Incredibly Moist Vanilla Bundt Cake

This Vanilla Bundt Cake is incredibly soft and delicious, with a beautiful spongy texture that stays moist for days. Even after refrigerating it!

Bundt cake pans are notorious for being sticky. My post will guide you through everything you need to know to get it out of the pan easily and to get perfect results every time.

The cake does not only taste delicious, but it’s also versatile. Try a variety of toppings with it and it’ll go with just about everything!

It melts in your mouth and tastes delicious every single time. This simple cake recipe incorporates the Genoise technique for a moist cake that’ll last for days. You have got to try this one!

 What is a Bundt Cake?

A Bundt cake is any cake that’s baked in a Bundt cake pan! It’s no single cake but a delicious, classic vanilla Bundt cake is a great place to start.

And this particular recipe that I’m sharing with you, is delicious and uses a classic Genoise technique to get you a delicate cake that tastes amazing even after refrigerating it.

The main difference between a Bundt cake and a regular cake is not in the ingredients as much as it is in the pan. 

To put it another way, the form of a Bundt cake is the single most important component of the cake. When a cake is baked in a Bundt pan, it develops a doughnut-like form with a sizable hole in the center.

The Bundt pan allows more of the cake to come into touch with the pan's edges, allowing heat to be distributed more evenly. This makes sure your cake is cooked more evenly and browns evenly all over as well.

With this recipe of mine, you’ll have a beautiful, evenly baked Bundt cake with a beautiful golden-brown color these cakes are distinctively known for.

Where Did Bundt Cakes Originate From?

Bundt cakes are said to have originated in Germany. And are comparable to the Gugelhupf cakes from Europe, which are created from yeasted dough and cooked in a distinctive tube-shaped pan.

Compared to a normal Bundt cake, these cakes are often taller and narrower.

As the German word ‘bund’ translates to tied or bind, one explanation is that a 'bund cake' was offered during social events, or to those with whom we have close 'ties' and 'bonds' with.

Another explanation is that it refers to the way the dough is bundled around the tubed core of the pan and signifies 'bunch' or 'bundle.'  Others think it refers to the banded appearance the cake is given by the fluted pan edges, which is like to a tied sheaf or bundle of wheat.

Gugelhupf pans were made of cast iron or thick ceramic, making them very heavy to travel with. When German immigrants moved to America, they couldn't carry them with them.

When it comes to Bundt cakes, the modern version is a bit smaller and more round than the old Gugelhupf pans.

It went from being called ‘bund’ cake to ‘Bundt’ cake with the addition of a T, when H. David Dalquist co-founded the company Nordic Wave and added the t for trademark reasons.

However, this incredibly popular Bundt cake pan wasn’t so popular right off the bat! In fact, Nordic Wave almost discontinued it due to a lack of interest in the early days.

It wasn’t until 1966 when the second-place winner of the annual Pillsbury, Bake-Off used a Bundt cake recipe in the competition, that the popularity of this cake pan skyrocketed overnight.

Over 200,000 people requested to purchase the pan. And this is what has led it to now become to most-sold pan in the US.

What Makes This Vanilla Bundt Cake Recipe Special?

This Vanilla Bundt Cake is the most perfect recipe you’ll find for a delicious Bundt cake that bakes perfectly every single time.

It makes for the perfect tea or coffee cake that tastes incredible even after refrigerating it overnight. For this reason, it’s a great cake that you can make in advance before your guests come over for tea or coffee the next day.

It’s also an incredibly versatile cake! You can dust powdered sugar over it or drizzle your favorite vanilla glaze over it.

My recipe will give you foolproof results every time that are consistent and reliable. If you try this recipe once, you’ll want to have it again and again!

There is more!

The texture of this cake is similar to sponge cake, but it is not chewy yet has a tender crumb structure.

The sponge maintains its spongy texture even after being in the fridge and is a great base cake recipe if you’re looking for something that can take in milk soaks and syrups.

It uses the Genoise method but still incorporates leavening agents to ensure you get a perfectly risen cake every single time. Who said making a Genoise had to be difficult?

This is a beautifully light and spongy cake that will make for the perfect tea or coffee cake for you.

How to Make Sure Your Bundt Cake Comes Out Easily

Bundt cake pans look great, and also bake evenly but they are notorious for being sticky! There are two important things to know when making sure your Bundt cake comes out in one piece.

The first element is ensuring the Bundt pan is prepped properly to ensure we have a good place to start with. If it’s not prepped correctly, no matter what we try doing after the cake is baked, it will be difficult.

The second element is to know about the window of opportunity you have to invert the pan. Knowing exactly when to invert it will make sure you have the perfect Bundt cake every time.

Let’s look at each of these so you can make sure your Bundt cake always comes out easily

1. How to Prep Your Bundt Cake Pan

There are two ways you can prep your pan to make sure your cake comes out easily:

Flouring Method

This is the method I’ve used in my video and the one I prefer when using Bundt pans. It uses grease and flour to line your cake so that it easily comes out.

To do it this way, apply a thin, uniform coating of butter to the entire inside of the cake pan. Add a few spoonfuls of flour to the pan, tilting and turning the pan until the flour has completely coated the butter.

To remove any excess flour and leave only a thin layer covering the butter, tap the pan against the sink.

