Red Velvet Cake for Valentines Day

It’s hard to imagine a Valentine’s Day without a Red Velvet Cake!

Making individual red velvet cake to give away as gifts is even sweeter!

For that extra special touch you will spend a bit more time on this project making individual cakes

I even dusted off my Russian Piping Tips to decorate them with a basket weave design!

Or simply bake all the batter into two 8″ cake pans for a traditional red velvet cake 

If you are making my individual heart cakes you will need a heart shaped cookie cutters *see video tutorial 

No Cream Cheese ~ Cream Cheese Icing recipe is the prefect icing on this cake 

Bonus: It doesn’t require using vegan cream cheese which can be difficult to find nowadays

Notes for Success:

In the video for this recipe I was using beet juice for added color but I find this to be an annoying, unnecessary ingredient so I’ve modified the recipe below

Cocoa powder is the most important ingredient to understand when making Red Velvet Cake

Many people think Dutch process is the best to use and should be used in all recipes asking for cocoa powder

This is not true, and especially not true of red velvet cakes

Red Velvet Cake

If these individual cakes are not in your wheelhouse right now, simply bake all the batter into two 8″ cake pans for a traditional red velvet cake 

Prep Time 2 hours hrs

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• 2½ cups All Purpose Flour 312g
• 1½ cups Granulated Sugar 300g
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda 5g
• ½ teaspoon Salt 3g
• 2 Tbs Natural Cocoa Powder 12g
• ½ cup Vegetable Oil 120ml
• 1 cup Plant Milk 237ml * I like to use soy milk
• 2 Tbs Ground Flax Seeds 16g
• 6 Tbs Hot Water 6 Tablespoons 90ml
• 1 teaspoon Red Food Color
• 1 teaspoon White Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 5ml

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F & Grease & parchment line your cake pan(s)

• Combine the flax meal with the hot water & whisk smooth, let it stand for 5 minutes to thicken

• Combine the vinegar with the plant milk

• In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar with the oil, & vanilla extract & whisk smooth

• Add the flax paste & the plant milk & whisk smooth

• Sift all the dry ingredients into the sugar/oil mixture & whisk to develop the batter approx 30 strokes

• Add optional red food color to spike it up then pour into your prepared pans then bake in a preheated 350°F oven for approximately 25-30 minutes or until springy to the touch when you gently press the centers

• Cool the cake in the pan and then cut out the heart shapes with a 4″ heart cookie cutter. Or build a traditional cake if using 8″ layers *see videos

• Meanwhile prepare the 2 2 2 cream cheese icing recipe according to the instructions on that recipe post linked above

• Decorate the cakes as you like ~ watch the video tutorial for how to make the basket weave & the Russian piping roses decor

Video

Notes

Read the notes for success above this recipe & watch the video tutorial
Storage Since there is no vegan cream cheese in the icing, this cake will be fine at room temperature for up to 3 days! For longer storage keep refrigerated for up to 1 week