This Red Velvet Cheesecake Bundt Cake is an absolutely divine and super moist cake with a hidden cheesecake filling. I've topped it with a tangy cream cheese icing that really brings all the flavours together perfectly. I love using bundt tins as it creates a beautifully shaped cake without any extra effort. This is a delicious cake for any time of year, and would be a great way to celebrate Valentine's Day.
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Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information
- Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter, buttermilk and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
- I prefer to use a baking spread, my preferred brand is Stork, to make this cake. You can also used unsalted butter.
- You will need to use a professional grade gel food colouring to get the same shade of red that you can see in my photos. Brands I recommend are Pro Gel and Sugarflair. I have also heard good things about Colour Mill and Americolor.
- I used a 10 cup Nordic Ware Swirl Bundt Pan for this recipe.
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50).
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make Red Velvet Cheesecake Bundt Cake
Start by greasing the tin really well with melted butter, use a pastry brush to get it in all of the crevices. Then dust the tin with flour. Make the cheesecake filling by combining the cream cheese, caster sugar, cornflour and vanilla extract until smooth.
To make the cake sponge, mix together the baking spread and caster sugar, then mix in the eggs and vanilla extract. Add the buttermilk, self raising flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and red food colouring. Mix in until everything is combined.
Put about half of the cake batter into the bundt tin. Add the cheesecake filling, trying to not let it touch the sides. Add the remaining cake batter over the top. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a thin skewer inserted comes out clean.
Let it cool for 10-15 minutes, then carefully flip the tin over onto a cooling rack and remove the tin, leave to cool fully. To make the icing, mix the cream cheese and icing sugar together and drizzle it over the cake.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
What is the best food colouring to use?
To get a bright red shade that remains strong after the cake is baked you need to use a professional grade gel food colouring. You can buy these easily from many online shops, including Amazon. I used the Sugarflair Red Extra for this cake. Pro Gel, Colour Mill and Americolor are other popular brands.
What if you can’t get hold of buttermilk?
If you can’t hold of buttermilk, you can use the same amount of milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice added (or cider vinegar), leave it for a few minutes until it goes lumpy then it’s ready to use!
Can you make the cake with plain/all purpose flour?
Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 3 teaspoons baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.
How long does the Red Velvet Cake last for and can you freeze it?
The cake will keep in an airtight container for 3 days in the fridge. You can freeze the cake, once the sponges are fully cool, wrap them well with cling film or put them in an airtight container with some baking paper between them. You can freeze the frosting on it’s own in a tub, or you can decorate the cake and freeze it fully assembled. To do this and avoid damage to the decoration, freeze it either in an airtight container. Or let it freeze solid on a cake board or plate, then wrap in cling film. Remove the cling film when you take it out to defrost it, if you don’t it could damage the appearance of the decoration as it defrosts and softens. You can also freeze slices of the cake, again well wrapped in cling film or in airtight containers.
What is a bundt cake?
A bundt cake is simply a cake baked in a bundt tin, which are usually donut shaped with a hole in the middle. This ensures an even bake as the cake gets heat from the central part of the tin as well as the edges. The name is similar to a German cake called a Bundkuchen, however the Bundkuchen is a yeasted cake similar to a sweet bread.
What size bundt tin do you need for this recipe?
The bundt tin I used was 9.4 inches wide and 3.6 inches tall, it has a capacity of 10 cups. This is a very standard bundt tin size, and if your tin only differs very slightly, you can still use it for this recipe. The tin I used was a 10 cup Nordic Ware Swirl Bundt Pan.
How do you stop the cake from sticking to the bundt tin?
It's best to both grease and dust your tin with plain flour to ensure the bundt cake doesn't stick. To do this, use a pastry brush to apply a thin layer of melted butter or vegetable oil all over the tin, and especially in any small crevices and detailed sections your bundt tin may have. Then adding a dusting of plain flour using a sieve, turn the tin upside down over your sink and give it a tap to shake off any loose flour.
Can this recipe be made gluten or dairy free?
Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add additional baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 3 teaspoons baking powder. You may also like to add ½ tsp xanthan gum for better texture. For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread for the cake. You can make dairy free buttermilk by adding 1 tbsp lemon juice (or cider vinegar) to dairy free milk. You will also need to use dairy free cream cheese for the filling and icing. Please check the labels of everything you use if you are serving this cake to someone with an allergy or intolerance.
More tips for making the Red Velvet Cheesecake Bundt Cake:
- You could also decorate this cake with melted chocolate, or warm Nutella, drizzled over it.
- Make sure to store the cake in the fridge once it's been frosted with the cream cheese icing.
Troubleshooting
My number one tip for getting the best results is to read through this whole page of tips and recommendations before starting, and follow the recipe exactly. If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!
Recommended equipment & ingredients
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Bundt tin
- Cooling rack
- Kitchen scales
- Electric hand mixer
- Red professional grade food colouring
- Cake tester
- Vanilla extract
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Red Velvet Cheesecake Bundt Cake
Ingredients
For the cheesecake filling
- 250 g Full fat cream cheese
- 75 g Caster sugar
- 2 tsp Cornflour also known as cornstarch
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract or paste
For the cake
- 300 g Baking spread or butter unsalted, softened
- 300 g Caster sugar
- 4 Eggs large
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract or paste
- 175 ml Buttermilk
- 325 g Self raising flour
- 3 tbsp Cocoa powder
- 1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tsp Red food colouring I used Sugarflair Red Extra
For the icing
- 100 g Full fat cream cheese
- 125 g Icing sugar
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/350F/Gas Mark 4. Prepare your bundt tin by melting 5g butter and brushing it all over the inside of the tin, into every crevice and nook, this is best done with a pastry brush. Then use a sieve to dust the inside of the tin with plain flour. Tap the tin over your sink to remove any excess
- Make the cheesecake filling by adding the cream cheese, caster sugar, cornflour and vanilla extract into a mixing bowl and combine until smooth. Set aside
- Make the cake by mixing the baking spread (or butter) and caster sugar together in a mixing bowl until fluffy (around 3 minutes), ideally using an electric mixer
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and mix until fully incorporated
- Add the buttermilk, self raising flour cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and red food colouring, and mix until fully combined
- Add about half of the cake batter into the cake tin, then add the cheesecake filling on the top. Try not to let the cheesecake filling touch the sides. Add the remaining cake batter over the top and smooth out into an even layer
- Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a thin skewer inserted comes out clean
- Let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes in the tin. Remove the cake from the tin by placing a cooling rack on top of the tin and flipping it over then removing the tin. Leave to cool completely
- To decorate the cake, mix the cream cheese and icing sugar together. Pipe, drizzle or spoon it over the bundt cake. Decorate with cake crumbs or sprinkles, or leave plain
- Leftovers should be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days
Notes
- Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter, buttermilk and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
- I prefer to use a baking spread, my preferred brand is Stork, to make this cake. You can also used unsalted butter.
- You will need to use a professional grade gel food colouring to get the same shade of red that you can see in my photos. Brands I recommend are Pro Gel and Sugarflair. I have also heard good things about Colour Mill and Americolor.
- I used a 10 cup Nordic Ware Swirl Bundt Pan for this recipe.
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50).
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
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