Dear Readers,
There are so many things that I should tell you about this gluten free Red Velvet Cake. I should tell you about how I baked it this morning while wearing a wrap dress, floral apron, high heels and pearls and looked like I had stepped right out of the 1950s. I should tell you how much my co-workers enjoyed this third cake that I could not bring myself to eat even though it is so delicious. (I am sugared out!). I should tell you how tender, moist and perfect this cake was and how no one could tell that it was gluten free. I should…but it’s 11:00 PM and it’s time for this gluten free cook to head to bed. Enjoy the recipe, especially those of you who are planning on making it for your birthdays!
Southern Red Velvet Cake
Cake Ingredients:
1 3/4 c. canola oil
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten (room temp)
1 c. brown rice flour
3/4 c. sorghum flour
3/4 c. tapioca starch
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. buttermilk (or 1 Tbsp cider vinegar and 1 c. milk substitute)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 oz. red food coloring (this is one of the McCormick’s bottles)
1 Tbsp. cocoa
Frosting Ingredients:
1 box confectioner’s sugar
8 oz. cream cheese (can sub vegan cream cheese)
1 stick butter (room temp)
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)
1 tsp vanilla
Cake Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Use a mixer to cream oil and sugar. With the mixer still going, add one egg at a time and beat until the eggs are thoroughly incorporated. (This step creates an emulsion that holds the batter together)
3. Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Make sure they are well mixed, either by sifting the flours or whisking them.
4. Add the flour to the oil and sugar mixture in four parts. Alternate the flour with the buttermilk. You should begin and end with dry ingredients and each part should be mixed in completely before you add the next. (If you were to start with the liquids the emulsion would break.)
5. Make a paste of the cocoa, red food coloring, and vanilla and gently stir it into the batter.
6. Pour the batter into two greased and floured round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 25 minutes. (A toothpick stuck into the middle of the cake should come out clean when the cake is done)
7. When the cakes have completely cooled, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Frosting Instructions:
1. Cream the confectioner’s sugar, cream cheese, and butter.
2. Mix in the vanilla and chopped nuts.
3. Spread over cooled cake.
P.S. For more ideas on how to serve red velvet cake, check out this red velvet cupcakes recipe. It’s not gluten free, but you could use my ingredients above without too much trouble.
I am making my own gluten free wedding cake, and I wanted red velvet. I just did the trial run, and this recipe is amazing! I substituted coconut flour for the sorghum, and added a bit more buttermilk (as coconut flour is very absorbent), and it is the most moist, delicious red velvet cake I have ever tasted, gluten free or otherwise! The texture is literally perfect, and it lent itself very well to layering. Now if I can just get the tiering part down…