Red Velvet Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

This red velvet Bundt cake hides a ribbon of cream cheese filling in the middle, so every slice has a stripe of cheesecake running through it. The crumb is moist and tender, with the mild cocoa and tang that red velvet is known for.

It’s a showy cake made from ordinary baking staples, plus a block of cream cheese and a bottle of food coloring. Baked at home, it costs much less than a bakery cake of the same size.

Because the filling is baked in, there’s no frosting to make. A dusting of powdered sugar or a quick glaze is all it needs.

Ingredients and Swaps

• Buttermilk: Gives red velvet its tender crumb and tang. No buttermilk? Stir 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup of milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.
• Oil: Vegetable or canola oil keeps the cake moist for days.
• Cocoa powder: Just a little, for the classic hint of chocolate. Use natural unsweetened cocoa.
• Red food coloring: Liquid coloring, about one 1-ounce bottle. Gel coloring is stronger, so use 1–2 teaspoons.
• Cream cheese: Full-fat block cream cheese, softened so the filling mixes smooth.

Tips for a Bundt Cake That Comes Out Clean

• Grease every crevice. Brush the pan with melted butter or shortening and dust with flour, or use baking spray with flour. This matters more than anything else.
• Keep the filling off the edges. Spoon the cream cheese mixture in a ring in the middle of the batter so it doesn’t touch the pan, where it can stick.
• Use room-temperature ingredients. Eggs, buttermilk and cream cheese blend more smoothly when they aren’t cold.
• Cool for 15 minutes, then invert. Too soon and the cake breaks. Too long and it sticks.
• Test in the cake, not the filling. Insert the tester near the outer edge so you’re checking the cake batter.

Prices are from Walmart’s and ALDI’s websites for stores in Columbus, Ohio, checked in October 2026. Ohio’s grocery prices are within about 1% of the national average, so you may pay more or less depending on where you live, and prices change often. Here’s how we price our recipes.

Cost: Ingredients – $8.57 from Walmart, $8.11 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.68 to $0.71

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Red Velvet Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

A moist red velvet Bundt cake with a ribbon of cream cheese filling baked into the center.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon vinegar

Cream Cheese Swirl

• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan, getting into every crevice.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa and salt.
3. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, food coloring and vinegar until smooth.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined.
5. For the filling, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.
6. Pour about two-thirds of the cake batter into the pan. Spoon the cream cheese filling in a ring over the batter, keeping it away from the sides of the pan. Top with the remaining batter.
7. Bake for 50–60 minutes, until a tester inserted into the cake near the outer edge comes out clean.
8. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Cool completely before slicing.

Notes

• Drizzle with a vanilla glaze for extra sweetness.
• Add ¼ cup of mini chocolate chips to the cream cheese filling.
• Use less food coloring if you prefer a more natural color.

How to Finish It

• Dust with powdered sugar once the cake is completely cool.
• Drizzle with a glaze of 1 cup powdered sugar, 1–2 tablespoons milk and ½ teaspoon vanilla.
• Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries.

Storage

• Because of the cream cheese filling, store the cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Let slices sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes before serving, or microwave for 10–15 seconds.
• Freeze the whole cake or individual slices, well wrapped, for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

This cake is the dessert on our Christmas Dinner for 4 menu. For a smaller chocolate dessert, try Raspberry Chocolate Mini Bundt Cakes.

Red Velvet Bundt Cake Questions

What size Bundt pan do I need?

A standard 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan.

Can I make it ahead?

Yes. Bake it a day or two ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. The flavor and texture actually improve by the next day.

Can I leave out the food coloring?

Yes. The cake will be a light cocoa brown and taste the same.