This recipe for Red Velvet Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing makes a stunning change to the traditional layer cake. The best part is that it’s quick and easy too!
Red Velvet Cake is one of those cakes you almost always see in coffee shops and bakeries. With it’s stunning red, velvety texture, it’s always a winner.
Why this recipe works:
- Baking the cake in a Bundt pan makes it not only easier to make, but it allows you to show off that deep red color of the cake.
- Cakes made with oil tend to be moister and softer than cakes made with using the creaming method.
- The addition of melted butter adds flavor that you don’t get with oil alone.
- Using icing that can be poured on, makes the recipe even simpler.
This was my very first blog post back in 2014. Since then, I’ve made this cake a lot (it’s my son’s very favorite).
Over the years I’ve perfected this recipe. I used to use a creaming method for the butter and sugar, but a friend’s grandmother (who’s a big baker) told me that the best red velvet cakes are made with oil and not butter.
Who am I to argue with a seasoned baker? I tried it her way and she was right – the cake was much lighter and it was super moist. I missed the butter flavor though, so in the end, I did half melted butter and half oil – perfection!
On food coloring:
The key to Red Velvet Cake is good quality food coloring. Using the little liquid bottles you can buy from the grocery store just won’t work. You’ll just end up with a cake that looks chocolate more than anything else.
I’ve tried a lot of food coloring and I find that Pro Gel works best, You can get it here on Amazon.
On Bundt Pans:
Bundt cakes are notoriously hard to remove from the pan.
Non-stick pans are the perfect solution but beware of older non-stick pans. A scratched or worn non-stick surface may no longer be slick enough to release your cake well.
So, it’s important to take good care of your pans and make sure you hand wash them to avoid damaging the non-stick surface.
Grease the pan thoroughly. Use a pan coating product like Wilton’s Cake Release or melted shortening — not butter. The milk solids in butter can act like glue, encouraging cake batter to stick to the pan.
To make the cake:
Start with sifting together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, butter, oil, vinegar, vanilla, and red food coloring until well blended.
Add the flour mixture and mix until combined.
Add the batter to the prepared pan.
Bake for approximately 50-55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove to a cooling rack until cool. Then invert onto a serving tray or plate.
Remove a small bit from the bottom of the cake and crumble it onto a small plate and set aside to use as decoration later. Make the icing. Apply to the cooled cake and sprinkle with the cake crumbs.
Serve and enjoy!
Baking tips:
- Always bake with ingredients that are at room temperature. When you use buttermilk or eggs straight out of the fridge, they won’t mix as well with the dry ingredients at room temperature. Poorly combined ingredients can cause a cake to be dense rather than light and fluffy.
- Be careful not to over mix the batter. Over mixing will result in a tough, dense cake. Once the flour is added to the batter, try mixing with a wooden spoon instead of with a mixer.
- Don’t have buttermilk on hand? You can replace it with a cup of whole milk mixed with a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice.
FAQs
How do you store cake with cream cheese icing? Cake iced with cream cheese frosting can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days in the refrigerator.
How do you serve a cake that’s been refrigerated? Take the cake out of the fridge 30-45 minutes before serving to remove the chill.
How do you store cake that hasn’t been frosted? Cake without frosting can be stored well wrapped or in an airtight container for up to three days at room temperature.
Can the cake be frozen? Yes. I recommend freezing without the frosting. To freeze, wrap well or place in an airtight container for up to three months.
★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1½ cup granulated sugar
- 2½ cups all-purpose/plain flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature
- ½ cup butter melted
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon red food coloring paste
For the Frosting:
- 1 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-4 tablespoons hot water
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 f/180 c and generously grease bundt pan.
- Sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, butter, oil, vinegar vanilla, and red food coloring until well blended.
- Add the flour mixture and mix until combined.
- Add the batter to the prepared pan. Bake for approximately 50-55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Remove to a cooling rack till cool. Then invert onto a serving tray or plate.
- Remove a small bit from the bottom of the cake and crumble it onto a small plate and set aside to use as decoration later (see photo).
For the Icing
- Make sure cream cheese and butter are at room temperature or icing will be lumpy. Blend the cream cheese and butter in a medium mixing bowl until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, blending after each addition.
- Add the vanilla and hot water 1 tablespoon at a time until the icing is the desired consistency and can be poured (I like mine quite thick).
- Pour the icing over the cooled cake and use the cake crumbs to decorate by sprinkling them over the icing.
Notes
FAQs
How do you store cake with cream cheese icing? Cake iced with cream cheese frosting can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days in the refrigerator. How do you serve a cake that's been refrigerated? Take the cake out of the fridge 30-45 minutes before serving to remove the chill. How do you store cake that hasn't been frosted? Cake without frosting can be stored well wrapped or in an airtight container for up to three days at room temperature. Can the cake be frozen? Yes. I recommend freezing without the frosting. To freeze, wrap well or place in an airtight container for up to three months.Nutrition
Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in 2014, but was updated in 2017 with slight changes to the recipe as well as including step by step photos as well as nutritional information.
Michelle says
Just double checking the instructions: “Remove to a cooling rack till cool. Then invert onto a serving tray or plate.” I usually let my bundt cakes cool for 10-15 minutes maximum before inverting; will I make a mistake if I do that instead? Thank you!
Erren's Kitchen says
If cooling down works for you Michelle then it should make no difference now!
Michelle says
Thank you very much Erren!
Sean says
Can you explain just a little bit more what you mean by “remove a bit from the bottom” to create the sprinkled part. Do you mean before inverting? Does it matter how much you scrape off? And where? Sorry VERY much a beginner here. Will be making this cake for V-Day in a couple of weeks!
Erren says
Hi Sean, yes before inverting. Just take a little off and use it to break apart into sprinkles. Just take as much as you need. You don’t need much. Hope that helps!
Ram says
Hi,, can la cremella cream cheese be used for frosting? Am not sure about the cream cheese part as I haven’t used it before. Also advice if we can use cream cheese spread… Meaning if it’s the same cream cheese we use for frosting??
Erren says
Hi Ram, I don’t know anything about la cremella so can’t comment, but yes, cream cheese spread.
Courtney says
Hi! The cook time up top says 30 minutes, but in the instructions it says 50-55. Which is correct?
Thank you.
Erren says
Hi Courtney, Sorry about that. The instructions are correct. I updated the cook time. Thanks so much for letting me know!
Don says
Delicious! Thank you!