Red Velvet Cupcakes are a huge favorite in our family and with many of our close friends. There is a local cupcake shop in Seattle that used to absolutely melt our hearts with their red velvet cupcakes, and it has been hard to not be able for the kids to enjoy them. We also used to love these homemade cupcakes and Lordy! This cake was to-die-for!
But I do not accept being Gluten, dairy and egg free lying down! I do not accept that it is an end to all things delicious and wonderful and red velvet!!
So for this past Fathers Day I got to work perfecting a gluten free-vegan cupcake that tastes just as good as the original. While the list of ingredients may be missing some of my old friends (flour, butter, eggs and cream cheese) it is so exciting to me that we can create something so delicious out of all these weird new ingredients!
I have spent the last six months at home re-learning the art of baking, something that was a tremendous passion of mine. Something that came so naturally to me that I felt I could do with my eyes closed or half asleep. Something that I really loved and was worried I would not be able to do again. But I am, it just happens to be gluten free and dairy and egg free. But it also happens to not make me feel terrible and sick when I eat it- so that is a win ☺
In truth, this new variety of baking took much longer to learn and understand, and I am still figuring out more and more with every recipe that I try (9 times over- I am not kidding). And when I have successes it makes the hard work worth it. And they are coming more often as I start to really understand the science and effects behind these new ingredients.
Which leads me back to these red velvet cupcakes that I made for you and your family and friends. Cupcakes that you would be proud to bring to any Fourth of July Party or any family gathering and share with the people you love. They are beautiful. They are festive, and above all- they taste great!
Recipe: Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (Gluten Free and Vegan)
Ingredients
- ½ cup brown rice flour
- ¼ cup sorghum flour
- ¼ cup potato starch
- ¼ cup tapioca flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons xanthum gum
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teasopon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar (we used beet sugar)
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 ounce red food coloring
- Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup vegan butter
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons vinegar
- 1 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine all of the dry ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, vinegar, oil, vanilla and red food coloring.
- With the mixer running on low, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat until completely combined and fluffy.
- Scoop into the muffin liners and bake 15-17 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting:
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, whip together the vegan butter, salt and powdered sugar, adding the coconut milk as you go. When it is mostly combined add the vinegar and the lemon juice and then whip until really smooth and fluffy.Add the vanilla and beat one minute further.
- Frost the cupcakes when they are completely cool and garnish with fresh berries or sprinkles if desired.
Preparation time: 30 minute(s)
Cooking time: 15 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 12
These cupcakes look perfect. I love that frosting!
These look amazing! Love those pretty berries on top. Perfect summer cupcakes!
Thank you Tieghan!
Beautiful cupcakes, love the frosting and fresh berries!
Thank you Laura!
These are such beautiful cupcakes! Wow, so impressive, Heather! Love that they’re GF and that you made them with coconut milk and the icing and then the berries on top, well, they’re little works of art! Pinned
Thank you Averie!
These are drop dead gorgeous Heather! Love!!
Thank you so much Jenny!
Heather these look fantastic. I am not anything free but I have a niece who decided she would do free everything also. What is the difference between the cane sugar and beet sugar? I didn’t know that there was a difference in those. Thanks .I would appreciate knowing if you wouldn’t mind.
Hi Bea! Even if you are not GF or vegan, these are still delicious! Beet sugar comes from Beets, but in the end looks and acts just like cane sugar. Pia, my 6 year old is allergic to cane sugar (and I have a milder allergy to it as well, so we have just switched it out almost completely for beet sugar).
These look so delicious! I’m impressed you made these without glutten or eggs.
Thank you so much Laura!
Heather, have you ever made red velvet cake with beets instead of the food coloring? We have to avoid xanthum gum as it causes major headaches in my son and the granddaughters. Incredibly frustrating; it’s in most baked gf goodies and I have no idea what to substitute for it.
Hi Vicki- I have- but it really just turns brown…. (sadly!) What about trying arrowroot as a binder- have you tried that?
I had no idea, Heather, that you have been dealing with some challenges. I have recently been creating “vegan” desserts and it is not easy. These cupcakes look delish and I am going to try them for my 4th of July bakesale!!
Oh yeah Susan! We have MAJOR food allergies over here. My daughters and I are severely allergic to Gluten Dairy Eggs and many other things. We have spent the last 6 months trying to make all of the changes and are much healthier now! Yes, vegan and gluten free baking is exceptionally challenging in my opinion!
Such pretty cupcakes! Perfect for the 4th!
Wow, you’re a rockstar for figuring out gluten free baking! Sounds like a gigantic feat that you conquered! These cupcakes are SO cute and perfect for the 4th!
Thank you Julie! It’s definitely been a crazy challenge.
These cupcakes are so pretty Heather! So cool that they are gluten free too 🙂
Thank you Marla!
Hello Heather,
The cupcakes do look wonderful but I am so surprised that you use red food coloring. I avoid anything with food coloring. Thank you for amazing recipes. I too am learning new things in the kitchen.
I don’t typically Vickie- but Red Velvet is just one of those occasional things that it is REALLY hard to find a substitution for. And truth be told- I am not the biggest red velvet fan,but my girls are. And they have so many restrictions already that I allow the occasional food coloring indulgence. I would like to try India Tree natural food coloring and see if it produces a nice color.
I am so excited for this recipe! We are here in Dallas celebrating the 4th with my (dairy allergic) husband and my nephew who suffers from Celiac’s. These are the perfect cupcakes all around!
HI Heather!! Gosh, I always love finding awesome vegan recipes! These are just beautiful. I don’t need to do GF so I was wondering if I could just use a splet or whole wheat flour instead? What would you suggest? I know I skip the xanthum gum too right? That’s only needed for the GF? Thank You.
Hi Alison! I would use the whole wheat flour and skip the xanthum gum!
hi heather cant wait to try your cupcake recipe it looks awesome
If I wanted to use Bob’s red mill gluten-free 1 to 1 baking mix would I use 1 1/4 cups? It already has the xanthum gum.