Red Velvet Bundt Cake

This red velvet bundt cake is as good as it gets! It perfectly moist & flavorful with that eye-catching bright red color. The batter comes together in a flash, and like with all bundt cakes, decorating a simple, no-fuss process. Bake it for girls night, a festive party, or just for fun! And of course enjoy a slice or two with a glass of your favorite red wine.

For more red velvet recipes, try Red Velvet Brownies, Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies, and Mini Red Velvet Whoopie Pies.

Ingredient Notes

• All-Purpose Flour: You'll need about three cups of unbleached all-purpose flour.
• Cocoa Powder: Just a ¼ cup gives this cake the perfect subtle chocolate flavor.
• Baking Soda: Be sure your baking soda is fresh by testing a small amount in vinegar. 
• Unsalted Butter: You'll need about 1 ½ sticks of room temperature butter.
• Granulated Sugar: This recipe does require a lot of sugar, but I assure you the cake is not overly sweet!
• Neutral Oil: Using both oil and butter gives this cake a super moist texture without losing out on the butter taste. 
• Eggs: Bring your eggs to room temperature quickly by placing them a bowl of warm water. 
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk is key to a good red velvet cake recipe. It adds moisture and lovely tangy taste that makes red velvet so unique. 
• Plain Whole Milk Greek Yogurt: Instead of a full cup of buttermilk, you'll need a half cup with a half cup of yogurt. Yogurt adds even more moisture and still give the cake that tangy taste. 
• Vanilla Extract: Always need a good amount of quality vanilla to make an outstanding cake!
• Distilled White Vinegar: Vinegar helps to activate the baking soda to ensure the cake rises well. 
• Red Food Gel: Food gel is much more powerful than food coloring. I like Americolor food gel!
• Cream Cheese: You'll need a half block of cream cheese for the frosting. It mixes better when it is cold, so need to bring it to room temperature. 
• Powdered Sugar: Add the powdered sugar slowly when making the frosting to avoid making a huge mess. Add more or less depending on the level of sweetness you like. 
• Heavy Cream: Add a tablespoon of heavy cream at a time to bring the frosting to the right consistency. 

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.

Step by Step Instructions

Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this red velvet bundt cake recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

STEP 1: Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

STEP 2: Mix wet ingredients. In a large glass measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and yogurt and warm in the microwave for about 20 seconds or so to bring to room temp. Stir in the vanilla, vinegar, and red food gel. Set aside.

STEP 3: Beat. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until fully combined. Pour in the vegetable oil and eggs and beat until completely combined. Scrape down the bowl to ensure everything is evenly incorporated.

STEP 4: Combine. Next, alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture in thirds as the stand mixer mixes on low speed. Mix until just combined. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure everything is evenly incorporated.

STEP 5: Bake. Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan, smoothing out the top with a rubber spatula. Bake the cake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for no more than 10 minutes in the pan, then immediately use a knife to gently loosen the sides and turn out onto a cooling rack. Allow cake to cool completely before frosting.

STEP 6: Make the frosting. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, beating on low speed until fully combined. Add a couple tablespoons of heavy cream. Add more heavy cream one tablespoon at a time until the frosting has reached the desired consistency. (add more for a more pourable glaze, or less for a thicker frosting). Once the cake is cooled, frost and enjoy!

All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale. 

If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.

But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!

Happy baking! x