This red velvet cake is beautiful, delicious, and ridiculously easy to make (because it starts with a cake mix)! Best of all, you can make it, freeze it, and pull it out when you need it! The original recipe calls for a bottle of liquid red food coloring to get that gorgeous burgundy hue, but now Duncan Hines has a red velvet mix! 

My “Cake Mix Magic” Red Velvet Cake:

This red velvet bundt cake is made with a cake mix plus a few simple ingredients I use to turn any cake mix into a fabulous homemade creation. Once you make a cake or two using the “cake mix magic” method, you will never turn back! It is rich, decadent, and has the most delicious moist, fluffy texture! 

What Is A Red Velvet Cake?

Red Velvet cake is a Southern classic and is often served around the holidays It is a traditionally crimson-colored chocolate layer cake with cream cheese icing. Red velvet is like a tangier, slightly less rich version of a chocolate cake, Red velvet cake’s signature tang comes from white vinegar and buttermilk. My recipe uses sour cream instead of buttermilk, and I also omit vinegar. Additionally, many red velvet cake recipes almost always call for natural cocoa to enhance its red color.

What Ingredients Are in This Spectacular Red Velvet Cake? 

This spectacular red velvet cake comes together in minutes, but truly tastes homemade. To make it, you need one box of red velvet cake mix. I love Duncan Hines, but use your favorite mix! If you can’t find a red velvet mix, simply use a yellow or butter cake mix and include a bottle of red liquid or gel food coloring. You also need the following ingredients: 

• 1 pack of vanilla pudding mix
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup of a neutral oil like vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup of water
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream

For the cream cheese glaze, you need:

• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temperature 
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-2 tablespoons of half and half 

How Do I Make The Best Red Velvet Cake Recipe? 

To start, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease your bundt pan or cake pans. In a small bowl, whisk together your eggs, oil, water, and food coloring if you are using it. In a large bowl or standing mixer, mix together your cake mix, pudding mix, and cocoa powder. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed and working up to medium-high speed. You can also use a hand mixer for this. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add in your sour cream and fold it in with a spoon or an offset spatula. Pour the cake batter into your prepared pans and bake until the top barely “jiggles” when you shake the pan- about 30-40 minutes. You can also test it with a toothpick! Let the cake cool completely on a cooling rack or on the counter top before turning in out of the bundt pan.

How To Make A Cream Cheese Glaze:

I make my cream cheese glaze for red velvet Bundt Cake thicker than my typical glaze. This glaze is a cross between an icing and a glaze. I chose a thicker version of glaze so that it will taste more like a traditional red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. Also, a thicker glaze will “sit” on top of the cake and be prettier than a thin glaze that melts into the cake. To make this simple glaze, mix together all your ingredients except the half and half until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add your half and half a little at a time until the glaze reached your desired consistency. Pour your glaze over the cooled cake several hours before serving- I like to set my cake on a wire rack for easy glazing! 

How To Garnish A Red Velvet Bundt Cake:

While this Red Velvet Bundt Cake is beautiful with just a cream cheese glaze, adding a few garnishes makes it a true show-stopper! If I am serving this cake for a holiday or just want to make it extra-special, I will add some garnish to send it over the top. I love to garnish this cake with crushed peppermint and sugared cranberries, but elegant gold or silver candles also add a festive touch!

Can You Make This Red Velvet Bundt Cake In Layers?

You can use cake pans instead of a bundt pan to make a red velvet layer cake. Simply pour your batter into 8 or 9-inch round cake pans instead of a bundt cake pan. I actually have 6-inch cake layer pans that I love, as they make a slim, tall cake that looks stunning on a cake plate. 

How Do You Make A Box Cake Taste Like A Bakery Cake?

A box cake mix can be “doctored” with certain ingredients that make it moist, delicious, and “from scratch” tasting every time. My method of doctoring is basically the same for every cake mix, with a few tweaks based on the flavor of the cake.

What Ingredients Do You Add To A Cake Mix To Make It Taste Homemade?

• 1 box cake mix
• 1 (3.9 oz) box of instant pudding mix
• 1/2 c sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup oil
• 1 cup sour cream

Can I Use The “Cake Mix Magic” Method On Other Flavors?

With my “cake magic” method, the possibilities are many! One of the most amazing cake mix magic cakes that I make is the white cake with buttercream frosting (link to recipe below). It is my Easter cake every year; folks rave over it. My favorite bundt cakes are made with devil’s food, strawberry, and lemon cake mixes. The cake mix magic method works with any flavor you choose; feel free to experiment.

I’ll link to some of my favorites below, along with a few ways that I like to serve them.

• Carrot Bundt Cake with Buttermilk Glaze. This is a Fall favorite! I add carrots, pineapple, nuts, and buttermilk glaze.
• Funfetti Bundt Cake. This sprinkle-laden cake pops with color and is topped with an almond glaze that is fabulous!
• Best White Cake with Buttercream Frosting. It tastes like wedding cake and is my go-to for Easter and birthdays!

Let me know how you enjoy this fabulous dish in the comments below. As always, thank you so much for stopping by. Be blessed, and stay savvy!!!

If you like this recipe, check these out, too:

Ashley Mac’s Famous Red Velvet Cake

How To Make Apple Dump Cake Crisp for the Holidays