Red Velvet Pound (Bundt) Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

No, a red velvet cake generally includes a small amount of cocoa powder in it that gives it just a hint of chocolate flavor, but not enough to be considered a chocolate cake either.

The vinegar reacts with the small amount of cocoa powder and the other acidic ingredients like buttermilk to help make the cake moist and tender and helps give it a slightly reddish tint, which is then helped out by adding red food coloring.

The vinegar really is necessary for this cake and you’ll just want to use regular white vinegar. Adding vinegar will introduce more acids into the cake, which will react with the other acidic ingredients and help to provide a tender cake texture.

Cocoa powder reacts with the other acidic ingredients to help make this cake moist and it gives it just a slight hint of light chocolate flavor, which is the hallmark of a red velvet cake. It also helps give the cake a hint of color, a sort of jump-start at getting that deep red color.

For this recipe, you want to use unsweetened natural cocoa powder, not Dutch cocoa powder. The reason is that Dutch cocoa powder is nonacidic and you need the acid from the regular cocoa powder to interact with the other ingredients.

You really want to use real buttermilk for this cake. It makes a huge difference in the taste, the moistness, and the texture of the cake.

For best results, you’ll want to use unsalted butter, that way you can predict the amount of salt that’s added to the recipe. If you can’t get unsalted butter, you can substitute with salted, but omit any additional salt the recipe calls for.

Do not use the liquid kind that you can find in the baking aisle. To get enough color, you’d have to add way too much of it. You’ll need a concentrated food dye like gel food coloring.

You can find them at craft stores or on Amazon. I like Chefmaster, Americolor super red, or Wilton no taste red. I have provided links to these in the ingredient section of the post above and below the recipe card.

Sure! The cake won’t be super red, but it will still taste good.

You may have used liquid food coloring and not gel food coloring, or you may not have used enough food coloring.

No, you don’t have to add them. Personally, I add them because I love the small bits of chocolate in this cake, but it’s not necessary.

You can, but the full-sized chocolate chips tend to sink a little while the cake is baking. To help combat this, you could try chopping up the full-sized chips in a food processor a bit before adding them to the cake batter.

I have not tested this recipe out as a layer cake, but it should work just fine if you use two, eight-inch round cake pans. You will need to bake it for a shorter amount of time, maybe around 40 minutes. Just check with a toothpick inserted into the middle. It should come out with a few moist crumbs on it.

Now, if you want a red velvet cake recipe that was specifically written as a layer cake that is light and fluffy, then you’ll want to check this recipe out here: Sour Cream Red Velvet Cake

You’ll also want to use another frosting instead of a glaze if making it into a layer cake. You can try this buttercream here: Cream Cheese Buttercream

If the cream cheese is added to this cake, then it must be stored, covered well, in the refrigerator. It can last, stored in the fridge for 5-6 days.

This cake (like many cakes) is best served at room temperature, so to eat leftovers, add a slice to a plate and heat in the microwave for only a few seconds to take the chill off, or just cut a slice, set on a plate and allow it to come closer to room temperature on its own.

This cake should be just fine if frozen correctly. Wrap the unglazed cake in plastic wrap, then in foil to prevent freezer burn. This cake can be frozen for up to a month.

To defrost, set the wrapped cake onto the counter and let defrost while still wrapped (about a couple of hours). Once defrosted, take the wrappings off and add the glaze.