Ultimate Red Velvet Bundt Cake: Moist, Rich & Easy Recipe

There’s something truly special about a Red Velvet Bundt Cake. It’s a dessert that perfectly marries elegance with comfort, instantly elevating any occasion. If you’re searching for a reliable, easy-to-follow recipe that guarantees a moist, flavorful cake with that signature tender crumb and a gorgeous presentation, you’ve found it! My recipe delivers a superior take on this classic, ensuring every slice is a delightful experience, whether it’s for a holiday gathering or a simple weekend treat.

Why You’ll Love This Red Velvet Bundt Cake Recipe

In my kitchen, I believe every classic can have a little something extra, and this Red Velvet Bundt Cake is no exception. We’re taking everything you love about this iconic dessert and kicking it up a notch with a couple of secret weapons.

Unparalleled Moisture: The real magic happens after the cake bakes! While still warm, I infuse the cake with a delicate buttermilk-vanilla syrup. This simple step provides unparalleled moisture, soaking into every crevice as the cake cools, leaving you with an unbelievably tender and juicy crumb.

Deepened Cocoa Flavor: To truly enhance the classic red velvet identity, I add a subtle pinch of espresso powder to the batter. This isn’t about making a coffee cake; it’s about flavor synergy. The espresso powder deepens the cocoa notes, making the chocolate taste richer and more pronounced without overpowering the delicate tang of the buttermilk or the cake’s vibrant red hue.

Beautiful Presentation: Beyond its incredible taste and texture, this Red Velvet Bundt Cake is a showstopper. Its elegant shape, vibrant color, and luscious cream cheese glaze make it perfect for holidays like Valentine’s Day or Christmas, or any gathering where you want to impress. Get ready for the ‘wow’ factor!

Ingredients Needed

Gathering your ingredients is the first step to baking success. Here’s exactly what you’ll need for this incredible Red Velvet Bundt Cake and its luscious Cream Cheese Glaze.

• 3/4 cup (160g) canola or vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk*
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 2 tbsp red food coloring
• 2 1/2 cups (300g) all purpose flour **see notes for GF option
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 oz cream cheese, room temp
• 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

A little understanding of your ingredients goes a long way in baking. Here are some notes and substitutions to ensure your Red Velvet Bundt Cake is perfect every time:

Buttermilk: This acidic ingredient is crucial for the cake’s tender crumb and acts as a leavening agent when it reacts with baking soda. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can easily make a homemade version by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup, then filling the rest with regular milk to the 1-cup line. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it slightly curdles before using.

Red Food Coloring: For that truly vibrant, iconic red, I always recommend using a gel food coloring. It’s much more concentrated than liquid food coloring, so you’ll need less to achieve a deep hue without thinning your batter. While natural coloring options exist, they often result in a less intense, more muted red.

Flour: This recipe uses all-purpose flour. If you’re looking for a gluten-free option, a good quality 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour, like Bob’s Red Mill, works beautifully. Always weigh your flour for accuracy, especially when baking gluten-free, to ensure the right cake structure.

Oil & Butter Blend: The combination of canola or vegetable oil and melted unsalted butter is purposeful. The oil contributes incredible moisture, keeping the cake soft for days, while the butter adds richness, flavor, and contributes to the cake’s delicate structure.

Cream Cheese: For a flawlessly smooth, lump-free Cream Cheese Glaze, it is absolutely essential that your cream cheese is at room temperature. Cold cream cheese will result in a chunky glaze, no matter how much you mix it.

Espresso Powder: This is a key part of our unique twist! A small pinch of espresso powder doesn’t make the cake taste like coffee, but rather deepens and enhances the natural cocoa flavor, giving the Red Velvet Bundt Cake a more sophisticated and rich chocolate note without making it overtly chocolatey. Do not omit it!

How to Make the Best Red Velvet Bundt Cake

Get ready to bake! This step-by-step guide will walk you through creating a truly spectacular Red Velvet Bundt Cake, with all my expert tips built right in.

