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Fall in love with this perfectly moist red velvet pound cake with a cream cheese glaze! With its signature red color and the subtle chocolate flavor, this pound cake is easy to make and irresistibly delicious!
If you love the flavor of red velvet then you’re going to love me! I have so many red velvet desserts that I can’t wait for you to try. My favorites are red velvet brownies, these delicious cupcakes, and this red velvet cheesecake is to die for!
Red Velvet Pound Cake
Talk about a rich and decadent cake, this red velvet pound cake is the perfect treat! The boxed cake mix makes this recipe extremely easy, and the pudding powder is the secret weapon. The pudding mix gives it an added lift and results in a super sweet and moist cake. There’s a reason they call it red velvet because of its vibrant red color and velvety texture. Everyone knows a pound cake is rich in flavor and dense in texture. And this red velvet pound cake is all of that and MORE! One bite into this indulgent cake with the cream cheese glaze on top, and you’ll be in heaven.
This red velvet pound cake is going to become your favorite pound cake recipe. Especially for holidays and special occasions. For more holiday-inspired desserts try these sugar cookie bars or these darling cookies. They are sure to be a hit at your next big event because they are SO tasty!
Ingredients for Red Velvet Pound Cake
This red velvet pound cake recipe uses a boxed cake mix and that’s the best part. It makes the recipe super easy! And you’ll love the cream cheese glaze that takes this cake over the top. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.
Pound Cake
- Eggs: 4 large eggs create a moist, dense cake.
- Red Velvet Cake Mix: Use your favorite boxed red velvet cake mix.
- Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix: You can usually find this with the other pudding mixes, make sure it’s instant. You only need the powdered pudding mix!
- Vanilla: Adds a sweet flavor!
- Milk: Liquid to help dissolve the cake and pudding mixes.
- Oil: This makes the cake super moist!
Cream Cheese Glaze
- Cream Cheese: Always use softened cream cheese because you don’t want a lumpy glaze!
- Salted Butter: Use room temperature butter so that it creams well.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds sweetness and flavor to the glaze.
- Powdered Sugar: Helps to thicken, add sweetness, and gives a little structure to the glaze.
Red Velvet Pound Cake Recipe
When you don’t have time to make a layered red velvet cake but you still want cake, then make this recipe! Make your cake batter, pour it into the loaf pans, top with glaze after it bakes, and you’re done. Doesn’t get any easier than that!
Pound Cake
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare 2 9×5-inch bread pans by spraying with non-stick cooking spray. Lightly dust the pans with flour or line with parchment paper by leaving a 1-inch overhang on either side.
- Mix: In a large bowl, lightly whisk the eggs until combined. Add in the remaining cake ingredients and mix until just combined, but be careful not to over-mix.
- Pour: Divide the batter evenly and pour them into the prepared pans.
- Bake: Bake for 60-90 minutes (wide variance depends on altitude differences and oven differences). Bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. I started with 45 minutes then checked the loaves every 15 minutes.
- Cool: Remove from the oven and allow the loaves to cool completely before removing them from the pans.
Cream Cheese Glaze
- Mix the Glaze: Beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar until combined.
- Warm and Drizzle Glaze: Gently warm the glaze in the microwave in 10-second increments or until it is liquid enough to pour. Drizzle or pour over the top of the cooled loaves then spread with a knife.
Tips and Variations
This pound cake is dense and rich and oh so perfectly sweet! Follow my tips below for making the best red velvet pound cake.
- Pan Size: This can be made in a bundt pan, a 13×9 pan, or made into cupcakes if you desire. Make sure to grease the pan you use extremely well!
- Add Chocolate Chips: If you really want to level up the chocolate flavor then add chocolate chips. They may sink if you don’t coat them in the dry ingredients first so they don’t sink. Adding chocolate chips reminds me of Nothing Bundt Cakes…SO good!
- Be Patient: Baking pound cake can take some time! Depending on what size pan you use, it can take up to 90 minutes for the pound cake to finish baking. Don’t undertake or overbake the cake! Use the toothpick test!
- Cool Before Removing: Allow the cake to cool in the pans before removing because attempting too soon will cause the cake to fall apart.
Storing Leftovers
Like most desserts, this pound cake is best eaten fresh! This red velvet pound cake is always a favorite at our house. If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, here is how to store them.
- In the Refrigerator: Store leftover red velvet pound cake in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- In the Freezer: This is a great cake to freeze! Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then again in foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let it come to room temperature on the counter before eating.
More Pound Cakes To Love
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Red Velvet Pound Cake
Ingredients
Pound Cake
- 4 large eggs
- 1 box red velvet cake mix
- 1 (3.4-ounce box) instant chocolate pudding mix, dry
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Pound Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare 2 9×5-inch bread pans by spraying with non-stick cooking spray. Lightly dust the pans with flour or line with parchment paper by leaving a 1-inch overhang on either side.
