A Nothing Bundt Cake copycat that hits the mark: ultra moist red velvet bundt cake topped with deliciously fluffy cream cheese frosting. This red velvet bundt cake is the easiest from scratch bundt cake you’ll ever make! Discover all my secrets to keeping the cake moist and fluffy!

Can we talk about cake today? I’m a fan of bundt cake. Especially the one with cream cheese icing (high-five to all Nothing Bundt Cakes fans). They make the best companion any time of the day. This red velvet bundt cake is a classic recipe that you will love. It’s perfect for both adults and kids, and it’s super moist!

The ingredients

The batter has the classic red velvet ingredients of buttermilk and cocoa powder. But, you will also need:

Oil and butter. I use canola or vegetable oil and unsalted butter
Eggs. Fresh eggs always!
All-purpose flour, corn starch, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt for dry ingredients
Sugar. You will need both granulated sugar and powdered sugar
Buttermilk, milk, cream cheese for both the cake and icing
Vanilla extract, lemon juice for flavor
A white chocolate bar for icing
Red food coloring or pureed beets

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How to make red velvet bundt cake with cream cheese icing

To make the cake:

Preheat your oven to bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit
In a large mixing bowl combine the canola oil, melted butter, eggs, white sugar, buttermilk, vanilla, and lemon juice. Mix well using a whisk until the batter becomes smooth.
Add ½ to a full container of red food dye to the batter. You want this to be very bright red.
Add the flour, corn starch, cocoa powder, and baking soda to a sifter and sift all the dry ingredients into the dyed batter mixture. Whisk to combine. Make sure all the dry ingredients have been mixed in by scraping down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl. Set aside.
Grease a non-stick bundt pan evenly with oil and then lightly dust with flour or white sugar. Immediately pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Give the pan a couple of taps on a counter to release any air pockets before placing them on the middle rack of your preheated oven. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45-50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Let the bundt cake cool for 10-15 minutes before trying to remove it from the pan onto a cooling rack. Make sure the cake is completely cool before attempting to put the icing on it.

Use regular unsweetened cocoa powder and not Dutch processed to retain the red color.

Cream cheese icing:

In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl add the full bar of white chocolate and the milk. Break up into small pieces to melt faster. Microwave on high for 20 seconds at a time. Make sure to remove and stir the chocolate in between each interval.
Once all the chocolate has melted, add in the cream cheese and stir until it has softened and combined well with the melted chocolate.
Sift in the powdered sugar and mix until there are no clumps left and the icing is smooth. Make sure to work quickly, because you don’t want the chocolate to harden before pouring it onto your cake.
Drizzle your icing evenly onto the cooled bundt cake and enjoy!

Kitchen tips to make red velvet bundt cake

Bundt cakes can be super tricky so here are a few things that helped me to perfect this recipe:

Do not grease and flour the bundt pan too early. It is important to wait until you are ready to pour the batter into the pan and the oven has preheated. Leaving the batter in the pan while the oven preheats causes the oil to pool into the bottom of the pan and will make it difficult to remove after baking
Use an oil spray. I have tried many ways to oil the pan and a spray is the most even coating method
Use a spatula to get the oil into the creases of the bund pan
Use regular unsweetened cocoa powder and not Dutch-processed to retain the red color
Try letting the cake cool upside down on a cooling rack in the pan to allow gravity to do its work
When removing the cake from the pantry gently run a rubber baking spatula around the edges to help release it from the pan

Plant-based food coloring

If you’re avoiding red food dye, you can substitute that with pureed beets. Beets also bring color and sweetness to this bundt cake.

Refined sugar-free option

Simply substitute granulated sugar with coconut sugar; however, you might not get the optimal red velvet color.

Storage

You can store this classic bundt cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

If you plan to freeze the cake: freeze in an airtight freezer-safe container and defrost in the fridge overnight when ready to eat again. Freeze for up to 3 months before freezer burn starts to set in.

Best way to enjoy bundt cake

Over coffee, for sure! Here are some coffee ideas to try: Vietnamese cold brew coffee, vanilla sweet cream cold brew, dalgona coffee, or ginger tea if you prefer something warm and comforting.