Copycat Nothing Bundt Red Velvet Cake is a red velvet cake with chocolate chips and a cream cheese frosting that tastes like the popular Nothing Bundt cake.
You might also like these chocolate mini Bundts cakes, decorated for Easter with Peeps on top! Or maybe you would like Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies - so quick and easy!
Summer is here! Well, not the season but the kids are out from school. Yay for them! I'm so happy they can relax and take some time off. I remember being SO excited for Summer when I was a child. It's so exciting. But now I'm a parent and it's a bit different. I love my kids so much and truly enjoy spending time with them, but Summer is HARD for blogging mommies. And also for work from home daddies.
It's very tricky trying to navigate a work from home situation when the kids are home from school! And summer camps are so expensive. I feel like I spend a lot of time trying to entertain the kids, coordinate play dates and basically just doing anything I can to keep them from staring at a computer screen or an iPhone all day long! It's the big challenge of parents today!
But you came here to find a recipe didn't you! Thanks for letting me get that out. It's not so bad, just needed a chance to complain a little. I'm very excited that I don't have to wake up at 6:30 am for a couple of months!
The Secret Ingredient
When all else fails, make Copycat Nothing Bundt Red Velvet Cake! Have you ever had a "Nothing Bundt" cake? They're super moist, delicious and of course, a Bundt shape. I had one for my birthday and I'm still thinking about it six months later! It's just that good but I figured I could make it myself. I started with this red velvet cake mix to make it easier. And my secret ingredient to make it moist is mayonnaise!
How to Make the Perfect Bundt
The key to a successful Bundt cake is to grease the pan REALLY WELL before pouring the batter in. I REPEAT, grease the pan REALLY WELL before pouring the batter in the pan. I used Crisco and the cake popped out very easily after it cooled. Isn't it pretty!
Then I whipped up my favorite cream cheese frosting which is the PERFECT icing for a red velvet cake!
You Need This to Frost the Cake!
I poured the frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a standard coupler like this one. It's the Ateco brand, available on Amazon.
Then I piped long, thick lines of frosting up and down over the cake and a large dollop in the middle in the style of the Nothing Bundt cakes.
And then the tasting.
This Copycat Nothing Bundt Red Velvet Cake is amazingly delicious! So good, y'all! It tastes so much like the store bought version, but it's much more economical! Nothing Bundt cakes are a bit expensive, so why not make one at home!
It was fun creating a copycat recipe. Are there any other copycat recipes you wish you had? Let me know in the comments and maybe I'll create it for you!
Copycat Nothing Bundt Red Velvet Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 box Red Velvet Cake Mix (Note - If you can't find a red velvet mix, use a white cake mix, plus 3 tablespoons cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons red food coloring)
- ¾ cup sour cream at room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
For the frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan. (I use Crisco and lots of it.) Set aside.
- Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix on low with an electric mixer until ingredients are combined, then turn up the speed to medium and beat for two minutes. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool.
For the frosting
- For the frosting, add the butter and cream cheese to a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium for 2 minutes. Turn the mixer down to low and gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Once combined, turn the mixer up to medium and beat for another two minutes. Pour frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a standard plastic coupler (I used Ateco brand). Pipe onto cooled cake. Serve immediately. Store covered in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Video
Nutrition
All text and images © Lise Ode for Mom Loves Baking. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be accurate. This post may contain affiliate links.
Uncle says
The real recipe is likely a mix that the bakers throw into a giant batch. It tastes like box mix. My opinion is the opposite. This recipe is more dense than the real thing. That is because the real thing likely has less expensive ingredients. They have to make a profit somewhere! NBC is light but it has a lot less flavor. It of course is produced on a mass scale versus the copycat with you being able to control what goes in at home. For me, I use bourbon vanilla, and other top quality ingredients. It comes out much much better. I tried them side by side and the copycat won every time in family blind taste tests!
Lise Ode says
Leah Rutberg: I love that you did a blind taste test with your family. That's so cool! Thank you for the detailed comment. And I'm glad you liked the recipe. Bourbon vanilla sounds amazing!
Leah Rutberg says
My personal opinion which is shared with the author of this page is that this is much BETTER than NBC. However, if your opinion differs and you like that one better, by all means omit the sour cream and mayonaise, make the cake per box instructions, and add sugar. Personally, I couldn't eat such a thing which is why I do not like box cake to begin with. Americans have weird flavor preferences, though... For why one's cake is not close to the one in the recipe... one of the variables is off. Are you measuring exact using proper measuring cups? What about temp on your oven? Are you watching the cake and testing it with a toothpick for doneness periodically? What is different about your cake than the one in the photo? Again, this recipe turns out a more moist, flavorful, and dense cake that is better than NBC... if you are comparing the two side by side, you will likely agree.
Archana says
Any idea why my Bundt
Cake is no
Way close to yours?