Prep Your Oven and Bundt Pan

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and set your bundt pan aside. This recipe works well in both a 10-cup or 12-cup bundt pan. For perfect release every time, prepare your bundt pan just before pouring in the batter. I recommend using a nonstick spray with flour (like Baker’s Joy) and then using a fine pastry brush to spread it evenly into all the intricate nooks and crannies of the pan. This ensures every detail of your beautiful bundt pan shines through!

Combine Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, and that crucial pinch of espresso powder. Set this aside.

Mix Wet Ingredients (Phase 1)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the 3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil, 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, and 2 cups granulated sugar. Whisk this mixture together for 1-2 minutes on medium speed, either by hand or using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, until it’s well combined and slightly lightened.

Mix Wet Ingredients (Phase 2)

Next, whisk in your 2 large eggs until fully incorporated. Then, add the 1 cup buttermilk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon white vinegar. Finally, mix in the 2 tablespoons red food coloring. The mixture will be a beautiful, vibrant red.

Combine Wet and Dry

Add half of the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add the remaining half of the dry ingredients. Mix until the batter is smooth and no streaks of flour remain, being careful not to overmix to prevent gluten development and a tough cake. The batter will be a rich, velvety red and look wonderfully smooth.

Fill and Bake the Cake

Pour the gorgeous red batter into your prepared bundt pan. If you’re using a 12-cup bundt pan, you’ll use all the batter. If you’re using a 10-cup bundt pan (which I often use!), leave out about 1 cup of batter to prevent overflow during baking. Bake for 45 minutes if using a 10-cup pan, or 50-60 minutes if using a 12-cup pan, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the thickest part comes out clean. A warm, inviting aroma will fill your kitchen as it bakes!

Cooling and Syrup Infusion

Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it rest in the bundt pan for exactly 10 minutes. This “sweet spot” allows the cake to firm up slightly and pull away from the pan, preventing it from sticking. While it rests, quickly whisk together about 1/4 cup warm buttermilk with a tablespoon of granulated sugar and a dash of vanilla extract for our special syrup. After 10 minutes, carefully invert the cake onto a cooling rack. Immediately and evenly brush the warm buttermilk-vanilla syrup over the entire warm cake using a fine pastry brush. Let the cake continue to cool completely on the rack for at least 30 minutes, allowing the syrup to absorb fully.

Prepare the Cream Cheese Glaze

While the cake cools, prepare your irresistible Cream Cheese Glaze. In a medium bowl, ensure your 4 oz cream cheese is at room temperature for the smoothest result. Whisk the cream cheese with 2 cups powdered sugar, gradually adding 3 tablespoons milk as you go. Once smooth, mix in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. The consistency should be a bit thinner than craft glue – easily pourable but still thick enough to cling to the cake. If it’s too thick, add milk 1/2 tablespoon at a time until smoothed. If it’s too thin, add powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until thickened.

Glaze and Serve

Once your Red Velvet Bundt Cake is completely cooled, pour the luscious Cream Cheese Glaze evenly over the top, letting it drip beautifully down the sides. Slice and serve! The cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

The Science Behind Red Velvet’s Magic

There’s more to Red Velvet Bundt Cake than just its stunning color; there’s some fascinating chemistry at play! The unique tender texture and subtle tang of red velvet are largely due to the interaction between the acidic buttermilk and vinegar and the alkaline baking soda. This is a classic acid-base reaction.

When these ingredients combine, they create carbon dioxide gas, which gets trapped in the batter. These tiny gas bubbles are the leavening agents that cause the cake to rise and give it that wonderfully light, open, and tender crumb. The acidity also helps to break down gluten, contributing to the cake’s softness. Moreover, the natural acidity interacts with the cocoa powder, subtly enhancing its flavor and, historically, playing a role in the reddish hue before food coloring became common.

Our unique twist with espresso powder further boosts these cocoa notes through flavor synergy. The bitterness of the espresso amplifies the chocolate without making the cake taste overtly coffee-like, allowing the rich cocoa flavor to shine through while maintaining the classic red velvet identity.

Bundt Cake Perfection: Preventing Common Woes

Baking with a bundt pan can sometimes present a few challenges, but with these tips, you’ll be able to achieve bundt cake perfection every time!

