Welcome to Day 8 of the Twelve Days of Pound Cake! Friends, today is an extraordinary day; because today is the day that Begin with Butter is jumping into the vegan world. And we’re coming in hot with our first vegan feature: Vegan Red Velvet Pound Cake.
She’s a take on my Ruby Red Velvet Pound Cake, but completely vegan. No animal products whatsoever.
I am so proud of this cake I could literally bust. I have been eating more and more vegan and vegetarian options, and it was just time for my work to reflect that. To have this Vegan Red Velvet Pound Cake come out so well just makes me incredibly happy!
About this Vegan Red Velvet Pound Cake
I’ll start with the end. You are sacrificing nothing with this cake. The taste is 🤌🏾. The texture is utterly beautiful. It’s perfectly chocolatey, as any red velvet cake should be. Your fork literally melts through this cake when you take a bite.
Vegan Red Velvet Pound Cake is a fun challenge that demonstrates the evolution of culinary creativity. Born out of the desire to cater to a growing plant-based lifestyle, this velvety delight is a compassionate twist on my Ruby Red Velvet Pound Cake for my plant-based friends.
As the vegan movement has gained momentum, bakers want to cater to multiple crafting a cruelty-free version without compromising on taste and texture. We want everyone to be able to enjoy sweet treats! As a result, we’ve found a way to create a harmonious blend of plant-powered ingredients, vibrant red hues, and the unmistakable richness of a traditional pound cake. So, next time you savor a slice, remember that this delectable creation is not just a dessert; it’s a testament to the culinary ingenuity that turns traditions upside down, all while keeping your taste buds delighted in the most delicious way.
I’ll say it: if you didn’t know this was vegan, you’d never suspect that it was vegan.
Ingredients in the Vegan Red Velvet Pound Cake
All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour a superhero when it comes to baking ingredients—it has the just-right amount of proteins that team up to give this cake the perfect structure!
Cocoa Powder: You need natural cocoa powder for red velvet cake because its acidity enhances the vibrant red color of the cake, and its distinct flavor contributes to the signature taste, creating a perfect harmony with the other ingredients for that classic and delicious red velvet experience.
Baking Soda: You need baking soda for red velvet cake to create the perfect rise, texture, and iconic flavor by reacting with acidic ingredients, ensuring a delightful, light, and fluffy outcome.
Kosher Salt: You need a pinch of salt in sweet desserts because it enhances and balances the flavors, elevating the sweetness and making every bite more delicious. If you’re using table salt in this cake, halve the amount.
Vegan Butter: Vegan butter in baking acts as a plant-based substitute for traditional butter, providing moisture, richness, and a buttery flavor to recipes, ensuring that your treats are both cruelty-free and irresistibly tasty.
Vegetable Oil: Oil helps add additional richness to the batter!
Granulated Sugar: Sugar adds sweetness to our cake, but it also aids in caramelization! And with bundt cakes, that beautiful golden crust is largely due to the caramelization from the sugar!
Flax Eggs : Flax eggs, serving as a vegan-friendly binder, work their magic in baked goods by mimicking the binding properties of traditional eggs, adding moisture, structure, and helping create a perfect texture without the need for animal products.
Vanilla Extract: This cake uses vanilla extract. It’s the perfect accompaniment for this chocolate delight. 😊
Red Food Coloring: You need the red food coloring to get to that signature red color. The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons, but if you’re really wanting a red red cake, then you can use up to 3 tablespoons. It will likely impact the flavor, though.
White Vinegar: The white vinegar/red food coloring combination really punches up the red color in your cake!
Vegan Buttermilk: You’ll create your own buttermilk, using plant-based milk and white vinegar! It works like a charm!
Beginners Start Here
If you’re new to baking, or if you want to learn how to do some of the more tricky baking techniques, here are a couple of super helpful articles from the BwB site (and a resource from the BwB Home Baking Academy!) that will help you get set up for success with this Vegan Red Velvet Pound Cake.
- BwB Masterclass: Perfect Pound Cakes Encore! Learn my secrets for making the absolute most delicious pound cakes over and over again!
- My Favorite Bundt Pans
- Meet Your Kitchen BFF–Your Digital Kitchen Scale!
- Technique Tips for the Best Pound Cakes (& Big News!)
- How to Cream Butter and Sugar (With New Video!)
- Baking 101: How to Measure Ingredients
- How to Grease a Bundt Pan
- The Best Tools for Perfect Pound Cakes
- Knowing When to Stop a Technique
These resources are super helpful to help you build consistency and confidence on your baking journey. Happy Reading!
