1-Step 1: Prepare Your Oven and Pan Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature allows the cake to bake evenly without overbrowning. While the oven heats, generously spray your 10-cup Bundt pan with baking spray that contains flour. This step is absolutely crucial for a clean release later, so don’t skimp on the spray. Make sure you coat every nook and cranny of the decorative pan, including the center tube.

2-Step 2: Create the Cream Cheese Filling In a medium bowl, combine 12 ounces of room temperature cream cheese, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons of buttermilk. Using an electric mixer, beat these ingredients together until completely smooth and creamy, which should take about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through to ensure there are no lumps. Add 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture. Beat again just until combined. The filling should be smooth and spreadable, similar in consistency to thick cake batter. Set this aside while you prepare the cake batter.

3-Step 3: Mix the Dry Ingredients for the Cake In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Whisking these together ensures the leavening and cocoa are evenly distributed throughout the flour, which prevents pockets of baking soda or cocoa in your finished cake.

4-Step 4: Prepare the Wet Ingredients In a separate large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer), combine the wet ingredients: 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil, 1 cup buttermilk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, and 2 large eggs. Whisk or beat these together until well combined and slightly frothy, about 1 minute. Now for the signature red velvet touch: add 3 tablespoons of red liquid food coloring to the wet mixture. Stir thoroughly until the color is uniform and vibrant. The mixture will have a deep red hue that will bake into that classic red velvet appearance.

5-Step 5: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed or stirring by hand just until no flour streaks remain. Be careful not to overmix, as this can develop the gluten in the flour and result in a tough, dense cake. The batter should be smooth, thick, and that beautiful signature red color.

6-Step 6: Assemble the Cake with the Cream Cheese Swirl Pour about 3 cups of the red velvet batter evenly into your prepared Bundt pan. Use a spatula to spread it into an even layer, making sure it reaches all the edges and the center tube. Now comes the fun part: spoon the cream cheese filling over the batter. Spread it gently, leaving about a 1/2-inch border along the edges and center tube. This border is important because it ensures the filling stays in a distinct swirl rather than leaking out to the edges of the pan. Top with the remaining cake batter, spreading it carefully to cover the cream cheese layer completely. Smooth the top of the batter with your spatula, then gently tap the pan on the counter 2-3 times to release any trapped air bubbles that could create holes in your finished cake.

7-Step 7: Bake and Cool the Cake Place the Bundt pan in your preheated 350°F oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Start checking at the 1-hour mark by inserting a wooden pick or toothpick near the center of the cake. It should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. Once baked, let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for exactly 30 minutes. This timing is important: too short, and the cake may break when inverted; too long, and moisture can build up and make the cake soggy. After 30 minutes, place a serving plate over the pan, hold both firmly together, and flip to invert the cake onto the plate. Lift the pan away carefully. Allow the cake to cool completely for at least 2 hours before glazing. If you try to glaze a warm cake, the glaze will melt and run right off instead of setting nicely on top.

8-Step 8: Make and Apply the Glaze In a small bowl, whisk together 2 ounces of softened cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup buttermilk, 1 tablespoon melted salted butter, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract until completely smooth. The glaze should be thick but pourable. If it seems too thick, add more buttermilk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. Place your cooled cake on a serving plate and drizzle the glaze over the top, letting it run down the sides naturally. If desired, decorate with pink and white sprinkles while the glaze is still wet. Let the glaze set for about 20 minutes before slicing and serving your beautiful Red Velvet Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Swirl.