Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake - made December 1, 2013 from Macaroni and Cheesecake

I made this cake on the first day of December so it seems fitting that I also include a snapshot of my tree this year.  For most years, I would call it "one of my trees" since I usually put up multiple trees throughout my house.  Yeah, I'm a little bit over the top, obsessive, fanatical of a Christmas freak.  Last year I put up 4 full-size trees, multiple counts of smaller trees, wreaths, garland, decorations on every conceivable flat surface of my house, stairwells, doorways, and pretty much anything that didn't move.  But it's a huge 4-6 week effort to put all that up so I tend to do Christmas threw up all over my house type of decorating only every other year.  2013 is the scaled down version, hence only 1 tree.  And, being me, it had to be a food tree.

And, it being now December, what better cake to mark the last month of the year than red velvet?  First, I always give an honest assessment of the food I make. My scale of "wouldn't make again" to "it's okay" to "wow, couldn't get enough of this" might be different than most people's but I tell it like it is.  Even when I classify something as just "okay" but my friends roll their eyes at me and think I'm too picky because to them it's more than okay (hey, all of our taste buds are different). The advantage of being "too picky" though is when I really do like something, you know it has to be good.  At least to me.

Second, get that bundt pan ready because this is one of those recipes. The pictures don't do it justice but it's good.  I mean seriously good.  I love most things red velvet anyway but not all red velvet baked goods are created equal.  Some are no more than red-colored edibles that have no flavor while others are not just chocolate but they really are red velvet. If you've ever had good red velvet, you know what I'm trying to say.  If you haven't, make this cake.

Even better, it's just in time for Christmas so it fits right in with the holidays.  Make it in a bundt pan so you can lay a bow at the top of it and decorate it like a wreath like my very creative niece did one Christmas.  Or frost it with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with red and green sprinkles for your Christmas table. I can't even tell you what made this so good other than the texture was moist and that perfect bundt cake/pound cake texture while the flavor was delicious. One of my coworkers even told me she doesn't really like red velvet but she loved this cake. Another one called it AMAZING (caps are hers).  So you don't have just my word for it.

If you've ever had the red velvet bundt cake at Nothing Bundt Cakes, this one is very similar. Dare I even say better? Macaroni and Cheesecake makes the same claim and it's no lie.  The only modification I would make for next time (and rest assured there will be a next time) is I would use mini chocolate chips instead of regular size chocolate chips.  But that's a personal preference since I don't like anything "chunky" to stand out from the texture of the cake.  I think mini chocolate chips would blend in better and add more chocolate flavor without interfering with the cake's texture.

2 eggs
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 ounce “no taste” red food coloring
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray a bundt pan liberally with cooking spray, set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl, add eggs and whisk until beaten.  Add in the vegetable oil, vinegar, vanilla, buttermilk and red food coloring. Whisk together until fully incorporated, set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.  Mix briefly on low to combine. With the mixer on low, slowly, pour in the wet ingredients.  Increase speed to medium and beat until incorporated. Remove bowl from stand and stir in chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
4. Pour batter into your prepared bundt pan.  Bake for approximately 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.  Keeping cake in the pan, place pan on top of a cooling rack to cool completely.
5. While cake cools, prepare your frosting.  Once cake is completely cool, turn pan out onto your serving dish. Frost with frosting of your choice if desired.