Copycat Nothing Bundt Red Velvet Cake

Red velvet cake with chocolate chips and a cream cheese frosting that tastes like the popular Nothing Bundt cake. 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!

INGREDIENTS

For the cake

• 1 box Red Velvet Cake Mix*
• 3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the frosting

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• *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

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a Bundt pan. (I use Crisco and lots of it.) Set aside.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Please Visit Copycat Nothing Bundt Red Velvet Cake for full instructions.

Rum Cake with Butter Rum Glaze

An easy homemade recipe for moist and delicious Rum Cake with topped with Butter Rum Glaze perfect for any occasion!

Holiday Thyme is filled with recipes like these.  Need dinner ideas?  Try my Maple-Glazed Pork Tenderloin or even an easy recipe for Sicilian Chicken that you can also find in this book and also great for any holiday dinner parties you may be hosting.  And you don’t want to miss my recipe for homemade Eggnog, or one of my favorites Processo and Cranberry Mojitos, great for ringing in the New Year.

In the meantime lets enjoy the Holiday Thyme and a warm piece of Rum Cake!

INGREDIENTS

• Non-stick cooking spray
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3.4 ounce box instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1½ cups sugar
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup light rum
• Butter Rum Glaze
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup light rum
• ¼ cup water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously spray a standard 10-inch bundt pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle walnuts evenly on the bottom of bundt pan and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl stir together flour, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.

3. Using an electric mixer cream butter and sugar. Stir in vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract and rum.

4. Gradually add in flour mixture to wet ingredients until blended. Pour batter into bundt pan on top of nuts.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes until cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely before inverting.

6. Please Visit Rum Cake with Butter Rum Glaze for full instructions.

Almond Amaretto Bundt Cake

This Almond Amaretto Bundt Cake is soft, moist and full of delicious almond flavor! It’s easy to put together and hard to resist!

I’m a big fan of the icing on this cake too. Unlike a standard glaze that kind of soaks into a cake and disappears, this icing stays in place and looks beautiful for days. It’s cooked on the stove for a few minutes, then thickened with powdered sugar and drizzled over the cake. So good! I’ve used corn syrup in place of the honey in other versions of this icing, but since not everyone loves or has access to corn syrup, the honey is a nice replacement. You could use either though.

I hope you enjoy this cake as much as we did. The flavor is on point!

INGREDIENTS

AMARETTO CAKE

• 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups (310g) sugar
• 3/4 cup (173g) sour cream
• 2 tsp almond extract
• 4 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups (325g) all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup (180ml) milk
• 1/4 cup (60ml) amaretto

ALMOND ICING

• 2 tbsp (28g) salted butter
• 1/3 cup (69g) sugar
• 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 2 tsp honey
• 3/4 cup (86g) powdered sugar, sifted
• Sliced almonds, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare a 10-14 cup bundt pan with non-stick baking spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.

3. Add sour cream and almond extract and mix until well combined.

4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until just combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.

5. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then combine the milk and amaretto in a small measuring cup.

6. Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until well combined. Add the amaretto mixture and mix until well combined. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.

7. Please Visit Almond Amaretto Bundt Cake for full instructions.

Malted Chocolate Cake with Toasted Marshmallow Filling

If you only have the chance once in your life to eat chocolate cake, let it be this Malted Chocolate Cake with Toasted Marshmallow Filling.  You’ll die happy and complete, I promise.

If you wanted to make a 4 layer cake instead, you could easily do so with the cake mix by using 8″ cake pans and cut your layers in half.  But again…………simple was my goal here. Since my cake was smaller, I only made half the Malted Chocolate Frosting that Rosie and Michelle made for six layers – so keep that in mind if you choose to make 4-6 layers.

INGREDIENTS

Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake

• 1 box mix Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup of water

Malted Chocolate Frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup Ovaltine Classic
• 1/2 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• pinch of salt
• 4 ounces dark chocolate, melted and cooled (I used Ghirardelli )
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Toasted Marshmallow Cream Filling

• 16 large marshmallows
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 (7.5 ounce) jar Marshmallow Fluff

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the Cake

1. Position rack in middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter two 9x2-inch round cake pans and line each with a parchment round. Butter the parchment, then dust pans with flour, be sure to pat out excess flour.

2. Melt the butter in the microwave.

3. Add cake mix, eggs and water to the butter in large mixing bowl.

4. Mix on low for 1 min. Then mix on medium high for 1 min.

5. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.

6. Bake for 25-29 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Cool on racks for 10 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the racks, remove the parchment, and cool completely.

Make Toasted Marshmallow Cream

1. Set oven to broil, and position rack in the lowest part of oven.

2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray. Place marshmallows in the center of the baking sheet and broil in oven, watch until golden brown and melty (about 2 minutes).

