The Best Nothing Bundt Cakes Red Velvet Copycat Recipe

What Is Red Velvet Cake?

A red velvet cake is named for its “velvety” tender and moist texture. It blends both vanilla and chocolate flavors together, and the slightly tangy cream cheese icing is the perfect complement. But what makes a red velvet cake so special is its striking crimson red color against that creamy white icing. It’s always a standout on the dessert table or for a special occasion.

Nothing Bundt Cake Secret Recipe Tips.

In my research for the lemon Nothing Bundt Cake copycat recipe, I found a few secrets that former employees had revealed on the internet:

• The cakes in the store are partially made from scratch but many use premade mixes as a base. So I decided to use a box cake mix and pudding mix like many other copycat recipes for a time saver and more chocolate flavor.
• Sour cream is a secret ingredient that Nothing Bundt Cakes uses for extra flavor and moistness.
• For even more moist cakes, the stores only let the cake cool for a few minutes in the pan before promptly wrapping them and putting them in the freezer.
• I read (and was shocked) that the frosting is not a top-secret recipe, but a simple classic cream cheese frosting made with cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar.

Red Velvet Nothing Bundt Cake Copycat Ingredients.

I based this recipe on the one I used to make that ultra-moist NBC lemon cake with a few adjustments.

For the cake:

• Box of red velvet cake mix
• 3.9 oz chocolate instant pudding mix* (optional)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp red gel food coloring
• 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

*The pudding mix will add to the chocolate flavor, but makes the cake a darker color. If you want a more vibrant red cake, leave it out.

For the cream cheese icing:

• 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment:

• 10-cup Bundt cake pan
• Piping bag and a large round piping tip (1A)
• Stand mixer or electric hand mixer

SH&H Tip: Gel food coloring is more concentrated than liquid so you don’t need as much and it won’t affect the flavor of the cake.

How to Make This Easy Red Velvet Bundt Cake Recipe.

Nothing Bundt Cake Red Velvet Cake Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spray the inside of the pan well with baking spray. I like to use Baker’s Joy or  Pam baking spray with flour to ensure the cakes don’t stick to the crevices in the bundt pan.

3. Add all the cake ingredients except for the chocolate chips (cake mix, pudding mix*, sour cream, eggs, oil, water, vanilla, and red food coloring) to a mixing bowl and beat with a stand mixer or electric mixer until combined.

4. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt cake pan.

5. Bake for 38-45 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center of the cake comes out clean.

6. Let the cake cool in the pan for only 10-15 minutes, then flip it out onto a cake plate.

7. While it’s still warm, wrap the cake airtight and place it in the freezer overnight. (This is one of those secret tips for moistness someone posted that says they used to work there.)

I wrapped mine well with Press and Seal, but I’m sure you could also use plastic wrap.

8. The next day, remove the bundt cake from the freezer and let it thaw for at least an hour before frosting. (You can set out the butter and cream cheese to soften for the frosting at the same time.)

How to Make Nothing Bundt Cakes Icing:

1. Set out the butter and cream cheese for at least a couple of hours before you plan to make the frosting. (You can set it out when you take the cake out of the freezer.)

2. Add the softened butter and vanilla to the mixer bowl and combine with a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or electric hand mixer.

3. Add the room-temperature cream cheese and continue mixing on medium speed until combined.

4. Add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and creamy. (I stir it a little first with a rubber spatula to wet the sugar so it doesn’t fly everywhere when I start the electric mixer.)

SH&H Tip: Make sure the butter and cream cheese are completely softened at room temperature before mixing.

How to Frost a Cake Like Nothing Bundt Cakes.

It wouldn’t be a Nothing Bundt Cake knockoff without the signature stripes of frosting!

1. Cut off the pointed end of a piping bag just enough for the piping tip end to fit through. (If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a Ziplock sandwich bag.)

2. Push a large round piping tip down inside the pastry bag into the hole so that just the end sticks out. I used a 1A piping tip.

3. Fill the bag with the frosting, squeeze it to the bottom, and twist the top closed.

4. To ice the cake, start at the bottom on the outside. Squeeze a line of icing up and over the top of the bundt cake, and let it break into the hole in the middle. Don’t press the piping tip too much against the cake when making the icing lines to keep them nice and round. Press icing down toward the bottom of the bag between piping each stripe to avoid breaking the lines.

Repeat all the way around the cake. The width between stripes is up to you and how much icing you want. Just keep in mind the goal is to have a line of frosting down the side of each slice.

5. Spread the remaining icing inside the hole with a knife or offset spatula until smooth. This is a detail that the Nothing Bundt Cakes store uses to ensure every slice has a bit of extra frosting!

