To be honest, the first time I tried a red velvet cupcake I did not like it. In fact, I got food poisoning from the cream cheese, and spent an unpleasant night on the bathroom floor vomiting. I spent the next few years avoiding red velvet cupcakes like the plague.

Fast forward four years.

Now, as a vegan, I am glad I don't eat dairy. So glad. I was finally brave enough to try a vegan version of this cake which I have been so distrustful of. And I am glad I did! I love how it is like a chocolate/vanilla cake, that isn't a rich chocolate cake, but light and fluffy. Oh, and did I mention this version is gluten free and refined sugar free? Thank the vegan gods!

For a more healthy (i.e. less processed) version, I went with a cashew cream icing. But I have tried this with a tofutti cream cheese/buttercream icing, which is a sweet and treat version of this cake!

Anyway, after the response I got on instagram regarding this cake, I thought I should put it on here! I also apologize (again) for not posting much: my thesis is due in less than two months, and I am more concerned these days with thesis + eating food and devouring it straight away, than with posting recipes. Stress eating at its finest.

Though, I did find out some accidentally vegan foods this past week, including Jatz (Arnotts), Eton (Aldi), Nice biscuits (Arnotts) and Chocolate Ripple (Arnotts). In regards to palm oil, since 2011 Aldi has been certified with using 100% sustainable palm oil, and since January 2015, so has Arnotts, which in my mind means that these brands are safe to eat without harming Orangutangs and the forest industry. So: these biscuits are vegan, and use sustainable palm oil. Hurray!

So without further ado, here is the recipe for the red velvet cake. I suggest doubling it for a large/standard cake.

Prep: 15 minutes, cooking: 30-38 minutes.

Serves 8-9.

You will need:

For the cake:

1 cup unsweetened almond milk or any other plant-based milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp cacao powder
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup canola or coconut oil
2 tsp red vegan food colouring
1 cup buckwheat flour
2 tsp GF baking powder

For the icing:

1/2 cup soaked cashews
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. 
2. Add milk and cider to a bowl. Let curdle for a few minutes.
3. Add vanilla, cacao, coconut sugar, oil and food colouring to the milk mix. Whisk.
4. Sift in the flour and baking powder. Whisk. Line and grease cake tin.
5. You can either divide this into two small cake tins (10 cm diameter) or make 8-9 cupcakes. If cupcakes, bake for 18-20 minutes, if two small cake tins, 30-38 minutes.
6. Remove cakes from oven when done, and let cool.
7. For icing, combine all ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender (like a vitamix) until smooth.