Red Velvet Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

This red velvet Bundt is the best kind of “improved box cake” — ultra-moist, tender, and reliable, with a creamy cheesecake-style ribbon baked right through the center and a tangy cream cheese drizzle on top. It’s the kind of dessert that feels a little special without asking for anything fancy: mix, layer, bake, and watch it disappear.

Ingredients

Cream Cheese Filling

• 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 4 tbsp butter, softened
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Cake

• 1 pkg red velvet cake mix
• 1 pkg instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup oil
• ½ tsp table salt

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup butter, softened
• 1½ cups powdered sugar
• 1–2 tsp vanilla extract
• ⅛ tsp table salt

Directions

Prepare the Pan

Heat oven to 350°F. Generously grease a Bundt pan (and lightly flour it if you like extra insurance).

Make the Cream Cheese Filling

In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat cream cheese, butter, and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Add egg yolk, flour, and vanilla; beat just until smooth. Set aside.

Mix the Cake Batter

In a large bowl, whisk together sour cream, eggs, water, oil, and table salt until smooth.

Add cake mix and pudding mix. Beat just until fully combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Do not overmix.

Layer the Batter and Filling

Pour about half of the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan.

Spoon the cream cheese filling evenly over the batter, keeping about a ¾-inch border from the edges so the filling stays fully enclosed.

Pour the remaining cake batter over the top and gently smooth.

Bake

Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 335–340°F and continue baking 35–45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake portion (not the filling) comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then invert onto a rack to cool completely.

Make the Frosting and Finish

Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar, vanilla, and table salt until creamy.

Drizzle over the cooled cake.

Notes

Preparation

For the cleanest “ribbon,” test doneness by inserting a toothpick into the cake part, not the cream cheese layer.

• Altitude Adjustments: At high altitude (~4,750 ft / 1,400 m), the 350°F → 335–340°F two-stage bake helps the cake set evenly with fewer cracks and less sinking. At sea level, you can typically bake at 350°F for about 50–60 minutes.

Serving Suggestions

Serve at room temperature for the softest crumb and best flavor, or chill briefly for a firmer, more cheesecake-like ribbon.

Variations

Add 1 tsp espresso powder to the cake batter for a slightly deeper chocolate note without making it taste like coffee.

Make-Ahead & Storage

Store covered in the refrigerator.

• Refrigerate up to 5 days.
• For longer storage, freeze (unglazed is easiest) for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator and glaze before serving.