How To Clean a Bundt Pan

I’ve gotta say, I love a Bundt pan. My mom has a star-shaped one that she’s had for at least 30 years — a holdover from a few years we spent overseas when my dad was in the Air Force — and she almost exclusively uses it to make flan for dinner parties.

If you’re someone who’s into baking shaped desserts, Bundt pans are an awesome solution for whipping out that statement-making cake for a party. They’re also handy for aspic, which I learned at my wedding shower. Sure, Bundt pans are admittedly a little retro, but isn’t that part of the appeal?

The problem with Bundt pans is that they can be tricky to clean. With all of those nooks and crannies, you’re bound to get debris baked into the hardest-to-clean spots. So how do you get them out?

You don’t want to use any harsh cleansers because many Bundt pans are made of aluminum or have a nonstick coating, but you definitely want to be vigorous enough to loosen up all the cooked-on bits before you use it again. Our solution? A good soak and some old-fashioned elbow grease — appropriately retro for this vintage baking tool.

• Hot water
• Dish soap
• Small nylon-bristled bottle brush
• Baking soda (optional)

1. Soak: Fill your empty-but-dirty Bundt pan with a couple drops of dish soap and hot water and let it soak in the sink for a few hours, or even overnight.
2. Rinse: Rinse out the water, then tackle the crevices with your nylon brush, running it under water at the same time. Avoid stronger scrubbers like steel wool, as they can damage the surface of the Bundt pan.
3. Add baking soda: If you still have caked-on bits, sprinkle baking soda onto the surface, then scrub again. The gentle abrasive should chip away at the burnt bits.
4. Rinse again: Rinse clean one more time under the faucet.
5. Let dry: Let the Bundt pan dry and you’re all set!