Cake Cracking: This often happens due to overbaking or sudden temperature changes. Ensure you don’t bake the cake for too long – use the skewer test for doneness. Also, avoid placing a hot cake directly into a cold environment; let it cool gradually.

Shrinking Cake: A cake that shrinks from the sides can be a sign of overbaking, under-filling the pan, or improper cooling. Always measure your batter to ensure you’re not over or under-filling, and follow the 10-minute rest rule before inverting.

Uneven Baking: If your cake is raw in some spots and overdone in others, you might have oven hot spots. Rotate your bundt pan halfway through baking. Also, ensure your batter is evenly distributed in the pan before baking.

Sticking to the Pan: The most common bundt cake woe! This is almost always due to inadequate pan preparation or not resting the cake long enough. Refer to our pan preparation tips and the crucial 10-minute rest rule.

Adjusting Bake Time for Pan Materials: Not all bundt pans are created equal! Metal pans, especially dark-colored ones, tend to bake faster than lighter-colored metal or silicone pans. Dark metal pans absorb more heat, leading to quicker browning and baking. Always rely on the skewer test for doneness rather than just the clock, as your oven and pan material can influence the bake time.

Pro Tips & Troubleshooting

Pro Tips for a Perfect Red Velvet Bundt

• Optimal Pan Preparation: Don’t skimp on this step! Use a high-quality nonstick spray with flour (like Baker’s Joy), and diligently use a fine pastry brush to ensure every single crevice of your bundt pan is coated. Alternatively, grease thoroughly with softened butter and dust with granulated sugar for a slightly crispier crust.
• Room Temperature Ingredients: For a smooth, well-emulsified batter and a lump-free glaze, always ensure your eggs, buttermilk, butter, and cream cheese are at room temperature. This allows them to combine seamlessly.
• The 10-Minute Rule: This is a game-changer! After baking, let your Red Velvet Bundt Cake rest in the bundt pan for exactly 10 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack. This allows the cake to pull away from the pan’s sides naturally, preventing sticking and breakage.
• Glaze Consistency: The perfect Cream Cheese Glaze should be “a bit thinner than craft glue.” It should be pourable but still opaque enough to coat the cake beautifully. Adjust with milk (for thinner) or powdered sugar (for thicker) a tiny bit at a time.
• Syrup Application (Unique Twist): Apply that warm buttermilk-vanilla syrup evenly over the warm cake with a fine pastry brush immediately after turning it out. This ensures maximum absorption and that incredible, long-lasting moisture.
• Don’t Overmix: When combining wet and dry ingredients, mix only until just combined. Overmixing develops gluten, which can lead to a tough, dense cake.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using All Oil: While oil adds moisture, using only oil can sometimes result in an overly dense or oily cake with a strange texture. Our blend of oil and butter ensures both moisture and fantastic flavor.
• Cold Cream Cheese for Glaze: This is the quickest way to a lumpy, “cottage cheese-like” glaze! Always use room temperature cream cheese for a smooth finish.
• Cooling Too Long in the Pan: Leaving the cake in the bundt pan for too long after baking will cause the sugars to harden and the cake to stick, potentially tearing it when you try to release it. Stick to the 10-minute rest rule.
• Over-filling the Bundt Pan: A common mistake! Remember that a 10-cup bundt pan should not be filled to the brim. Leave about an inch or two from the top to prevent overflow during baking.
• Guessing Doneness: Never rely solely on the suggested bake time. Every oven is different! Always use a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the thickest part of the cake to test for doneness; it should come out clean.

Serving & Storage

Serving Ideas

This Red Velvet Bundt Cake is truly a showstopper on its own, but here are some ideas to make it even more special:

• Classic Garnishes: A sprinkle of fresh raspberries, a few sprigs of fresh mint, or a light dusting of unsweetened cocoa powder can add a beautiful touch of color and freshness.
• Accompaniments: For an extra decadent dessert, serve slices with a dollop of freshly whipped cream, a scoop of premium vanilla bean ice cream, or a simple homemade berry compote.
• Occasion Focus: Its elegant appearance and festive color make this Red Velvet Bundt Cake the perfect holiday dessert for celebrations like Valentine’s Day, Christmas, or any special gathering.

