Autumn is a time for office potlucks and holiday parties, and we're always looking around for a no-fail dessert. The bundt cake is impressively shaped, feeds a lot of people, and when properly made, is tender and delicious. Don't ever underestimate the power of the humble bundt. We're curious: what are your most crowd-pleasing bundt cake recipes?
We are big fans of Ina Garten's lemon cake, which would be great in bundt form. But we're looking around for a great chocolate bundt, as well as some new and unusual flavors like almond or fruitcake. Any favorites? Link it up, and tell us all about them.
Speaking of bundt cakes, we are smitten with this bundt cake pan from Williams-Sonoma and NordicWare. The shape is based on a vintage German stoneware mold for kugelhopf. We love the sharp, architectural lines — it feels a little more fresh and modern than the classic bundt tube shapes.
• Find it: Heritage Bundt Pan, $34 at Williams-Sonoma
Related: Look! Colorful Bundt Pan Collection
(Images: Williams-Sonoma)
I'm fond of the classic rich, boozy Honey Cake, and the oh-so-seasonal (and pretend-healthy) Chocolate Zucchini Cake. In Shirley Corriher's excellent book Bakewise, she talks about how the hollow-centered, upside-down structure of the bundt pan allows you to bake luscious cakes that have too much sugar and fat to support their weight in a standard pan. No wonder we love them...
view deensiebat's profile
Chocolate khakua cake. But (purists, look away) it's based on a cake mix! Works like a charm, though, and everyone loves it. http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,176,150188-230197,00.html
view Tiamat_the_Red's profile
I've made the chocolate Root Beer Bundt Cake from the Baked cookbook a few times now, and it's delicious! Actually, the flavor improves over a day or two. It's so dark and good.
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/11/baked-root-beer-bundt-cake-recipe.html
Also, I have that Williams-Sonoma pan and it does make a beautiful cake!
view aprilf00l's profile
I really like Dorie Greenspan's recipe for a marbled one...The chocolate part has espresso in it and it's overall just really good.
view BrooklynBaker's profile
I've never baked a bundt cake, but if I had that mold, I'd bake one everyday!
view ladyofshalott's profile
i always use my bundt pan for rum cake. a basic white cake with 1/2 c. rum substituted for part of the liquid, toss some nuts, raisins and brown sugar in the bottom of the pan and once turned out, top with a sugar/rum syrup.
view nenasadije's profile
Dori Sanders's sweet potato pound cake (her book is Dori Sanders' Country Cooking: Recipes and Stories from the Family Farm Stand).
view ValHalla's profile
My mom's yellow rum cake. It was glazed with sugar and rum and so moist. Every winter holiday since I was a baby.
view hobsy's profile
Ok - don't laugh, but there is a recipe for an almond cake on the back of the label of the "Solo" can of almond filling - and it is unbelievably delish - just dust with confectioners sugar - it is wonderful.
view MichelleV's profile
I make essentially the same cake that Tiamat makes! It's fantastic! and so easy it's ready in a snap.
view fib's profile
Mother's Sandtorte! A german, sourcream, pound cake dusted with powdered sugar. She served this at her bridge parties, office parties and special gatherings. Everyone loved it's simplicity and perfect flavor.
view lona's profile
I love one I found in my grandmother's recipe box. You use cake mix as directed on the box, but mix half the batch with a box of orange jello.
Layer the two on top of one another and take a knife thru both layers of batter. Bake for an ORANGE SWIRL bundt!
view jamina1's profile
I completely second the rum cake. And I WILL be purchasing that Bundt pan.
view Skerlie B's profile
Oh my gosh, I have that pan and it's amazing. You really have to use it for a simpler bundt though, as if it's filled or has goodies in it, they get stuck in the crevices and really can make a mess of the cake.
