Vegan Red Velvet Cake

If you hadn't heard, I'm addicted to anything red velvet nowadays. So for my birthday I decided to make a red velvet cake. I asked my mom for her recipe but discovered that it contained shortening. The only shortening I found in my pantry was made from vegetable oils and meat fats; not something this vegetarian wanted in her birthday cake. I searched for vegan recipe online and found this one. It turned out perfectly delicious.

Vegan Red Velvet Cake with Buttercream Frosting

INGREDIENTS:

For Cake Batter:
3 1/2 C. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C. granulated sugar
2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 t. cocoa powder
2 C. nondairy milk (soy, rice, almond, hazelnut, hemp, or oat)
2/3 C. canola oil
3 T. red food coloring
2 T. distilled white vinegar
2 t. vanilla extract

For Buttercream Frosting:

1/2 C. nondairy, nonhydrogenated butter (such as Earth Balance), at room temperature
3 C. powdered sugar
3 T. nondairy milk (soy, rice, almond, hazelnut, hemp, or oat) or water
1 t. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease one 9x13-inch pan (or two 8-inch round cake pans).

To make the batter, in a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. Create a well in the center, and add milk, oil, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla, and mix until thoroughly combined.

Bake for about 35 minutes. When the cakes pull away from the side of the pans and a toothpick inserted into the center of each comes out clean, they are ready. Let cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, with an electric mixer, cream butter until it is smooth and begins to fluff. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add powdered sugar and milk. Add vanilla to finish and mix.

***The use of dairy milk and/or butter in the recipe will work but negates the vegan part.

This recipe comes from The Daily Green; find it here.