Strawberry Red Velvet Cake

If you’re looking for the prettiest pink and red cake, look no further than this Strawberry Red Velvet Cake! The cake itself is an eggless red velvet cake surrounded by soft strawberry buttercream frosting. Topped with a chocolate drip and fresh strawberries, it’s a show stopper for sure! Best yet, it’s gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be vegan! 

Guys, I love this cake so so much.

The flavors blend beautifully. The red velvet has that soft chocolate taste with a little tang combined with the sweet, yet mild, strawberry buttercream. 

You’ll think you’ve been struck by Cupid’s arrow and fallen madly in love! With a cake. Yes.

If you’re looking for more Valentine’s Day recipes, check out my red velvet whoopie pies, chocolate strawberry whoopie pies, and chocolate heart sugar cookies. 

Reasons To Love This Cake

• Allergy Friendly- This cake is gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be dairy free (vegan). 
• Soft & Fluffy- The red velvet cake is super soft and delicious.
• Strawberry Buttercream- This is a homemade buttercream frosting made from fresh strawberries! 

Ingredient Notes

• Gluten Free Flour- If you also have nut allergies, make sure to use a brand that’s made in a nut free facility. I really love to use this one because it’s nut safe but it does contain dairy. 
• Cocoa Powders- I like to use half dutch or natural unsweetened and half dark. If you only have one, use dutch or natural unsweetened.
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda- We need both to get that height and softness.
• Kosher Salt- Brings all the flavors out.
• Unsalted butter or vegan baking sticks- Use ½ cup (1 stick) softened. Don’t use melted; the cakes will be too liquidy. 
• Granulated sugar- We need 1 ½ cups.
• Cornstarch and Water- This is an eggless cake so this mixture helps bind everything together.
• Pure Vanilla Extract- Make sure the vanilla you use is pure and gf.
• Milk of choice- If there are no dairy allergies or if you’re not vegan, you can use regular whole milk. For non dairy, use a non dairy milk of your choosing. 
• White Vinegar- It helps everything rise and gives us that tang that’s specific to red velvet.
• Red Food Coloring- I use McCormick’s Red Food Coloring. 

Expert Baking Tips

Make The Homemade Buttermilk

Measure out 1 cup of milk of choice. 

Add in one 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and stir to combine.

Let it sit for 5-10 minutes and then stir again. 

It will appear chunky and that’s normal. 

Using Two Types of Cocoa Powder

People ask how I get my red velvet baked goods to have such a deep red. The secret is in that bit of dark cocoa powder.

Using two types of cocoa powder creates a richer color and flavor, which I adore.

Keep in mind, cocoa powder is quite dry. And dark is even drier than dutch or natural unsweetened is.  

If you only used dark, your baked goods would be way too dry and bitter and not very red at all.

If you don’t have both types of cocoa powders on hand, just use dutch or natural unsweetened but keep in mind, the red will be a bit brighter and not as deep.

Smoothing the Batter

Many gluten free flour batters have a way of staying exactly as they are placed, when baked.

If you leave it misshapen, that’s how it will remain when baked.

When the batter is in the cake pans, gently smooth the tops with a butter knife.

Step by Step Instructions with Pictures 

Here are the steps to make this cake! 

Step 1: Beat the butter/vegan baking stick and sugar

In a large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter or vegan baking stick and the sugar until it is soft and creamy. About 2-3 minutes.

Step 2: Make the homemade buttermilk 

In a large measuring cup, measure out 1 cup of milk. Add in 1 tablespoon of the white vinegar and stir. This is your homemade buttermilk. 

Step 3: Make the cornstarch water 

In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the cornstarch and water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first. 

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Step 4: Mix in the cornstarch water mixture 

Slowly beat the cornstarch water mixture, half at a time, into the creamed butter and sugar. The final mixture will look chunky and that is perfectly normal. 

Step 5: Stir together the wet ingredients 

Add the other ⅓ cup of milk, the remaining teaspoon of white vinegar, the red food coloring and vanilla into the measuring cup with the homemade buttermilk. Whisk to combine.

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Step 6: Whisk together the dry ingredients 

In a large bowl, whisk together all the remaining dry ingredients.

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Step 7: Beat in dry ingredients and wet ingredients 

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the dry and wet ingredients in 3 sections, starting and ending with the dry ingredients until combined.

Step 8: Scoop the batter

Using a spatula, divide the batter equally between two greased and parchment lined 8 inch cake pans; smooth the tops with a butter knife. 

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Step 9: Bake the cakes 

Bake the cakes in the center rack at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes until slightly springy when carefully touched.

Step 10: cut the cakes  

Once the cakes have completely cooled, slice the cakes in half horizontally to create 4 thinner layers of cake.

If the tops of your cakes have domes, you can very carefully cut them off to make them flat.

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Step 11: Make the frosting 

For this cake I use my amazing strawberry buttercream. You will need to double the recipe.

Assembling the Cake Tips

Divide the frosting

Separate the frosting into 5 equal sections.

Frost one layer 

Place one layer of cake on the bottom of a cake plate/stand. Scoop ⅕ of the buttercream on top and use an icing spatula to spread it around.

Repeat the process

Place another layer of cake on top; repeat this same process. Do this with 3 layers of cake.

Keep the top and sides thin 

Once you get to the top, place the last layer bottom (or flat) side up so the top is nice and flat. Use an icing spatula to frost the top and a thin layer on the sides.

You should only use ⅕th of your frosting on the top and sides combined. It’s a semi naked cake.

Use a cake scraper 

Work with a cake scraper or a large icing spatula. The frosting should be super thin on the sides. Pop the entire cake in the fridge uncovered for 15 minutes. This will make it more stable to work with.

Decorating The Cake

Make the ganache

When the cake has only 5 minutes left to chill in the fridge, start making the ganache.

Place the chocolate chips and butter or vegan baking sticks in a heat safe bowl.

Heat them in the microwave in 10 second increments, stirring after each time until the chocolate chips and butter/vegan baking stick are fully melted and incorporated. 

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Do the ganache drip

Spoon almost all the liquid ganache on top of the cake. 

Push the ganache around to the edges of the cake using an icing spatula. You want it to drip down the sides.

Work quickly; the cold cake will stop the ganache from dripping too much.

Pipe the swirls

Put the remaining ⅕th of strawberry buttercream into a piping bag.

Create swirls going all the way around the top rim of the cake.

If you desire, place extra washed strawberries in the top center. I used 5. 

How to Make this vegan 

Follow these simple steps to make sure the cake is vegan:

• Use a gluten free flour that’s free from dairy.
• Make sure to use vegan baking sticks instead of butter.
• Only use a non dairy milk of choice.
• Make my vegan buttercream for the frosting.
• Use allergy friendly chocolate chips. I love these.
• Make sure the red food coloring you use is gluten free and vegan. 

FAQ

Storing and freezing 

Storing 

Since gluten free and eggless baked goods are best the first day, we want to keep this strawberry red velvet cake as fresh as possible.

Once the cake is cut into, if there is extra, it's best to cut the entire cake into slices, wrap each slice in foil and store in a zip top bag in the fridge.

This is if you will be eating all the slices the next day.

When ready to eat, let the slices sit on the counter, still in the foil, for about an hour or until the cake is room temperature and soft.

Freezing

If not eating all the extra slices the next day, take the slices wrapped in foil and in the zip top bag and freeze them.

You can keep the slices frozen for up to 30 days.

When ready to eat, put the slices in the fridge the night before or leave them out on the counter for 2 hours prior to eating or until the cake is room temperature and soft.

Other cakes to try

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