Melanir says
I just made this cake and have to say I’m disappointed. The cake tastes like it needs more sugar. It did not taste anything like nothin Bundt cake. Had any other comments about the sweetness?
Leah A Rutberg says
Extract is used in the video, but could use either. Half the amount of powder due to being more potent.
Leia says
Planning to bake this tomorrow. For frosting you indicate “vanilla”, do you mean vanilla extract or vanilla powder or would either one work? Thanks!
Lou says
I want to make this in mini loaf pans. Does anyone k ow how many it would make and if temp should be adjusted?
Archana says
Anyone tried making this cake as a layered cake in 8” pan? I assume batter has to be poured equal amount in 2 pans n baked for probably 25-35 mins? Hope someone could help
Lise Ode says
I've never tried it in two layers but I think what you said sounds about right. 8-inch layers usually take about 25-30 minutes to bake or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let us know if you try it and post a photo to Instagram with the tag #momlovesbaking :-))
Nora says
How do I keep the chocolate chips from melting? In the NBCakes the chips are not as soft. I would like mine to stay a little hard as well. Do I freeze them before mixing in the batter??
Lise Ode says
What kind of chocolate chips are you using? I used Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips and did not have a problem.
Nora says
I am going to use Nestle. Let’s see how that goes. Thank you.
TaiChi Mom says
My son asked for a red velvet nothing Bundt cake for his bday but said I had to make it, so I did thanks to you! He was thrilled! Said it was better than the original!
Bushra Khan says
I have been searching for a recipe like this. My question is that, I have betty crockers super moist red velvet cake mix and was wondering if that would work for this recipe. Would I still need the mayo?
Leah A Rutberg says
I used the "super moist" cake from Betty Crocker as well. I still included the Mayo and as such I don't know where you would get liquid from other than the eggs and oil. The Mayo is what makes it moist and gives it flavor and substance, elevating it from regular box cake (absolutely disgusting) to one that can hold it's own to real scratch cakes. Follow the recipe and you won't be disappointed.
Leah A Rutberg says
Tasted side by side with the real thing and found it to be far superior. Color was darker and subsequent flavor (cocoa) was deeper and more satisfying. The "real thing" tasted more like traditional vanilla birthday cake dyed red. I had trouble with the frosting being too runny and I have never had that issue before with a frosting. I softened the cream cheese (maybe because I didn't use the square and I used the tub version?) I happened to have extra on hand so used that but in the future, Ill use the square again. Found it odd to add chocolate chips but it adds a nice touch. Not unlike the chocolate chip NBC copycat recipe. I would do dark chips instead but the semi-sweet works just fine. The balance between the somewhat bitter chocolate and sweet cake went well together with the sweet and sour icing. I also made the mistake of making this in a non-stick pan and ended up with a bit of a brown exterior. Didn't affect taste but takes away from presentation a bit. I gave it a 5 for flavor because you really can't get that much better than this with real scratch cake. Time to flavor ratio is spot on. This "semi-homemade" cake is far superior to anything at Nothing Bundt Cakes, and a lot cheaper using thinks you mostly already have in your refrigerator, like mayo.
Lise Ode says
Hi Leah, Thank you so much for giving me your thoughts on my Copycat Nothing Bundt Red Velvet Cake. I love that you did a side by side taste test. I never actually did that myself and so happy that you loved this cake! Thank you again for all the details you added to your comments. Happy Baking! xo, Lise
Leah A Rutberg says
You're welcome! I like the addition of chocolate chips, also! I have to cook a lot for my parents who have aged and can't go out to eat. I have made one nearly weekly. My Dad gives 2 thumbs up (over 75). Yesterday, I had some sitting out and the cat accidentally got into the frosting but he ate a whole bunch and loved it. So you have 5 stars from the feline species, too!
Lise Ode says
Haha! My cat loves frosting too. So glad your dad gives it 2 thumbs up! 🙂
Jackie Burton says
Made this several times . Love this recipe
Lynne says
Hi Lise, yes it is a great version and my guests loved it. When I go to make another one I’ll post what I came up with.
Thanks
Lynne says
Replying to my own question. If anyone had the same issue as I did with the cake being light and fluffy instead of a more dense cake like Nothing Bundt, here is how you do it:
(There are several ways to modify a boxed cake mix to make it more dense. You can try any of the following: adding a 1 oz. package of pudding (any flavor that complements the cake’s flavor profile), adding 1-2 egg yolks (along with the eggs called for on the box), or substituting milk for the water called for on the box.)
Lise Ode says
Sounds like these are all good ideas. I created this recipe as a way to make a less expensive version of the Nothing Bundt cake so it is not exactly identical to the original but my family (and especially my children) loved it. Let us know if you try these added ingredients and if you get a denser cake. Thank you for your comments.
Lynne says
Had fun making this cake. The icing tasted just like Nothing Bundt. The cake came out good and tasted great but it seems that Nothing Bundt is a more dense cake, this cake came out light and fluffy. How or what can be done to make the cake more dense? Any suggestions?