Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Rich gluten-free red velvet cake made with sorghum and tapioca flour, cocoa powder, and melted chocolate, layered with tangy cream cheese frosting. This tender two-layer cake uses xanthan gum for structure and buttermilk for moisture, delivering classic red velvet flavor without wheat.
Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 2 teaspoons, cocoa powder, unsweetened
- ¾ cup cornstarch
- ¾ cup sorghum flour
- ½ cup tapioca flour
- 1 ¼ tsps xanthan gum
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, melteddark chocolate or milk chocolate1:1chocolateadds dairy
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- 4 eggs
- 1 oz red food color, McCormick brand
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, pure, McCormick brand
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup butter, softened, 1/2 stick
- 2 tbsps sour cream
- 2 tsps vanilla extract, pure, McCormick brand
- 16 oz confectioners' sugarpowdered sugar1:1sugar
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Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F.
- 2
Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with oil and coat each with 1 teaspoon cocoa powder.
- 3
Combine remaining cocoa powder, cornstarch, sorghum flour, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- 4
Beat granulated sugar and oil in a large bowl on medium speed until well blended.
- 5
Add melted chocolate and mix well.
- 6
Beat in eggs one at a time.
- 7
Stir food color and vanilla into buttermilk.
- 8
Gradually beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture on low speed until just blended, being careful not to overbeat.
- 9
Pour batter into prepared pans.
- 10
Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- 11
Cool in pans for 10 minutes.
- 12
Remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack.
- 13
For frosting, beat cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
- 14
Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth.
- 15
Fill and frost the cooled cake with frosting.
Tips
Do not overbeat the batter after adding flour and buttermilk mixtures to avoid a dense cake.
Cool the cake completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
Use room temperature cream cheese and butter for a smooth, fluffy frosting.
Good to Know
Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days, or freeze unfrosted layers up to 2 months wrapped tightly.
Bake and cool cake layers up to 1 day ahead. Prepare frosting up to 8 hours ahead and refrigerate; bring to room temperature before frosting.
Serve at room temperature or chilled. Slice with a hot, dry knife for clean edges.
Common Mistakes
Do not overbeat batter after adding flour to avoid a tough, dense cake.
Do not frost the cake while it is still warm to prevent frosting from becoming runny.
Do not skip the xanthan gum; it provides structure in gluten-free baking.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
General Alternatives
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