How to Make the Very Best Foolproof Bundt Cake

We all need a foolproof bundt recipe that we love and trust. One that’s easy to whip up, bakes beautifully, and slides right out of the pan every single time. It should work as both a no-stress easy weeknight dessert and a party-worthy showstopper, and it should taste just as great at the end of the week as it does fresh from the oven. Of course, it also needs to deliver on flavor and texture with a moist, delicate crumb.

That’s where this recipe comes in. This bundt cake is simple enough for absolutely anyone to make, classic enough to satisfy everyone’s tastebuds, but special enough that you’ll turn to it time and time again. Oh, and it’s pretty much impossible to mess it up. Here’s how to make it.

This recipe sets you up for success with a few key ingredient choices. Cake flour, which has a lower protein content than all-purpose, makes the crumb delicate and tender. Sour cream is an insurance policy to keep the cake moist.

Lastly, if you happen to have a vanilla bean pod on hand, rubbing the seeds directly into the granulated sugar is a low-effort way to intensify flavor and speckle the cake with gorgeous flecks of vanilla. (Vanilla extract, however, is totally fine to substitute.)

The other thing that makes this recipe foolproof is that we are very detailed and clear in the step-by-step recipe below. Don’t be alarmed by the number of steps; this is no longer or more complicated than another bundt recipe. We just provide detail to help you nail the technique for perfect results every time.

You’ll want to use a sturdy, anodized aluminum bundt pan. These pans are excellent conductors and provide consistent heat, helping your cake bake evenly. A nonstick coating makes it easier to invert the cake without tearing it.

I’m a firm believer in investing in pans that will last longer than you. I like Nordic Ware, as they have a large selection of decorative bundt pans. The company was started in Minneapolis by a chemical engineer and metallurgist and his wife after the Second World War. Initially, they produced a small range of specialty pans that were inspired by Scandinavian bakeware — hence the ornate designs.

But, after bundts rose in popularity in America in the 1950’s when a cake baked in a Nordic Ware bundt pan won a national baking prize, they’ve since expanded their offerings.

When it comes to smart techniques, perhaps the best one in this recipe is the one used for coating the pan. Instead of greasing the pan with butter and flour (as is common in these recipes), rub the pan with butter and then sprinkle it all over with coarse sugar. This creates a yummy, unexpected sugary-crunch around the exterior of the cake and contrasts with the scrumptiously soft interior crumb. (It also means the sweet glaze is entirely optional.)

This butter and sugar coating also gives the cake something to grip onto for stability and provides a protective barrier around it. Once the cake is baked, let the cake cool for at least 10 minutes in the pan. As it cools, the cake will begin to release itself from the sides of the pan.

Thanks to the aforementioned sugary crunch, this bundt cake can stand alone without a topping. But if you’re so inclined, a very simple glaze — either lemon or vanilla — would be lovely, and gives the bundt its signature appeal (we’ve included a recipe below).

You could even do a chocolate glaze to complement the cake’s orange flavor. Vanilla whipped cream would be just as welcome, or recycle the vanilla pod and make creme anglaise for a warm dessert.

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