Red Velvet Bundt Cake (moist and easy)
With its unique flavor and color, this old-fashioned red velvet cake is soft, moist, and utterly delicious! It comes together quickly and can be frozen. Spread it with cream cheese frosting for a luscious finish.
Servings 10 servings
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 tablespoons shortening soft, to grease the pan
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder or 3 tablespoons, see Notes below
- ⅓ cup water boiling
- 1 cup buttermilk or whole milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- ¼ to 1 teaspoon red gel food coloring see Notes, below
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla paste
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour or cake flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar estimated amount
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon vanilla paste
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Grease a 10-inch bundt cake pan (26cm) with 2 tablespoons shortening, covering every nook, cranny and angle. Dust with flour, shaking off excess. Reserve.
- In a small mixing bowl or glass pitcher, mix 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder with ⅓ cup water, boiling. Let cool a little, and add 1 cup buttermilk. Stir well and reserve.
- Beat softened ¾ cup unsalted butter with 1 ½ cups sugar in a large bowl for 3 minutes until creamy. I use an electric mixer, but you can also use a stand mixer.
- Add 3 eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition.
- Add the ¼ to 1 teaspoon red gel food coloring (depending on the brand and how deep you want the color to be) and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. If using powder color, mix it with the vanilla before adding.
- Add the sifted 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour and ½ teaspoon salt to the butter mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the cocoa mixture in 2 parts. That means you begin and end with dry ingredients. You can sift the flour mixture in another bowl or have it measured and sift it over the butter as you add it (what I do).
- In a small bowl, mix 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda with 1 teaspoon white vinegar. It will foam. Immediately add it to the cake batter and stir to integrate.
- Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. If moist crumbs are attached, bake for a few more minutes. Don't overbake it.
- Let the cake cool for 15-20 minutes, and carefully remove it onto a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.
For the cream cheese frosting:
- Beat 4 ounces cream cheese with 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in a bowl until very creamy and no lumps remain.
- Gradually add 1 ½ cups powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until you have a thick, very creamy consistency, good enough to spread. You might need more sugar. If you want a more drippy icing or glaze, use less sugar.
- Spread on top of the cake.
- It keeps well in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Beat again before using to attain a creamy consistency.
Notes
Cocoa powder: if you want a brighter red use 2 tablespoon cocoa, 3 if you want a deeper red like the images.
Red food coloring: different brands sell gels, powders, and liquids. I also like to use powder dyes (Red Ponceau is the shade of red I like) that are water-soluble, and I dissolve them in vanilla extract before adding them. If they are good, the color tends to be more intense, and you need very little. Liquid food coloring has never worked for me.
Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. Use an oven thermometer to check that the temperature is right. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Homemade buttermilk: mix 1 cup of milk (preferably whole milk) with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes at room temperature until it thickens and slightly curdles. Stir it once more, and measure it again before using.
Storage: for a moist red velvet bundt cake that stays that way for several days, keep it covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container. Refrigerate it after 2 days, or freeze it for a month.
Pan size variations: this scale can be adapted to different shapes or sizes. One recipe yields 1 large bundt, 18 to 24 cupcakes, 2 medium loaf cakes, two or three 8 or 9-inch cake layers, or 1 sheet cake similar to the lemon coconut cake that is perfect for picnics, barbecues, children's birthdays, or a small celebration.
