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 til 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 cam 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 air tight 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 air tight container for up to three days at room temperature.
Can 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!
Red Velvet Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
A simply baked version of an iconic cake, with an irresistible Cream Cheese Icing. This easy, foolproof recipe is perfect for a birthday, dinner parties or a weekend treat
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 the icing is the 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.
Recipe Notes
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 cam replace it with a cup of whole milk mixed with a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice.
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.
FAQs
How do you store cake with cream cheese icing? Cake iced with cream cheese frosting can be stored in an air tight 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 air tight container for up to three days at room temperature.
Can 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.
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.
Chloe @ foodlikecake says
Mmm, I’ve never seen a red velvet bundt cake before but this looks amazing. I’m loving the cream cheese icing. 🙂
Erren says
Hi Chloe! I can’t say I’ve ever seen a red velvet bundt cake either, but let’s face it, with food blogging, sometimes you have to try to do things a bit different! I’m so glad you like it!
morag says
Thank you for doing it in English
measurements,your a wee star…x
Erren says
You are very welcome! 🙂
ruth says
any chance this could be converted into english uk ingredients? ie sticks of butter- red food colouring paste- buttermilk????? what would we use instead please
Erren says
Hi Ruth, I actually live in the UK and so I can assure you all of the ingredients are available in UK grocery stores (although I use Wilton paste food coloring that you can buy at lakeland).
ruth says
thank you
rozpaige says
Hello Errin, Nice to meet you and to have found your blog so that I can follow you on all of your social media. Thank you for allowing me to share your beautiful red velvet bundt cake today on my roundup – – it is featured in the center. I adore red velvet and am constantly on the search for that perfect recipe!
Blessings, Roz
Matea says
What an impressive-looking cake! I really like the trick of saving a few crumbs from the bottom of the cake to decorate the top with 🙂
Sheila Powell says
I am making this bundt cake for my husband for Valentines day. Thank you for sharing!!
Erren says
Hi Susan, 1 cup.
Erren says
Hi Susan, sorry about that; it was meant to say a 1/2 cup at a time. Thanks so much for letting me know!
Hannah C says
Finally, a uk-friendly red velvet bundt recipe, thank you!
Just a couple of quick questions: salted or unsalted butter? Medium or large eggs? I’m going to try to bake this for a cake competition next week, and will definitely share your post on Pinterest!
Erren says
Hi Hannah, I don’t specify the butter because it’s a personal preference. I personally always bake with salted, but it’s what ever you prefer. Large eggs are best, but I have done it when I only had medium so any will work. I hope you like it! Please let me know! 🙂
Hannah C says
Hi, so I’ve now made the cake, and it went down very well at the cake competition!
The only issue I had was with colouring. The first time, I had liquid red, so I added the cocoa with the flour and then added red to the completed batter. The second time, my red paste finally arrived and I mixed it with the cocoa as the recipe suggested, but it wouldn’t integrate properly, so in future I’ll add it in like I did with the liquid attempt.
Here are the link to the pics of the cake: https://imgur.com/a/R5Lcq
Thanks for the recipe!
Belinda Steed says
You’re cake looks awesome shaped and iced like that 👍🏻
Terry says
Wonderful recipe! Thank you!
Don says
Delicious! Thank you!