3. Please Visit Malted Chocolate Cake with Toasted Marshmallow Filling for full instructions.

Easy Strawberry Jello Cake

This Strawberry Jello Cake has to be one of our all-time favorite desserts made with yellow cake, strawberry mousse and a beautiful mirror glaze. It’s perfect for holidays like Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, birthdays or a party!

It’s best to pour the jello glaze over the back of a spoon, which helps it to dribble and avoid penetrating your filling. It’s fine to dribble onto the strawberries as well as the filling…

Once the mirror glaze is on, carefully place the entire dish into the fridge to chill for one more hour. Then you’re ready to serve! You can make this cake up to two days in advance, as it keeps nicely in the fridge covered in plastic wrap.

INGREDIENTS

Cake

• 1/2 15-oz box yellow cake mix or white cake mix, see note
• half of ingredients on cake mix box eggs, oil, water etc

Strawberry Mousse

• 6 oz strawberry jello powder two small boxes
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup cold water
• 3 cups whipped cream or cool whip, see note

Mirror Glaze

• 10 fresh strawberries halved
• 3 oz strawberry jello powder
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup cold water

INSTRUCTIONS

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom of a 13x9 inch glass baking dish and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, prepare the cake batter according to the instructions on the box. [If you prefer a homemade version, see note below]

3. Pour cake batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and puffy.

4. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the strawberry mousse.

Strawberry Mousse

1. In a medium bowl, add 6 oz strawberry jello and 2 cups of boiling water. Stir slowly for one minute to dissolve.

2. Stir in 1 cup of cold water and set aside to cool for about 30 minutes, or until it can coat a spoon.

3. Add the whipped cream/topping to the jello and mix until smooth. Don't worry if the texture is runny, as it will firm up while setting.

4. Please Visit Easy Strawberry Jello Cake for full instructions.

Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Frosting

This chocolate cake with raspberry frosting is perfect for Valentine’s Day. The chocolate cake is fudgy and super moist with a rich chocolate flavor, then the fresh raspberry frosting is pretty in pink! 

It’s fudgy, it’s super chocolate-y and it’s the absolute best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. Then the raspberry frosting really sets it over the top. So if you’re looking for a perfect Valentine’s Day cake, this chocolate cake with raspberry frosting is for you!

INGREDIENTS

For the Chocolate Cake

• 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder , dutch process preferred
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk , room temperature
• 1 cup very hot coffee , or boiling water

For the Raspberry Buttercream

• 2 cups fresh raspberries
• 1 cup unsalted butter , softened to room temperature
• 3 and 1/2 to 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons whipping cream

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan and set aside.

2. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate large bowl using a stand or hand-held electric mixer, beat together the oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla on medium speed until combined. Turn the mixer down to low speed and beat in the buttermilk, followed by the flour mixture. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Then with the mixer on low speed carefully beat in the hot coffee (or boiling water).

3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for about 30-35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool fully before frosting.

4. Please Visit Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Frosting for full instructions.

Almond Joy Layer Cake

This Almond Joy Layer Cake is made with layers of moist chocolate cake, a delicious flakey coconut filling, almond slivers, coconut frosting and chocolate ganache! It’s the perfect cake for celebrating today’s occasions!

The whole cake is frosted with a coconut frosting, then covered with chocolate ganache. I often get questions about my frostings and the use of butter/shortening and the amounts of powdered sugar. If you find yourself wanting more information about those things, I wrote this post on frosting consistency that gives some guidance. My frosting is much like a standard decorating buttercream because I like to be able to decorate my cakes. If that’s not your thing, feel free to adjust.

The final cake is totally intoxicating! Every time I opened the container I stored it in, I could smell all the chocolate and coconut. Yum!! The moist chocolate cake, with the chewy coconut and light crunch of the almond slivers is perfection! Almond Joy in cake form and so perfect for a celebration like today!

INGREDIENTS

CHOCOLATE CAKE

• 1 3/4 cups (228g) all purpose flour
• 2 cups (414g) sugar
• 3/4 cup (85g) cocoa
• 2 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup (240ml) milk
• 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup (240ml) hot water

COCONUT FILLING

• 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 cups (280g) sweetened shredded coconut
• 2-4 tbsp sliced almonds

COCONUT FROSTING

• 1 1/4 cup (280g) butter
• 1 1/4 cups (237g) shortening
• 10 cups (1150g) powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp coconut extract
• 5-6 tbsp (90-105ml) water or milk

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

• 6 oz (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream
• Almond Joy candy bars, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare three 8 inch cake pans with non-stick baking spray and parchment paper in the bottom.

2. Add the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt to a large mixer bowl and combine. Set aside.

3. Add the milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and eggs to a medium sized bowl and combine.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat until well combined.

5. Slowly add the hot water to the batter and mix on low speed until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined.

6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

7. Please Visit Almond Joy Layer Cake for full instructions.