Storage and Make-Ahead

Planning ahead makes entertaining so much easier! Here’s how to store your Red Velvet Bundt Cake:

• Refrigerator Storage: Once glazed, your Red Velvet Bundt Cake should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The cream cheese glaze necessitates refrigeration.
• Freezing the Cake: You can absolutely make this cake ahead and freeze it! Ensure the baked cake is completely cooled before wrapping it tightly in at least two layers of plastic wrap, then an additional layer of aluminum foil. Store it in an airtight freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2-3 months. To thaw, simply unwrap and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator, or for a few hours at room temperature, then glaze before serving.
• Freezing the Glaze: I generally do not recommend freezing cream cheese glaze, as its texture can change and become grainy upon thawing. It’s always best to make the glaze fresh just before serving.
• Make-Ahead Tips: For ultimate convenience, bake the cake a day or two in advance. Store it properly wrapped and unglazed. On the day of serving, prepare the fresh cream cheese glaze and pour it over the cake for that perfect finish.

Conclusion

I hope you’re as excited as I am about this Ultimate Red Velvet Bundt Cake recipe! With its exceptional moisture from the buttermilk-vanilla syrup, the tender crumb, and the deepened cocoa flavor courtesy of our espresso powder twist, this cake truly stands out. I’ve poured all my expert tips and troubleshooting advice into these pages, so you can be confident that even if you’re a beginner baker, you’ll achieve spectacular results.

Whether you’re making it for a special holiday dessert like Valentine’s Day or Christmas, or simply to treat yourself and your loved ones, this Red Velvet Bundt Cake is sure to become a beloved recipe in your kitchen. Print this recipe, share your baking success, and explore other delicious desserts on my blog!

FAQ

• What is the secret to a super moist Red Velvet Bundt Cake?
  

  Our recipe uses a blend of oil and melted butter, and the unique addition of a warm buttermilk-vanilla syrup infused into the cake after baking, ensuring unparalleled moisture and tenderness.

• What is the purpose of buttermilk and vinegar in Red Velvet cake?
  

  Buttermilk and vinegar are acidic ingredients that react with baking soda (an alkali) to create carbon dioxide gas. This acid-base reaction provides leavening agents for the cake’s rise, while also contributing to its signature tender crumb and delicate tangy flavor.

• How do you prevent a Bundt cake from sticking to the pan?
  

  Thorough pan preparation is key! Use a high-quality nonstick spray with flour (like Baker’s Joy) and use a fine pastry brush to ensure all crevices are coated. Alternatively, grease well with softened butter and dust with granulated sugar. Crucially, let the cake rest in the bundt pan for exactly 10 minutes after baking before inverting onto a cooling rack.

• What kind of food coloring should I use for Red Velvet cake?
  

  For the most vibrant red color, we recommend using a gel food coloring. It’s more concentrated than liquid food coloring, requiring less to achieve a deep hue without affecting the batter consistency. While natural options exist, they often yield a less intense color.

• How do I make the perfect cream cheese glaze consistency?
  

  Ensure your cream cheese is at room temp for a smooth glaze. Mix powdered sugar gradually, adding milk 1/2 tablespoon at a time until the consistency is “a bit thinner than craft glue.” If too thick, add more milk; if too thin, add more powdered sugar.

• Can Red Velvet Bundt Cake be made ahead or frozen?
  

  Yes! The cake can be baked a day or two in advance and stored covered at room temperature, then glazed before serving. For longer storage, the baked and cooled cake can be tightly wrapped and frozen for up to 2-3 months. We recommend making the glaze fresh.

• What is Red Velvet cake?
  

  Red Velvet cake is a classic American dessert known for its distinctive red-brown hue, mild cocoa flavor, and tangy cream cheese glaze. Traditionally, the red color came from a reaction between natural cocoa powder and acidic ingredients, but today it’s often enhanced with food coloring. Our recipe intensifies the cocoa while retaining that classic tang. For more on its fascinating origins, explore the history of Red Velvet cake.

• What size bundt pan should I use?
  

  This recipe works well in both a 10-cup or 12-cup bundt pan. If using a 10-cup pan, you’ll need to reserve about 1 cup of batter to prevent overflow during baking.