Red Velvet Bundt Cake

I absolutely adore bundt cakes. My Brownie Cake, Pecan Upside Down Cake, Lemonade Bundt Cake and Cranberry Orange Blossom Bundt Cake are all wonderfully delicious bundt cake recipes. This red velvet cake bundt is no exception. I know you’ll love it because: 

• It has the perfect moist and tender texture.  This red velvet cake is similar to a red velvet pound cake. 
• Tons of flavor. The vibrant red velvet cake has a hint of chocolate flavor with a beautiful background of vanilla. The silky cream cheese glaze is both sweet and slightly tangy. 
• Easy to make with simple ingredients.  This from scratch red velvet cake in a bundt pan is made with simple ingredients like flour, cocoa powder, oil, butter, sugar, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla extract and red food coloring (of course!). It comes together quickly and easily making it the perfect cake for the holidays and any other celebratory occasion.

For the red velvet cake

Dry Ingredients:  Gather all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. 

Wet Ingredients: Gather butter, oil, sugar, eggs, buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla extract and red food coloring.

For the cream cheese glaze

Gather cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk.

Here are my recommended substitutions to make this easy red velvet bundt cake  as easy as possible. 

• Unsalted Butter: Use salted butter if needed. Just make sure to omit the added teaspoon of salt listed in the recipe. Vegan or dairy free butter can also be used if needed. 
• Canola Oil: Any neutral tasting oil will work well in this red velvet bundt cake. 
• Buttermilk: This ingredient can be made at home if needed. Simply add 4 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup. Fill the cup up to the  1 ¼ line with milk and let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes to curdle. 
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: It’s best to use unsweetened cocoa powder for red velvet cake. Do not substitute with dutch process. 
• Flour: This hasn’t been tested using alternative flours. If this cake needs to be gluten free, use a good 1-1 cup all purpose flour substitute. Measure by weight rather than cups as gluten free flour tends to weigh a bit more than all purpose flour. 
• Red Gel Food Coloring: For this red velvet bundt cake, I used a red gel food coloring from Americolor. This recipe really works best with gel food coloring. However, if you don’t mind the cake having a more muted reddish color, use a plant based food coloring. 
• Cream Cheese: Use mascarpone cheese as a substitute, a plant based cream cheese for a diary free option or simply dust the finished cake with powdered sugar.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Grease a 10-inch (12 cup capacity bundt pan). Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together until well combined. 
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk the butter, oil and sugar on medium for about 1-2 minutes, until well combined. 
3. On the lowest speed, mix in the eggs, vanilla extract and buttermilk one at a time. Wait for each ingredient to be fully incorporated before adding the next.

7. To remove: Place a serving plate or even another cooling rack on top of the bundt pan. Invert the pan to the top of the bundt cake is now on the bottom (on the serving plate or second cooling rack). Gently tap all around the pan to help loosen any pieces of cake that may be stuck. Gently lift up the pan. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before applying the cream cheese glaze. 
8. Make the cream cheese glaze by beating the cream cheese with the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk. 
9. Pour or spoon the glaze over the cooled cake. The glaze will remain “wet” for a long time. Allow about 1 hour for the glaze to set enough to slice the cake cleanly. Slice and enjoy!

Store

Unglazed cake at room temperature: Wrap the moist red velvet bundt cake in plastic wrap, keep it under a cake dome or in an airtight container for up to 2 days. 

Glazed bundt cake in the fridge: Store the cake slices in an airtight container to the fridge for up to 5 days. Once the cake has the cream cheese glaze, it must be stored in the fridge.  

Freeze and Thaw

To freeze the unglazed red velvet cake: Slice your bundt cake into your preferred size and number of pieces. Wrap each slice in plastic wrap and place  the pieces in a freezer safe, airtight container. Cake slices keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. 
To thaw the red velvet bundt cake: Transfer your desired amount of cake slices out of the freezer. Allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge. Bring the slices to room temperature before enjoying.