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November 15, 2021

Best Bundt Cakes (+ Essential Bundt Baking Tips)

posted by Julie in Bundt Cakes, Desserts, Recipes

Bundt cakes are the best all-occasion cake — fancier than a sheet cake, but more relaxed than a layer cake. 10 tips for the est bundt you’ve ever made, plus 30+ recipes for the Best Bundt Cakes out there!

collage of 9 different bundt cake recipe pictures.

Happy National Bundt Day!

You didn’t know it was National Bundt Day?! I don’t know who comes up with all these silly food holidays, but this is one I can definitely get behind. After all, I like big bundts… and I cannot lie.

Okay, come on. 30+ bundt cake recipes on my site and I have yet to make that joke. You had to know it was coming eventually… right?

But it’s true. I totally love bundt cakes, and the bigger the better. I know little mini bundt cakes have plenty of fans, but I love the big ones. There’s something so majestic about a giant bundt cake on a pretty cake plate.

And so, after years of baking bundts, I thought I’d compile some of my best tips, so you can make your Best Bundt Ever in honor of National Bundt Day.

Tips to Bake the Perfect Bundt Cake

Use a non-stick bundt pan in good shape. Lots of scratches = lots of little areas to stick. Most of my bundt pants are Nordicware (affiliate link, but not sponsored), and they all release beautifully.
Use the right size bundt pan! Some recipes provide you with an actual size (i.e., prepare a 12 cup bundt pan). Many do not. You want the batter to fill the pan roughly two-thirds to three-fourths of the way up the sides of the pan. If you find that your batter goes higher than this, stop and save the rest of the batter for another use. If the batter doesn’t fill the pan this high, the shape will be disappointing.
Use non-stick spray or melted shortening to grease your pans. Butter contains milk solids, which can increase the stickiness of the cake. If you’ve been using melted butter to grease your pans and find that they stick, try a coating of non-stick vegetable spray instead. You can also coat with a thin layer of flour if your pans are prone to sticking.
Grease the pan just before adding batter. Most recipes start with “Preheat your oven to 350. Grease your pan…” I’ll admit it – some of my earlier bundt recipes do this, too. But after baking so many bundts, I’ve realized that greasing your pan ahead of time means the nonstick spray just pools in the bottom of the pan. Wait until right before you add the batter so the spray stays on the sides of the pan, right where you need it.
Spoon the batter into the pan, ensuring that all little crevices are full. Once all the batter is in, tap the pan firmly on the counter several times. Air bubbles in the bottom of the pan bake into little divots, ruining the intricate designs.
Use a spatula to spread the batter UP the sides of the pan, a little higher than the center. Bundt cakes will rise and starting the batter higher up on the sides allows the cake both to bake more evenly and prevents the center from doming.
If the center does dome, use a clean dishcloth and gently press down on the domed center as soon as taking the cake out of the oven. This will ensure a flat, even bottom once you turn the cake out and place it on a serving dish.
Let the cake rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes after removing from the hot oven. You need the cake to cool enough to firm up before removing. But waiting too long to remove the cake can also contribute to the cake breaking. Turn the cake upside-down onto a cooling pan and let it sit for 10 minutes – the cake will start to pull away from the sides of the pan and release naturally.
If the sides of the cake are sticking a little, run a knife or flexible spatula down the sides of the still-warm cake to carefully release the sides. This works better if the cake is still warm, so don’t let it cool completely in the pan!
If you absolutely cannot get the cake out of the pan, return your cake to a 300 °F oven for 10 minutes. This is usually just long enough to help release any areas still sticking to the side of the pan.

Now that you’re armed with tips for your best bundt baking, you need some recipes, right?! Here’s what I’m calling the Ultimate Bundt Collection: the best bundts I’ve found, made by myself and others!

Best Bundt Cakes

A collection of the best bundt cakes around - from chocolate to fruit and everything in between!

Chocolate Bundt Cakes

Chocolate cakes are among the most popular. Try these chocolate bundt cakes for the chocolate lovers in your life!

Triple Chocolate Pound Cake

Dark and rich, this triple chocolate pound cake is a true chocolate lover’s dream!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Bundt Cake

Light and fluffy chocolate cake covered in peanut butter and chocolate ganache, topped with chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups.

Chocolate Cherry Bundt Cake

This chocolate cherry bundt cake is made from scratch with real cherries, and topped with a rich chocolate fudge frosting.

Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake

This easy chocolate cake is made with a double dose of hot chocolate: in the batter and in the glaze!

Chocolate Fudge Bundt Cake

Looking for the perfect everyday cake? This chocolate fudge bundt cake is it!

Cookies and Cream Oreo Bundt Cake

The ultimate deep, dark, rich chocolate cake, this Cookies and Cream Oreo Bundt Cake is stuffed full of chopped oreos and covered in marshmallow buttercream frosting.

