Red Velvet Pound Cake

Name: Red Velvet Pound Cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 3 tbsp Cocoa Powder; 1/2 tsp Espresso Powder; 3 tbsp Hot Water; 3 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour; 1 tsp Kosher Salt; 1/4 tsp Baking Soda; 1 1/2 cups Salted Butter ((room temperature)); 8 oz Cream Cheese ((room temperature)); 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil; 2 2/3 cups Sugar; 6 Large Eggs ((room temperature)); 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract; 2 tsp Butter Vanilla Emulsion ((or butter extract)); 2 tsps Vinegar; 2 tbsps Red Gel Food Coloring; 1/2 cup Buttermilk ((room temperature)); 3 tbsp Sour Cream ((room temperature)); 4 oz Cream Cheese ((room temperature)); 3 tbsp Butter ((melted)); 2 cups Powdered Sugar; 1 tsp Vanilla Extract; 3-4 tbsps Buttermilk ((add more for a thinner consistency))

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This red velvet pound cake recipe is a moist and buttery cake that’s so tender it will melt in your mouth! It merges the rich flavor of cocoa powder with the smoothness of vanilla and a little bit of tang from buttermilk.

red velvet pound cake on a cake plate with a cream cheese glaze on top.

This red velvet pound cake is rich and velvety with a tender crumb. It has just enough cocoa to give you that classic red velvet flavor without tipping into chocolate cake territory, plus a subtle tang from buttermilk, sour cream, and vinegar that keeps every bite balanced and moist.

The buttermilk cream cheese frosting on top adds extra richness, making the texture plush and smooth instead of dry or crumbly. It’s the kind of cake that looks stunning sliced, with that deep red color and a tight crumb that screams “eat me”!

This is a red velvet pound cake recipe you’ll come back to again and again.

If you love red velvet cake recipes, you’ll have to try out this Red Velvet Sheet Cake and Black Velvet Cake too!

Substitutions
How To Make Red Velvet Pound Cake
Pro Baking Tips
Recipe FAQs
More Pound Cake Recipes

Key Ingredients

ingredients to make red velvet cake on a baking sheet - vegetable oil, butter, eggs, cocoa powder, sugar, brown sugar, flour, applesauce, sour cream, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and red gel food coloring.

(full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)

Buttermilk adds moisture and tang, giving red velvet its signature flavor. Its acidity also reacts with baking soda to help the cake rise gently while keeping the crumb soft and tender. Make my vanilla buttermilk pound cake next with leftover buttermilk!
Salted Butter provides rich flavor, structure, and moisture. The butter’s fat helps create that classic dense yet plush pound cake texture.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder gives red velvet its subtle chocolate flavor without overpowering the cake. Using unsweetened cocoa keeps the flavor balanced and allows the red color to stay vibrant instead of turning brown.
Sour Cream adds fat and acidity, which keeps the cake moist and tender. It also helps prevent dryness and creates a finer, tighter crumb—key for a great pound cake.
Vinegar enhances the red velvet flavor and color while activating baking soda for light lift. You won’t taste it, but it plays a crucial role in balance and texture.
Cream Cheese adds richness, moisture, and a slight tang, making the pound cake extra dense and velvety. It also stabilizes the batter, helping prevent sinking and giving the cake a smooth, even crumb.

Substitutions

If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own homemade buttermilk with 1 cup of whole milk and 1 tbsp of lemon juice and vinegar.
Espresso powder is optional, but highly recommended. If you don’t have any, you can just use how coffee instead.
You can use dutch process cocoa powder, but unsweetened cocoa powder will give you that true red velvet flavor as it has more bitter, tangy notes.

How To Make Red Velvet Pound Cake

hot water, cocoa powder, and espresso powder whisked together in a bowl.

Step 1: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine cocoa powder, hot water, and espresso powder. Whisk together until combined (it’ll form a paste-like texture).

dry ingredients whisked together in a bowl.

Step 2: In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients – all purpose flour, baking soda, and kosher salt. Give it a good whisk and set aside.

butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vegetable oil creamed together in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.

Step 3: Make the cake batter. Start by creaming together room temperature butter, cream cheese, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Mix for about 6-7 minutes, until fluffy and lightened in color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and begin adding eggs, one at a time while continuing to mix the cake batter.

red gel food coloring, sour cream, buttermilk, vinegar, butter vanilla emulsion, and vanilla extract whisked together in a bowl.

Step 4: To the bowl with the hot water and cocoa powder, whisk in vanilla extract, butter vanilla emulsion (or butter extract), vinegar, food coloring, buttermilk, and sour cream. Whisk together.

red velvet pound cake batter in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Step 5: Add the half flour mixture into the batter and mix until just combined, about 20 seconds. Then pour in the cocoa mixture, and mix until just combined, about 30 seconds. Add the remainder of the dry ingredients and mix until smooth, about 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that everything is fully incorporated.

Step 6: Spray a 12-cup bundt cake pan with nonstick baking spray (I used Baker’s Joy). Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 15-25 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Allow the cake to cool in the bundt pan for 10 minutes, then turn over onto a wire rack / cooling rack. Let the cake cool completely.

cream cheese glaze in a bowl with a whisk.

Step 7: Make the cream cheese glaze. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to mix together room temperature cream cheese and butter. Mix for for about 30-45 seconds, until smooth, then add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk. Continue to mix until smooth. Add more milk if you’d like a thinner texture.

red velvet pound cake on a serving tray cut into slices.

Step 8: Drizzle all over the cake once the cake has cooled completely.

Pro Baking Tips

Use gel food coloring instead of liquid. Gel coloring delivers a vibrant red velvet color without thinning the batter or throwing off moisture balance. It also doesn’t have that weird after taste! I recommend using this red gel food coloring.
Scrape the bowl often! Butter and sugar love to hide at the bottom, scraping ensures an evenly mixed batter and consistent texture throughout the cake.
Use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients. Too much flour is a common cause of dry pound cake, especially recipes with cocoa powder (cocoa powder can dry out a cake like none other). A kitchen scale keeps things precise and consistent every time.
Cool in the pan briefly, then remove. Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes before turning it out. Too soon and it breaks; too late and it sticks to the bundt pan.

Recipe FAQs

What makes a red velvet pound cake different from chocolate cake?

Red velvet pound cake has a mild cocoa flavor, not a full chocolate taste. It’s softer, richer, and more buttery, with a subtle tang from ingredients like buttermilk, sour cream, or vinegar that balance the sweetness and deepen the color.

Do I have to use red food coloring?

No, but it helps achieve that classic red velvet look. You can reduce the amount for a deeper burgundy tone or use gel food coloring for more vibrant color with less liquid added to the batter.

Why does red velvet cake need vinegar?

Vinegar reacts with baking soda to help the cake rise gently while also enhancing the cocoa flavor. Don’t worry, you won’t taste it once the cake is baked.

How should I store red velvet pound cake?

Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Bring to room temp before serving for the best texture.

Can I freeze red velvet pound cake?

Yes! Wrap slices or the whole cake tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

More Pound Cake Recipes

Desserts

5 from 16 votes (7 ratings without comment)

16 Comments

Mary sample says:

February 10, 2024 at 4:44 pm

Can’t wait to try, can I freeze for a few days ?

1. Britney Chamberlain says:
  
  February 12, 2024 at 1:21 pm
  
  Yes, you can absolutely freeze for a few a days! Just make sure it’s in an airtight container.