Red Velvet Bundt Cake

Strikingly red and delicious, this red velvet bundt cake is a festive, moist and tender cake with a slightly chocolatey flavor that’s topped with a tangy cream cheese icing.  You’ll enjoy this cake with a cold glass of milk, or a hot cup of coffee.

Red velvet cakes are so unique. Not quite a chocolate cake, not quite vanilla with a hint of sweet and tangy frosting. Give my other red velvet cake desserts a try!

• Red Velvet Cake Roll
• Red Velvet Ice Cream
• Red Velvet Lava Cake
• Red Velvet Cake with Blackberry Cream Cheese Frosting
• Red Velvet Trifles
• Red Velvet Cheesecake

What is the difference between Bundt cake and Pound cake

Any cake can be a bundt cake if baked in a bundt cake pan. Bundt cake pans range from very simple designs to truly intricate and detailed designs.

A pound cake can also be made in a bundt pan but is traditionally made with 1-pound of butter, sugar, flour, and eggs.

Red Velvet Bundt Cake Ingredients

For most households that bake, you’ll likely have most of these baking staples in your pantry. If not there are some easy substitutions for any you may not have.

For the Bundt Cake

• Unsalted butter: For room temperature, set the butter out 30 minutes before preparing your recipe.
• Granulated sugar: White granulated sugar is used in this recipe, sifting the sugar before mixing will help to reduce sugar crystals that have clumped together.
• Eggs: Room temperature eggs are ideal, remove from the fridge 30 minutes before making your cake.
• Cake flour: Cake flour isn’t always a common ingredient in every household. To make your own cake flour replace two tablespoons of regular all-purpose flour with two tablespoons of cornstarch. Sifting the flour is good practice to help break down any lumps.
• Salt: Helps to add flavor and balance out the sweetness.
• Baking soda: Baking soda combined with acidic sour cream helps your beautiful bundt cake to rise.
• Sour cream: Room temperature sour cream is ideal. Bringing all of the cold ingredients to room temperature will allow them to mix more evenly with the dry ingredients.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder: This helps to bring color and that slight chocolate flavor to red velvet cakes. Use regular unsweetened cocoa powder and not dutch process cocoa powder.
• Red food coloring: Use whatever red food coloring you have. Gel food coloring is more concentrated than liquid food coloring so you’ll need to use less. Powder food coloring is even richer and more concentrated so start with a little bit at a time until you’ve reached your desired red color.
• Pure vanilla extract: For authentic vanilla flavor, use a pure extract or homemade!

For the Cream Cheese Icing

• Cream cheese: For room temperature cream cheese, bring it out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before putting your icing together.
• Powdered sugar: Use high-quality powdered or confectioners sugar to get a pure sugar flavor.
• Milk: Any milk or milk substitute can be used here. This is also a good place to switch up your icing flavors with other delicious liquids.
• Pure vanilla extract: For authentic vanilla flavor, use a pure extract or homemade!

How to make Red Velvet Bundt Cake

1.Start by preheating your oven to 325 F then liberally spray a 12-cup bundt pan with non-stick baking spray.

2. In your stand mixer bowl, add butter and sugar and mix for 3-4 minutes on high speed until very pale yellow and fluffy.

3. Next add eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides of your bowl as needed.

4. Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly add flour into the batter in two increments then add salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder. Be careful not to overbeat.

5. Add in sour cream and vanilla extract, scrape down sides and mix until just combined, and turn off the mixer. 

6. Whisk in red food coloring and hot water until completely well mixed.

7. Pour cake batter into the prepared bundt pan, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

8. Cool in a pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes then invert the cake on a serving plate for at least an hour or until the cake is cool to touch.

How to make the Cream Cheese Icing

Using a hand-held mixer, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth then pour over top of cooled cake and serve.

How to prevent your bundt cake from sticking

Prepping your bundt pan is essential in making sure you get those crisp bundt cake designs everyone loves to admire. There are a few ways to prepare your bundt pan to allow your cake to easily slip out after baking.

Nonstick spray: Using Bakers Joy Nonstick Spray will yield great results and a beautiful bundt cake design. The combination of oil and flour in this can allows for an easy pan prep.

Shortening and Flour: Use either a silicone brush, pastry brush, or a simple plastic bag to spread a layer of shortening in all of the nooks and crannies of your bundt pan. Then add flour to dust and coat the inside of your pan.

Not only is prepping your pan very important, but the amount of time you allow the bundt cake to cool is also essential.

Flipping your cake: Cool your cake for 10 minutes on a wire cooling rack, then use that rack to turn out your cake gently. If your cake doesn’t slip out right away, turn it back over and cool for an additional 5 minutes.

How to Serve

Bundt cakes are a popular dessert for their versatility and intricate designs. Just enough cake to share with those special people in your life.

I love to create bundt dessert tables. This one would pair great with this Chocolate Pound Cake with Peppermint Ganache for a Christmas holiday party. Also I love this for a change of flavors for the holiday season:  Buttered Rum Eggnog Cake Recipe.

How to store

Storing: This yummy cake needs to be stored in the refrigerator. Because of the dairy in this recipe, it shouldn’t be left out at room temperature longer than 2 hours. Store leftover red velvet bundt cake for up to 7 days in the refrigerator.

Freezing: You can freeze the whole bundt cake or individual slices of cake. It is not recommended to freeze your bundt cake after it’s been iced. The icing will not remain the same consistency during the thawing process.

To freeze, allow your bundt cake to cool completely. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap, then again in foil. Freeze for up to 6 months. Allow the cake to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before icing.

Can you make bundt cake ahead of time? Of course! Make your bundt cake as directed and allow it to cool completely. Once cooled, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then again in foil (if freezing). Then store in the freezer or refrigerator until ready to use.

Expert Tips And FAQs

• Room Temperature: Butter, cream cheese, eggs, and sour cream can be taken out of the fridge 30 minutes before preparing the recipe to allow them to come to room temperature.
• Cake Flour: Cake flour isn’t always a common ingredient in every household. To make your own cake flour replace two tablespoons of regular all-purpose flour with two tablespoons of cornstarch.

Can I add Chocolate Chips to my cake? Yes! Adding chocolate chips to your bundt cake batter will increase that yummy chocolate flavor. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips or red velvet cake crumbs on top of your cream cheese icing for some decoration.

More bundt cake recipes

• Baileys Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Filling
• Apple Cider Donut Cake
• Old Fashioned Butter Pound Cake Recipe
• Fresh Strawberry Pound Cake Recipe
• Chocolate Pound Cake with Peppermint Ganache

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