My favorite bundt is this Buttermilk Cake with Butternut squash that I found in Fine Cooking last year. So good and it's actually better on the second and third day.
http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/buttermilk-cake-spiced-vanilla-icing.aspx
view King of Arcadia's profile
Chocolate earl grey - our family's favorite.
view s and the r's profile
Mint Julep made with bourbon and fresh mint. Runner up is Butterscotch spice.
view sabing's profile
Apple bundt cake, similar to http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Apple-Bundt-Cake-102692
Great as a dessert, or a week-long snacking cake
view mikeinkansascity's profile
I make a chocolate Bailey's Irish Cream bundt (it's also based on a boxed cake mix):
http://www.recipegoldmine.com/cakemixcakeB/baileys-irish-cream-bundt.html
In fact I just made this cake last week in this very bundt pan and drizzled it with the Bailey's glaze. It was delicious...especially when warm.
view hmprd's profile
I adore this Orange Vanilla Bundt cake.
view UptownGirl's profile
I have to say, I'm not one for cake mixes (and my mom's not either), but this age-old mix recipe for rum cake is hands down the most popular dessert I make. Everyone asks for the recipe:
Cake
* 1 yellow cake mix
* 3 eggs
* 1/2 cup oil
* 1/2 cup water
* 1 package vanilla pudding mix
* 1/2 cup rum
* 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Glaze
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1/4 cup rum
* 1 cup sugar
I'm looking for a good basic yogurt bundt cake that I can modify with mix ins (lemon juice/zest; last night I tried cardamom and chopped candied ginger). Anyone have one?
view lotusmoss's profile
Whenever I bring Orangette's Whisky Chocolate Bundt cake to the office, I get treated like a rockstar.
http://orangette.blogspot.com/2008/12/like-winter-and-warmth.html
view leahnylen's profile
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chocolate_bourbon_cake/
view arbequina's profile
Tiamat's kahlua cake is also a family favorite here. I've been looking at the Orangette cake. Thanks for the confirmation, leahnylen.
view m_j_s72's profile
Eating Well's Died and Gone to Heaven Chocolate cake. Their Brown Sugar Pound Cakes' pretty good, too.
view kibitzknitz's profile
The *most* classic Czech cake is a marble bundt cake, called a "babovka" (baBOFFka). My husband makes the best ever -- it is our cake of choice for birthdays and all occasions.
Our recipe uses the best dark chocolate (melted), cake flour, butter (many recipes use oil) and finely grated lemon zest.
You can find the recipe in
http://www.amazon.com/Czechoslovak-Cookbook-Czechoslovakias-best-selling-kitchens/dp/0517505479
where it is referred to as Fine Crown Cake.
view mschatelaine's profile
My bundt cake always has a big puffed area, do people just cut it off to make the bottom of the cake flat??? Or what's the secret? Thanks
view eec007's profile
I second the comment on Bailey's Irish Cream cake. We make it for the holidays every year and everyone goes crazy for it.
Looking over the rum recipes other people submitted, it looks pretty similar--just with bailey's instead of rum.
view moema's profile
My favorite is my Mom's recipe for Plum Cake, with cream cheese icing, but I'm not sharing the recipe for that one. :)
Lemon and orange are good too, as is a basic spice cake.
Btw, the cake in the photo is gorgeous, with that shape and the powdered sugar.
view Kakugori's profile
My absolute favorite is a classic German Gugelhupf. With yeast dough and tons of dried fruit and nuts. Makes me think of home and white Christmases. See here for the recipe (and don't be afraid of yeast!):
http://lensandlentils.blogspot.com/2009/04/gugelhupf-with-new-world-twist.html
view Mel P.'s profile
eec007 - check your oven temperature. Too high a heat can cause doming.
view twosavoie's profile
Growing up, we always made chocolate chip cake. A yellow bunt cake with chocolate chips, chocolate shavings, and a layer of mixed chocolate shavings and powdered sugar on the bottom.
view mollyjade's profile
Seems like there is a theme with bundt cakes and alcohol. My mom makes a Cream Sherry Poppy Seed cake with butterscotch pudding and yellow cake mix. It's quick and always comes out super moist and delicious.
view fmktjod's profile
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Coconut-Bundt-Cake-with-Powdered-Sugar-Glaze-104038
This one is no fail and delicious! Have made it for years.
view Si's profile
I am also vouching for that Chocolate Kahlua Cake (though I first saw it as the Chocolate Cavitymaker on allrecipes). Super simple, extremely moist, and deadly chocolatey. And of course pretty with a dusting of powdered sugar.
view milkpan's profile
I made a 7-Up Bundt Cake last Easter. It was from a recipe in the local paper. The recipe was thrown away, and I really regret it. It came out great. It had a nice, lime glaze.
view bingsy's profile