This Starbucks Red Velvet Loaf is soft and fluffy with a hint of vanilla and chocolate flavors and a red and white swirl. Perfect to pair with a cup of coffee, tea, or a cold glass of plant-based milk.
This red velvet marble cake features typical baking ingredients like flour, baking powder, soda, and sugar. However, once the wet ingredients are mixed, half the batter is mixed with cocoa and red food dye so that when both halves come together, you’ve got a combination of colors and flavors.
Pretty to look at with a red and white swirl, this red velvet loaf cake is perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast, afternoon snack or after-dinner treat.
If you like red velvet cakes, you’ll love this Vegan Red Velvet Cake and these Red Velvet Cake Pops.
Why You’ll Love This Red Velvet Loaf Recipe
- Less expensive than Starbucks: No need to pay top dollar to get your favorite Starbucks pastries. You can now make them at home cheaper.
- No need to leave the house: If you’re craving a red velvet loaf cake, there’s no need to leave the house or call Uber.
- Flavorful: With a hint of chocolate and a touch of vanilla flavor, this Starbucks marble cake tastes great.
- Colorful: With white frosting and a swirl of red and white, this cake is not just a feast for your stomach but for your eyes as well.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: I used all-purpose flour to give this red velvet bread its spongy and light crumb.
- Sugar: White granulated sugar works well to sweeten this Starbucks loaf but you can also use coconut sugar. Coconut sugar may give you a slightly different taste and darker appearance.
- Baking powder and soda: Both baking powder and baking soda are used to help the red velvet loaf rise and achieve its light and fluffy texture.
- Milk: Use your preferred dairy-free milk, make sure to buy unsweetened, or your red velvet marble cake may be too sweet.
- Yogurt: Choose your preferred vegan yogurt but make sure it’s unsweetened.
- Olive oil: My preference but any type of neutral vegetable oil will impart moistness to the loaf cake.
- Butter: Vegan butter helps give the cake its rich taste as well as its moist texture. If you are using stick vegan butter, let it come to room temperature so it’s easier to blend.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract helps enhance the overall flavor and sweetness of this red velvet loaf cake.
- Apple cider vinegar: I used apple cider vinegar to create a vegan buttermilk. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, lemon juice also works.
- Cocoa powder: Use natural unsweetened cocoa powder, not Dutch processed which will react differently with the other ingredients and not give you the best results.
- Red food dye: Make sure to use a vegan red food dye as some red dyes are made with insects.
- Cream cheese: Vegan cream cheese gives the frosting a luscious texture and rich flavor.
- Powdered sugar: Also known as confectioner’s sugar, this is what gives the frosting its sweet flavor and texture.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Change the frosting: Add cocoa for chocolate frosting or prepare a simple vanilla buttercream instead of the cream cheese-based frosting.
- Add chopped nuts: Mix in finely chopped pecans or walnuts for more texture and taste.
- Turn the loaf into muffins: Pour the batter into a lined muffin tray and swirl as you would if you were making a loaf cake. Watch the bake time as it will be shorter than if you are baking the loaf.
- For a gluten-free red velvet marble cake: Use 1-1 gluten-free flour if you want a gluten-free loaf cake. I have not yet tested this in this recipe, but I have tried it in similar cakes, and it works great!
How to Make a Red Velvet Marble Cake
Preheat the oven and get your loaf pan ready.
Step 1: Make the vegan buttermilk. Whisk dairy-free milk and apple cider vinegar together and set aside.
Step 2: Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Place the vegan butter, sugar, oil, vanilla, yogurt, and buttermilk in a bowl and whisk, then add the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt, and whisk again to fully combine all the ingredients.
Step 3: Create the red velvet. Divide the batter into two equal portions. To one portion, add the cocoa powder and food coloring and whisk. Don't add anything to the other portion.
Step 4: Make the loaf. Pour a thin layer of the vanilla batter, then a thin layer of the red velvet layer into the cake pan, and alternate until you run out of the batter.
Step 5: Swirl it. Use a knife to swirl the batter around to create a marble effect.
Step 5: Bake the loaf. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Step 6: Make the frosting: While the loaf is baking, prepare the frosting. Let the loaf cool completely and then spread with the frosting. Slice and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This copycat Starbucks cake makes the perfect treat. Here are a few ways to enjoy it:
- Pair it with this Whipped Coffee or this Dalgona Matcha Latte for breakfast.
- Make for an afternoon snack with Cauliflower Spinach Green Smoothie or this Creamy Lemonade.
- Prepare for your weekend brunch buffet and serve with Carmelized Peach and Pecan Oats and these Strawberry Pancakes.
Expert Tips
- Refrigerate cream cheese: Make sure to refrigerate the vegan cream cheese right up until you need to use it.
- Spray the loaf pan: Spray the loaf pan well or use a piece of parchment paper so it’s easy to remove the loaf once it’s been baked.
- Allow the loaf to cool: Before you spread the decadent cream cheese frosting make sure the cake is completely cool or the frosting will melt and slide off.
Video
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can bake this loaf in a square baking pan but the bake time will be different. Watch it closely and check for doneness around the 20-minute mark.
If you don’t have any red dye on hand you can leave it out but your swirl will be brown from the cocoa and not red. Note the taste will not be affected, just the appearance.
No, this loaf cake tastes delicious on its own so if you prefer not to frost it that’s fine.
More Delicious Vegan Desserts
Starbucks Red Velvet Loaf
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240 g
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup dairy-free milk
- ½ cup vegan yogurt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup vegan butter 58 g
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
For the red marble
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder natural, not dutch processed*
- ½ teaspoon red food dye
Frosting Ingredients
- ⅔ cup vegan cream cheese
- ½ cup powdered sugar 50 g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Start by whisking together the dairy-free milk and apple cider vinegar and set them aside. This will be your vegan buttermilk.
- To a large bowl, add the vegan butter, sugar, oil, vanilla, yogurt, and buttermilk and whisk together. Then add the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt, and whisk together.
- Divide the batter evenly into two equal portions. To one portion, add the cocoa powder and food coloring and whisk those together. Don't add anything to the other portion.
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and grease it with oil. Pour a thin layer of the vanilla batter, then a thin layer of the red velvet layer, and alternate until you run out of batter. Then take a knife and swirl the batters around to create a marble effect.
- Bake the loaf at 350F for 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- While the loaf is baking, whisk together the frosting ingredients.
- Allow the loaf to *fully* cool, then spread the frosting on top, slice and enjoy!
Notes
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- Spray the loaf pan: Spray the loaf pan well or use a piece of parchment paper so it’s easy to remove the loaf once it’s been baked.
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- Allow the loaf to cool: Before you spread the decadent cream cheese frosting make sure the cake is completely cool or the frosting will melt and slide off.
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