Can you tell how moist and tender this cake is? Something I liked even better than the real thing is that the chocolate chips mostly melted in my cake. I’m not sure how they stay whole in the store’s version, but I’ve always wished they left them out because I don’t like them that way.

Bundt Cake Decoration Ideas.

For this red velvet Nothing Bundt Cake knockoff, I added some sugar pearls and a red rose. This flavor with its red color would be darling decorated for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or the 4th of July!

Nothing Bundt Cakes are always a hit at parties not only for the delicious cake, but they offer fun and festive dress-up options for just about every special occasion. These add-ons typically cost around $10 for them to do, but it’s so easy and much cheaper to do it yourself.

How do you make a bundt cake look pretty like Nothing Bundt Cakes?

Here’s a list of the items Nothing Bundt Cakes embellishes the top of their cakes with:

• Faux Flowers
• Paper Flowers
• Party Hats
• Cupcake Picks and Cake Picks

Shop the party aisle at craft stores, the dollar store, Walmart, or Target and you can find just about any of these for any celebration!

SH&H Tip: Place the frosted cake in the refrigerator to let the icing harden before adding embellishments to the top of the cake.

Do Nothing Bundt Cake Copycats Need to Be Refrigerated?

The company states that they can safely stay out for up to 48 hours, but because of the butter and cream cheese in the frosting, they should be refrigerated after that because these ingredients spoil faster. The cakes will keep in the refrigerator for up to five days.

SH&H Tip: The cakes are best at room temperature, so set your cake out a couple of hours before serving.

Printable Recipe.

Red Velvet Nothing Bundt Cake Copycat

This copycat Red Velvet Nothing Bundt cake recipe is moist, tender, full of vanilla and chocolate flavor, and wrapped in their signature tangy cream cheese frosting bands. It's easy to make one of the most popular Nothing Bundt Cake flavors at home for a fraction of the cost!

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Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Chill time 1 day d

Course Dessert

Servings 12 servings

Equipment

• 10-cup Bundt cake pan
• Piping bag with large round tip (1A)
• Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
• Baking spray with flour

Ingredients

  

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For the cake:

• 1 Box of red velvet cake mix
• 3.9 oz chocolate instant pudding mix (optional) *The pudding mix will add to the chocolate flavor, but makes the cake a darker color. If you want a more vibrant red cake, leave it out.
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp red gel food coloring
• 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the cream cheese icing:

• 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

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Instructions

 

Copycat Red Velvet Nothing Bundt Cake Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray the inside of the entire pan well with baking spray.
• Add all the cake ingredients except for the chocolate chips (cake mix, pudding mix*, sour cream, eggs, oil, water, vanilla, and food coloring) to a mixing bowl and beat with a stand mixer or electric mixer until combined.
• Stir in the chocolate chips and pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 38-45 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
• Let the cake cool in the pan for only 10-15 minutes, then flip it out onto a plate.
• While it’s still warm, wrap the cake airtight with Press ‘N Seal or plastic wrap and place it in the freezer overnight.
• The next day, remove the bundt cake from the freezer and let it thaw for at least an hour before frosting. (You can set out the butter and cream cheese to soften for the frosting at the same time.)

Copycat Nothing Bundt Cake Frosting Instructions

• Set out the butter and cream cheese for at least a couple of hours before you plan to make the frosting. (Set it out when you take the cake out of the freezer.)
• Add the softened butter and vanilla to the mixer bowl and combine with a stand mixer or electric hand mixer.
• Add the room-temperature cream cheese and continue mixing until combined.
• Add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and creamy. (I stir it a little first with a rubber spatula to wet the sugar so it doesn’t fly everywhere when I start the electric mixer.)

How to Frost a Cake Like Nothing Bundt Cakes.

• Cut off the pointed end of a piping bag just enough for the piping tip end to fit through.
• Push a large round piping tip down inside the bag into the hole so that just the end sticks out. I used a 1A piping tip.
• Fill the bag with the frosting, squeeze it to the bottom, and twist the top closed.
• To ice the cake, start at the bottom on the outside. Squeeze a line of icing up and over the top of the bundt cake, and let it break into the hole in the middle. Don’t press the piping tip too much against the cake when making the icing lines to keep them nice and round. Press icing down toward the bottom of the bag between piping each stripe to avoid breaking the lines.
• Repeat thick lines all the way around the cake. The width between stripes is up to you and how much icing you want. Just keep in mind the goal is to have a line of frosting down the side of each slice.
• Spread the remaining icing inside the hole with a knife or offset spatula until smooth.

Notes

 

Make sure the butter and cream cheese are completely softened at room temperature before making the icing.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Happy Baking,

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