- In a large bowl, lightly whisk 4 large eggs until combined. Add in 1 box red velvet cake mix, 1 (3.4-ounce box) instant chocolate pudding mix, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 ½ cup milk, and ½ cup vegetable oil and mix until just combined, being careful not to over-mix.
- Divide the batter evenly and pour them into the prepared pans.
- Bake for 60-90 minutes (wide variance depends on altitude differences and oven differences) or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. I started with 45 minutes and then checked the loaves every 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow the loaves to cool completely before removing them from the pans.
Cream Cheese Glaze
- Beat 2 ounces cream cheese, 2 tablespoons salted butter, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, and ½ cup powdered sugar until combined.
- Gently warm the glaze in the microwave in 10-second increments until it is liquid enough to pour. Drizzle or pour over the top of the cooled loaves.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thank you for all of the recipes that you share. Can I substitute melted butter to replace the cooking oil? Thank you!
Hi David! You can use melted butter instead of oil! The cake will be a bit drier and more dense. Oil is used in this recipe because it lends a more tender crumb and gives more moisture than butter. Let me know how it turns out!
Hi, Just a quick question. I have the BC cake mix with pudding already in the mix. Do I still add the package of pudding mix?
Looking forward making the bread, one for us, one for a gift.
Thank you,
Edie
Hello!! I would probably still keep the pudding even if the cake mix has pudding it already. I haven’t tested it with one of those cake mixes so it’s possible it would turn out alright without the pudding but I would err on the safe side and treat the cake mix like any other cake mix.
can i use one 9 X 13 pan….baking temp & time please…
Can’t wait to make. Is the instant pudding 4.3 oz or 3.4? I also found 3.3 ounces.
The 3.3 ounce will work great and even adding another half of a bag. The 4.3 ounce is a larger pudding mix.
I live at 7000 feet what changes should I make?
This turned out perfect-so moist. Used vanilla pudding. Took this to work-everyone loved it!!!
That is so great to hear! I love using vanilla pudding in my cakes! Thank you for sharing! Xo
Your Recipe Critic,
Alyssa
I don’t have small loaf pans. Could I make it in a bundt cake pan?
I made this cake today–very good and easy. I used 9×5 pans and baked for 65 min.
So glad to hear!
I love cake mix recipes. I’m a huge fan of the cake mix doctor. This red velvet pound cake looks divine, and red velvet is my daughter’s favorite. I already added the ingredients to my shopping list. I will be making this for her this weekend.
oh yummy!
This recipe looks sooooo good! I’m confused, though, at the size of the pan to be used. Is a regular bread pan 9×5 or 8×4? I’m not sure even the industry has standardized this pan. What was your intention?
They are generally these two sizes. Google standard bread size pan and this is what will come up. With this cake (or any other for that matter) you really need to watch and keep checking I would say after 40 minutes for this recipe. Use the standard tooth pick in the center, it should be relatively clean when pulled out. My oven runs hotter than most and took 50 minutes to be done. Also the bigger the bread pan, the shorter the height and will also shorten bake time. Baking is precise, use exact measurements, exact ingredients, exact pan size or close to same size for exact taste. The better quality the ingredients, the better tasting the recipe. I will never understand why some use substitutions and rate the recipe as bad. Don’t rate if you didn’t follow exactly or just comment with out rating if you substituted other ingredients. Just my opinion.
I loved this moist delicious cake. I cut it in cubes and followed a Food Lion recipe for Summer Berry Trifle using chunks of strawberries and blueberries and cool whip mixed with 1 1/2 cups milk and cheesecake pudding rotating each. This is for one loaf if you use both (like I did) use 2 cool whips (8oz each) and 2 instant cheese cake pudding and 3 cups milk. It was the best thing I have tasted for a long time (dessert wise!)
I forgot quantities on berries . For double recipe I use 2-16 oz containers of fresh strawberries (cut in to bite size pieces) and 2 small containers of fresh blueberries (check for stems.)
This is great for any Memorial, 4th of July or Labor Day because it is red white and blue! I put cake cubes first (one loaf) ,
cool whip and pudding mixture (make 2 boxes with 3 cups milk and add 2 containers of cool whip stirred in) use half of this
then half the berries
then repeat with other loaf, cool whip mixture and finish with other half of berries!
Make sure you let the “Red Velvet Pound Cake” from above cool before cutting in to cubes. I use a bread knife and slice in half length ways first, then (leaving intact) cut
on top about one inch apart one way, the same the other way.
You will not believe how good this is and pretty easy to make!