Best Marble Bundt Cake

The best of both worlds, this marble bundt cake boasts strong vanilla and chocolate flavors, and isn’t at all crumbly and dry like most marble cakes.

Gluten Free Chocolate Bundt Cake

What happens when you combine a flourless chocolate cake and a bundt cake? A decadently rich, not-so-dense, delicious gluten free chocolate bundt cake!

Zucchini Bundt Cake

This Zucchini Bundt Cake is rich, fudgy and moist, making it the most delicious way to eat your veggies!

Mint Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

The mint + chocolate combination is always a winner, and especially so in this Mint Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake!

Fruity Bundt Cakes

These bundt cakes are packed full of fruit - perfect for a little dose of sunshine year round!

Chocolate Chip Cherry Pound Cake

The very best chocolate chip cherry pound cake – a buttery pound cake that melts in your mouth, filled with chopped cherries and chocolate chips, topped with a cherry fudge frosting.

Cinnamon Sugar Peach Bundt Cake

Skip the frosting and go for a crunchy melted sugar crust with this Cinnamon Sugar Peach Bundt Cake full of fresh summer peaches.

Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake

A buttery pound cake filled with cranberries and orange zest, with a cranberry vanilla glaze — this easy Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake is the perfect winter cake!

Jewish Apple Cake

Whether you call it a Jewish apple cake, Dutch apple cake, or German apple cake, this easy mix-by-hand cake full of cinnamon and apples is the perfect fall treat!

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

Bursting with fresh blueberries and lemon zest, this lemon blueberry bundt cake with a sweet lemon glaze is the perfect year-round treat.

Cinnamon Clementine Bundt Cake

An easy vanilla-studded bundt cake, packed full of cinnamon and clementine zest, covered with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.

Spring and Floral Bundt Cakes

Full of light flavors or floral tones, these bundt cakes are perfect for events like Mother's Day, bridal showers, or Easter.

Pink Lemonade Bundt Cake

The BEST lemon bundt cake, with a surprise pink swirl — this pink lemonade bundt cake is the perfect cake for spring or summer.

Coconut Bundt Cake

Packed full of triple coconut (coconut milk, coconut extract, and shredded coconut!), coconut bundt cake is incredibly moist and delicious.

Lemon Lavender Bundt Cake

A light and delicate bundt cake full of citrus and floral flavors, this Lemon Lavender Bundt Cake is perfect for spring and summer entertaining.

Carrot Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Swirl

Love carrot cake but don’t want to bake and frost a layer cake? This carrot bundt cake with a cream cheese swirl and cream cheese frosting is the answer!

Persian Love Cake

Photo Credit: www.happyandharried.com

Persian Love Cake from Happy and Harried is a fragrant, rich and beautiful cake with saffron, rose, cardamom, and almonds with a lemon glaze.

Orange Creamsicle Bundt Cake

Orange lovers, this Orange Creamsicle Bundt Cake is for you! Orange and vanilla combine three different ways: in the batter, in a syrup which soaks into the cake, and a glaze poured on top.

Fun and Festive Bundt Cakes

Sprinkles? Marshmallow fluff? Swirls of Nutella? These bundt cakes are delicious any time, but always perfect for a celebration!

Funfetti Bundt Cake

Get ready to celebrate with this festive sprinkle-filled funfetti bundt cake. Everyone’s favorite childhood cake flavor, baked entirely from scratch and turned into a bundt cake.

Tres Leches Bundt Cake

A light sponge cake soaked in three types of milk, Tres Leches Bundt Cake combines the classic tres leches flavor with the beautiful look of a bundt cake.

Nutella Bundt Cake

A rich, buttery vanilla cake with swirls of nutella and a decadent nutella glaze. This nutella bundt cake is easy to make, but worthy of entertaining.

S'mores Bundt Cake

A graham cracker bundt cake, layer of chocolate ganache, and homemade marshmallow fluff frosting toasted to a perfect brown.

Red Velvet Cream Cheese Swirl Bundt Cake

With a characteristic tang and a heaping pile of cream cheese frosting, this one bowl red velvet bundt cake with a cream cheese swirl is easy, delicious, and a true crowd pleaser!

Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

Homemade Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake is a family favorite, filled with mini chocolate chips and an irresistible white chocolate glaze! Make this for your next special occasion, or just whenever you are craving a sweet treat!

Neapolitan Bundt Cake

Inspired by classic Neapolitan ice cream, this Neapolitan Bundt Cake features three moist layers of strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate cake and is topped with a powdered sugar glaze!

Holiday Bundt Cakes

A bundt cake for every holiday, from 4th of July to Valentine's Day to Halloween! These holiday and seasonal favorites are perfect for your holiday table.