Want to take advantage of the best sale of the year at the Begin with Butter Home Baking Academy? Use code TWELVEDAYS to get 15% off sitewide this holiday season!
Important Tools Used in this Vegan Red Velvet Pound Cake
Below, you’ll find some tools that I used for this pound cake. These are the tools that I use all the time in my own kitchen.
**I get paid a small commission if you purchase directly from these links, but they are truly amazing products that you’ll find in my kitchen.**
If you have them already, great! Think of this as a checklist to help you build the confidence that you’ll need to execute this recipe!
- Oven Thermometer
- Digital Food Scale
- KitchenAid Hand Mixer
- KitchenAid Stand Mixer
- Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set
- OXO Spatula Set
- Sifter
We are officially a blog that offers vegan dessert options and I am positively gleeful about the options that are already running rampant in my brain. I hope you all are ready for the ride!
I hope you all love this cake and I’ll see you tomorrow for Day 9!
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Vegan Red Velvet Pound Cake
This vegan spin on the classic red velvet pound cake leaves nothing out: not moisture, not chocolatey flavor, and certainly not that wonderful pound cake texture that we all love! Try this cake for a special treat!
- Total Time: 5-7 hours
- Yield: 18 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the Batter:
384 g (3 c) all-purpose flour
43 g (1/2 c) natural cocoa powder, plus 2-4 tbsp more for greasing the bundt pan
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt (if using table salt, halve the amount)
230 g (1 c) vegan butter, cool room temperature, plus 2 tbsp more for greasing pan (I used Earth Balance sticks, not the butter in the tub)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
500 g (2.5 c) granulated sugar
5 tablespoons flax meal (not flax seeds)
188 g (3/4 c) water
2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp red food coloring
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp white vinegar
250 g (1 c) plant-based milk (I prefer oat milk)
For the Vanilla Simple Syrup:
67 g (1/3 c) granulated sugar
84 g (1/3 c) water
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Vanilla Glaze:
240 g (2 c) confectioner’s sugar
3 tbsp plant-based milk
1/8 tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
To Make the Batter:
- Set your oven to 325°F. It’s highly recommended to use an oven thermometer for this recipe, since proper oven temperature can impact the finished product.
- Combine flax meal and water thoroughly in a small measuring cup or bowl. Set aside.
- Combine the plant-based milk and 2 tbsp of white vinegar in another small measuring cup. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, natural cocoa powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.
- Sift the flour/cocoa powder mixture into a large bowl.
- Place the room-temperature plant-based butter and oil in a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix on lowest speed until smooth and combined.
- Slowly add the sugar and mix on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add half of the flax mixture and mix until incorporated. Add the second half of the flax mixture, scraping the bowl as needed
- Add vanilla, red food coloring, and vinegar and mix on lowest speed until fully combined, scraping the bowl as needed to make sure that the color is mixing uniformly.
- Add half of the flour/cocoa powder mixture and mix on low speed until combined. (30-45 seconds)
- Add all of the milk mixture and mix on low speed until combined.
- Add the second half of the flour/cocoa powder mixture and mix on lowest speed until almost combined. Stop mixing just before the mixture is fully together.
- Using a rubber spatula, fully scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix gently until the batter has a silky texture.
- Thoroughly grease and flour a 10-12 cup bundt pan and place the batter in the pan.
To Bake the Cake:
- Bake the bundt cake at 325°F for 60-70 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer reads 210°F-215°F. My preferred internal temperature is 212°F. Alternately, the cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs.
- Allow the cake to rest for ten minutes while you make the simple syrup.
To Make the Vanilla Simple Syrup:
- Combine sugar, water, and salt in a small saucepan.
- Warm the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract.
- After allowing it to rest for ten minutes, invert the cake on a cooling rack and carefully remove the bundt pan.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the simple syrup over the entire cake.
- Allow the cake to cool completely (2-3 hours).
To Make the Vanilla Glaze:
- Add confectioner’s sugar, 3 tbsp of plant-based milk, salt, and vanilla to the mixing bowl.
- Mix on low speed until the glaze until completely smooth. Scrape the bowl as necessary.
- Final glaze should have the consistency of thick honey.
- Using a spouted measuring cup, spoon, or squeeze bottle, drizzle final glaze over the cake. Use a spoon to help the glaze fall over the sides of the cake.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 60-70 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan