I’m so excited to finally have the perfect Red Velvet Cake recipe to share with all of you!  One of my daughters loves red velvet, but I’ve never been able to get it just right – until now!

These mini bundt cakes are super moist, with a little bit of tang from the cream cheese frosting, and a satisfying bite of chocolate inside.  You’re going to love them!

I got sidetracked while making these mini bundt cakes (aff. link) and didn’t get many pictures of the process, but here are a few key things to remember.

Chocolate Chips

One of the things that really sets these bundt cakes apart from the other recipes you’ll find is the addition of a few chocolate chips to the batter before baking.  That little bite of chocolate in each mini bundt really takes them to the next level!

Piping Frosting

Piping frosting on the top of a finished cupcake or bundt cake is so much easier than you’d imagine! Just fill a pastry bag (or a large ziplock bag with the corner cut off) and fit it with an open star piping tip (such as Wilton 8B).  Piping tips are widely available online and at most craft stores in the baking aisle.  At only a few dollars a piece, they’re a great investment!

And then finish each mini bundt with a dollop of cream cheese frosting and a few sprinkles.  So much easier than you’d imagine!

Enjoy!!

Mini Red Velvet Bundts with Cream Cheese Frosting

Mini Bundts:

1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons red liquid food dye (a little less than a 1 ounce bottle)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
3 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
Semi-sweet chocolate chips, to taste

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces full fat cream cheese, at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt

Directions

Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Place butter, oil, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Mix until smooth and combined (may take up to 5 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until thoroughly combined. Add red food dye, vanilla extract, and vinegar. Mix until combined.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Add to the red batter mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk, and ending with flour (flour, buttermilk, flour, buttermilk, flour – makes me dizzy!) Mix well in between each addition. Combine well after last flour addition, mixing up to 2 minutes if necessary to remove all lumps.

Spray mini bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray (I like to use Baker’s Joy, because it has added flour and will keep the cakes from sticking). Alternately, use a lined muffin tin. Fill the bundt pan, or cupcake tin, 3/4 of the way to the top with the batter. Sprinkle 4-5 chocolate chips on top and bake for 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the bundt or cupcake comes out clean. If baking cupcakes, you will probably need to add more time. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes and invert onto a wire rack to to finish cooling. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

Combine butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt in a large mixing bowl. Beat for about 5 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Start the mixer slowly (so the powdered sugar doesn’t fly out of the bowl), and gradually increase the speed. Add frosting to a large pastry bag, fitted with a star attachment. Alternately you can use a gallon sized ziplock bag, with the corner cut out, fitted with an open star piping tip.

When piping the dollop of frosting on top, it’s important to keep the tip straight and directly above the bundt (see picture above). It’s also important to keep the piping bag tightly twisted to avoid getting pockets of air mixed in with the frosting (see picture above).

Decorate with sprinkles and enjoy!