. If you don’t have a sifter, simply mix dry ingredients in another bowl and add to the wet mixture while beating. The batter should be thick but pourable.
6. Add the batter to your cake pans and spread into an even layer. Tap the pan several times on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
7. Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
8. While the cake is cooling, prepare your chocolate frosting. Add the full contents of the coconut milk can to a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Add the chopped chocolate to a large heat-safe bowl. Once the coconut milk is warm and steaming, pour it over the chopped chocolate. Cover the bowl with a sheet of parchment paper or towel to trap in the heat. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes, then remove the cover and stir the mixture well with a spatula until all of the chocolate is melted. Cover the bowl and transfer to the fridge for 1-2 hours to thicken.
9. Once the cake is cooled and the frosting is spreadable, frost the cake generously with a knife or spatula.
10. Serve the cake immediately! Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Notes

*To make beet purée, rinse and peel raw beets and add to a food processor or high speed blender and pulse until you have a very fine beet paste– almost liquid. Measure out 1 1/4 cups for use in this recipe and reserve leftovers for another use.

• Prep Time: 2 hours
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Oven-Bake
• Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar Free

This post is brought to you by Hu Kitchen, but all words and eats are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep me hungry!