Red Velvet Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Swirl

This red velvet bundt cake is soft, fluffy, and swirled with an easy cream cheese filling. It’s topped with a cream cheese glaze and sprinkles. The cake has such a beautiful surprise when you cut into it! It’s so soft and moist because of the sour cream and a mixture of butter and oil. Butter gives it all that delicious flavour and oil keeps it moist and fluffy for days. It has all the flavours of a red velvet cake in bundt form. 

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Why you will LOVE this recipe:

• Texture: The bundt cake is fluffy, soft, moist. It will stay moist for days!
• Swirl: The cream cheese swirl is so easy to make and looks so gorgeous when you cut inside. The swirl tastes like cheesecake. 
• Glaze: The glaze is a tangy cream cheese glaze that works so well with the bundt cake and is ultra creamy. 
• Flavour: It has that classic red velvet flavour. Slightly chocolatey, tangy, and paired with cream cheese. 

Texture

This red velvet bundt cake has a beautiful soft and fluffy texture. This is due to the fats, sour cream, and buttermilk. 

I love the texture of cakes with oil but I prefer the flavour of butter. So I combined them to get the best buttery flavour and texture! It will stay soft and moist for longer because of the oil. 

Swirl

The cream cheese swirl is such an easy way to really bring this cake to a whole new level. Mix it together before making the red velvet batter so that you can put it together as soon as the batter is mixed. 

All you have to do is blend all the ingredients in the order listed and set them aside. You can also mix it all up with an immersion blender just until smooth. I’ve tried this and it worked really well. 

How to get that vibrant red colour

You will get the most vibrant red colour if you use a gel food colouring. I used about a half teaspoon but you’ll need to eyeball it yourself based on the type of food colouring you have. You can also use liquid food colouring but you will need a lot so I don’t recommend it. 

You can use a powdered natural red food colouring too. I haven’t tried it out but it’s definitely an option. 

The perfect release

Flipping a bundt cake shouldn’t be intimidating! Make sure you’re using a non-stick bundt pan with the coating intact. You don’t want it to be peeling off or all scratched up. 

Grease the pan with cold butter (or shortening) well. You then want to add a tablespoon of flour and shake it all around so it sticks to the butter. This will provide the best non-stick coating for your cake.

Once the red velvet bundt cake has cooled for 10 minutes, place a cooling rack or plate over the bundt pan and flip it over. The cake releases much easier while it’s still warm. 

Key ingredients

Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below. But read through these for all the tips you will need for success!

Cream cheese: Use a full fat brick style cream cheese. This will give you the best texture for the swirl. Otherwise the cream cheese will make it too watery.

Butter: Use a good quality real butter for best results. You want it at room temperature for it to blend smoothly.

Buttermilk: This gives the cake its fluffy texture and signature tangy red velvet flavour.

Sour cream: Full fat cream cheese will give give the cake an extra velvety texture.

Red gel food colouring: Gel food colouring will give the most vibrant result. I don't recommend a liquid food colouring because you will need a lot and it won't be as vibrant. For a natural alternative use a natural red powder food colouring.

Cocoa powder: This gives the cake a subtle chocolatey flavour.

All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.

Step by step

Step 1 - Make swirl. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together cream cheese, sugar, and salt until completely smooth. Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy, scraping down the bowl. Set aside for later.

Step 2 - Prepare bundt pan. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease the inside of a bundt pan with a pat of cold butter. Add a tablespoon of flour and shake it around the pan so it sticks to the butter and forms a thin layer. Shake out any excess.

Step 3 - Beat butter and sugar. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together butter, oil, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Scrape the bowl halfway. 

Step 4 - Wet ingredients. Into the same bowl add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating well in between each egg and scraping the bowl. Add sour cream, beat well. Add buttermilk and mix well. It will start to look very gloopy, that's ok.

Step 5 - Colour. Add red food coloring a drop at a time until it looks red. So that it doesn't splatter you can switch to a hand whisk.

Step 6 - Dry ingredients. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa powder right into the same bowl. Fold with a whisk or mix on low to make a thick, smooth batter. Stop mixing as soon as it becomes creamy and you stop seeing streaks of dry ingredients. 

Step 7 - Layer. Add half the batter to the prepared bundt pan. Spread so it's smooth. Scoop cream cheese on top, trying to not let it touch the edges of the pan. Add the rest of the batter on top and smooth. Tap the pan a few times on a flat surface to remove any large air pockets.

Step 8 - Bake in preheated oven for 55-70 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. It will have a few crumbs sticking to it because of the filling but it shouldn't be covered in batter.

Step 9 - Flip. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Place a plate or cooling rack on top of the bundt cake and flip over to release the cake. Tap the top of the bundt pan gently to help release. It should come right out!

Step 10 - Cool. Let the bundt cake cool completely. The cheesecake swirl tastes even better once the bundt cake chills in the fridge (2-12 hours) and the swirl has time to develop its flavour but this isn’t necessary. 

Step 11 - Glaze. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together butter, sugar, and salt until smooth. Scrape down the bowl and beat again. 

