This spectacular Red Velvet Bundt Cake delivers all the classic flavors you love in an elegant, show-stopping form. Ready in just 75 minutes, this rich dessert features that signature crimson hue and velvety-smooth texture that made red velvet famous. The bundt pan creates gorgeous curves and ridges, making this cake perfect for special occasions or when you want to elevate your everyday baking. With its balanced nutritional profile and irresistible taste, this recipe proves that homemade treats can be both impressive and achievable.
Essential Ingredients
- All-purpose flour (2 3/4 cups): Sifted for a smoother texture
- Cocoa powder (1/4 cup): Unsweetened variety for rich flavor
- Butter (3/4 cup): Room temperature for better mixing
- Granulated sugar (2 cups): For perfect sweetness
- Eggs (3 whole + 2 yolks): At room temperature for better incorporation
- Buttermilk (1 1/3 cups): Creates tender, moist texture
- Red food coloring (1 oz): For classic velvet appearance
- Cream cheese frosting ingredients: Cream cheese, butter, vanilla, powdered sugar
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prepare: Heat oven to 350°F and grease bundt pan thoroughly
- Mix dry ingredients: Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt
- Cream base: Beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy (4-5 minutes)
- Add wet ingredients: Mix in oil, eggs, vanilla, vinegar, and food coloring
- Combine mixtures: Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk
- Bake: Pour into pan and bake 40-55 minutes until done
- Frosting preparation: Beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and gradually add powdered sugar
- Final touch: Cool cake completely before adding frosting
Baking Tips & Techniques
Let’s talk about making this red velvet bundt cake super special! The magic happens when you cream the butter and sugar for a full 4-5 minutes – this creates tiny air pockets that make your cake wonderfully fluffy. When adding your wet and dry ingredients, the back-and-forth mixing method (flour-buttermilk-flour-buttermilk-flour) keeps the batter smooth and helps prevent overmixing. Want the deepest red color? Room temperature ingredients work best with the food coloring, so pull them out about an hour before baking.
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
Your red velvet bundt cake will stay fresh and yummy at room temperature for up to 2 days – just pop it in an airtight container. Want to keep it longer? Store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. The cream cheese frosting is a great make-ahead friend – you can keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. Just let it come to room temperature and give it a quick whip before spreading it on your cake.
Simple Variations
Love mixing things up? Try these easy swaps! Skip the chocolate chips for a more traditional red velvet cake, or use white chocolate chips instead. For a fun twist, add 1/2 cup of chopped pecans to the batter. Not a cream cheese frosting fan? A simple vanilla buttercream works beautifully too. You can also make this cake extra chocolatey by adding an extra 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the batter.
Serving Ideas
This gorgeous bundt cake shines as the star of any dessert table! Dust it with a little powdered sugar before adding the frosting for an extra pretty touch. Serve each slice with fresh berries on the side – strawberries and raspberries are perfect partners. For special occasions, add some chocolate curls on top of the frosting. Want to make it extra special? Warm each slice for 10 seconds in the microwave – it makes the chocolate chips perfectly melty!
Red Velvet Bundt Cake
Equipment
- Bundt Pan
- Electric mixer
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 12 ounces cream cheese room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bundt pan and set aside.
- To a mixing bowl add flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder and whisk well to combine.
- In another bowl add the sugar and butter and cream together with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, 4-5 minutes.