Add cream cheese and beat until smooth, scraping down the bowl halfway. Add vanilla extract and milk, one tablespoon at a time. Beat the milk in well and scrape the bowl down frequently to make sure the glaze is completely smooth. 

Add milk until you get the consistency you want. I went for a runnier consistency so that it drips down the bundt cake but you can also go for a thicker consistency to spread it on like a frosting. Make test drips on the back of the cake to get the perfect drip. 

Step 12 - Serve. Add sprinkles on top right before serving and enjoy! Store in the fridge because of the cream cheese but serve at room temperature. 

FAQ

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📖 Recipe

Red Velvet Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Swirl

Mary

This red velvet bundt cake is soft, fluffy, and swirled with an easy cream cheese filling. It’s topped with a cream cheese glaze and sprinkles. This bundt cake has such a beautiful surprise when you cut into it! It’s so soft and moist because of the sour cream and a mixture of butter and oil. Butter gives it all that delicious flavour and oil keeps it moist and fluffy for days. It has all the flavours of a red velvet cake in bundt form.

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Shop Ingredients

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Baking, Bundt Cake, Cake, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 people

Equipment

• ▢
  1 Standard non-stick bundt pan (12 cups)

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Cream Cheese Swirl

• ▢ 12 oz cream cheese softened
• ▢ 1 large egg room temperature
• ▢ ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Batter

• ▢ 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• ▢ ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 5 large eggs room temperature
• ▢ ⅔ cup sour cream room temperature
• ▢ 1 ¼ cup buttermilk room temperature
• ▢ red gel food colouring
• ▢ 3 ¼ cup all purpose flour 390g
• ▢ ¼ cup natural cocoa powder you can also use dutch processed
• ▢ 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon baking soda

Glaze

• ▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ 4 oz cream cheese softened
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 2-6 tablespoons milk
• ▢ 3 tablespoons sprinkles

Instructions

 

Cream Cheese Swirl

• In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together cream cheese, sugar, and salt until completely smooth.
  12 oz cream cheese, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
• Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy, scraping down the bowl. Set aside until later.
  1 large egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Batter

• Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease the inside of a bundt pan with a pat of cold butter. Add a tablespoon of flour and shake it around the pan so it sticks to the butter and forms a thin layer. Shake out any excess.
• In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together butter, oil, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Scrape the bowl halfway.
  1 cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup vegetable oil, 1 ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating well in between each egg and scraping the bowl.
  5 large eggs, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• Add sour cream, beat well. Add buttermilk and mix well. It will start to look very gloopy, that's ok.
  ⅔ cup sour cream, 1 ¼ cup buttermilk
• Add red food coloring one drop at a time until it looks red. So that it doesn't splatter you can switch to a hand whisk.
  red gel food colouring
• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa powder right into the same bowl. Fold with a whisk or mix on low to make a thick, smooth batter. Stop mixing as soon as it becomes creamy and you stop seeing streaks of dry ingredients.
  3 ¼ cup all purpose flour, ¼ cup natural cocoa powder, 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• Add half the batter to the prepared bundt pan. Spread so it's smooth. Scoop cream cheese on top, trying to not let it touch the edges of the pan. Add the rest of the batter on top and smooth. Tap the pan a few times on a flat surface to remove any large air pockets.
• Bake in preheated oven for 55-70 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. It will have a few crumbs sticking to it because of the filling but it shouldn't be covered in batter.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Place a plate or cooling rack on top of the bundt cake and flip over to release the cake. Tap the top of the bundt pan gently to help release. It should come right out!
• Let the bundt cake cool completely. The cheesecake swirl tastes even better once the bundt cake chills in the fridge (2-12 hours) and the swirl has time to develop its flavour but this isn’t necessary.

Glaze

• In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together butter, sugar, and salt until smooth. Scrape down the bowl and beat again.
  4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
• Add cream cheese and beat until smooth, scraping down the bowl halfway. Add vanilla extract and milk, one tablespoon at a time. Beat the milk in well and scrape the bowl down frequently to make sure the glaze is completely smooth.
  4 oz cream cheese, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 2-6 tablespoons milk
• Add milk until you get the consistency you want. I went for a runnier consistency so that it drips down the bundt cake but you can also go for a thicker consistency to spread it on like a frosting. Make test drips on the back of the cake to get the perfect drip.
• Add sprinkles on top right before serving and enjoy! Store in the fridge because of the cream cheese but serve at room temperature.
  3 tablespoons sprinkles

Notes

Make ahead:

You can make and glaze the cake the day before serving! The cheesecake swirl will taste even better the next day after being chilled. The glaze will hold up well overnight as well. Store it in a cake carrier overnight to not disturb the glaze. Top with sprinkles right before serving so they don’t bleed. Serve it at room temperature so the cake becomes softer but store it in the fridge.

How to get the perfect bundt release every time

1. Use a non-stick bundt pan that has an intact coating
2. Butter the inside with a cold piece of butter or shortening. You don’t want to use oil because it will just drip down the sides. Add a tablespoon of flour and shake it all around the pan so that it sticks to the butter.
3. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes before flipping to release. It will release better when it’s still hot.

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