Baking Spray

The other method is to use a baking spray. This is not the same as a cooking spray, since baking spray has a special ingredient that cooking sprays don’t which is flour.

For a Bundt cake to not stick, the flour in the spray must be specified on the can or in the ingredients.

Spray the pan's interior evenly from top to bottom. To ensure that the spray is sprayed equally, spread it using your fingers to make sure it’s in all nooks and crannies of the pan.

2. When Should You Invert Your Bundt Cake Out of the Pan

Now that you know how to make sure the Bundt cake comes out easily and doesn’t stick, there’s another important element to it which is making sure you invert the cake at the right time.

As long as you grease the pan well, there is a window of time when you can get your cake out of it in one piece.

As a general guideline, you want the cake pan to be warm but not so hot that you can't touch it with your bare hands. If the cake cools entirely in the Bundt pan, it will be difficult to remove from the sides, and if it's piping hot, the cake will be too tender to come out in one piece.

At this point, you may easily remove the cake from its pan. My recipe details it exactly so you can time it for perfect results every single time.

What You Need to Make Vanilla Bundt Cake at Home

You only need some pantry-staple ingredients to bake this delicious Vanilla Bundt Cake at home. Let’s look at what these are:

All-purpose flour: You only need simple all-purpose flour for this recipe. No need for any cake flour because my recipe will still give you a beautifully light and spongy cake. But in case cake flour is all you have, you can definitely go with it but all-purpose flour gives great results anyway!

Baking powder: This is going to be our first leavening agent. The method we follow in this cake is that of a Genoise cake, and even those it traditionally doesn’t use any leavening agents, I’ve made this a foolproof recipe that will rise evenly but still give you a Genoise texture.

Baking soda: Baking soda is our other leavening agent of choice. It will give your cake a beautiful golden-brown color too. But if you want the cake to be lighter in color, reduce the baking soda to ¼ teaspoon instead of ½ teaspoon.

Salt: You’ll need a little salt that will bring out all the flours while simultaneously balancing everything out.

The wet ingredients

Eggs: We’ll be using 3 large eggs at room temperature for this cake. Eggs help leaven the cake for a light, spongy texture while also giving it moisture.

Sugar: This will help sweeten your cake to the perfect level and also add moisture to it. I recommend using fine sugar for this instead of regular, granulated sugar so that it dissolves easily.

Milk: By adding milk to your cake, it’ll not only lend to the flour but also the soft texture and perfect crumb.

Vanilla extract: We’ll be using 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract in this recipe. Most of the flavor comes from vanilla extract, so I recommend using high-quality vanilla for the best flavor.

Butter: This will give you a beautifully soft and moist cake with a delicious flavor as well.

Oil: Using some flavorless vegetable oil is my secret ingredient for ensuring this cake never dries out. This is a great way to supplement the butter to assist it more in keeping the cake moist as Bundt cakes have a long bake time which can sometimes lead to a dry cake.

How to Make Vanilla Bundt Cake Step by Step

Making this Vanilla Bundt Cake is incredibly easy! Here’s what you need to do step by step to get a perfect cake every single time:

Start by preheating the oven to 350F/180C.

Next, in a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs for a few seconds.

Now add the sugar and beat with the eggs until it triples in volume. You’re looking for a batter that’s light in color, and creamy in texture.

Next. sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix the batter on the lowest speed for a few seconds for the flour mixture to incorporate properly into the whipped eggs and sugar.

Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl so that everything is mixed properly.

Heat milk with butter in a small bowl in the microwave or on the stovetop in a saucepan until the butter has completely melted.

Remove it from the heat and add the vanilla extract and oil to it. Stir the mixture well.

Take around half a cup or a little more from the cake batter and add it to the milk and butter mixture. Mix it all until well combined.

Next, add the mixture to the cake batter and mix for a few seconds.

Baking the cake

Now’s the time to prep your Bundt cake pan! Grease and dust it and pour the cake batter into it. Tap the pan gently on a working surface three to four times to get rid of the air bubbles.

Bake the batter on the middle shelf of the oven for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool while in the Bundt pan for 8 minutes, then flip the cake on a cooling rack and let it cool completely.

Dust with confectioner’s sugar if desired before serving. This cake stays moist even after refrigerating it for days.

Your delicious Vanilla Bundt Cake is ready to be served.

Tips for Making the Best Vanilla Bundt Cake Every Single Time

Here are some great tips and tricks you can use to make sure you get a perfectly baked, delicious Vanilla Bundt Cake every time you try my recipe:

• Make sure to prep the pan well so that the cake comes out easily. You can read more in my section on this for the two ways you can use to prep your cake pan correctly. 
• Preheat the oven for 20 to 30 minutes before using it.
• You can reduce the heat of the oven to 165C/329F the cake will bake for a longer time but will have lighter color from the outside.
• If you want the cake to be lighter in color, reduce the baking soda to ¼ teaspoon instead of ½ teaspoon.
• This cake is best served cold and on the next day or 8 hours after baking it.
• Do not add ingredients that can melt in the batter, like chocolate chips, caramel chips, cream cheese, or rainbow sprinkles they will change the batter texture and will sink.
• Avoid adding fruits like berries or apples, they will sink and get stuck at the bottom of the pan.
• You can add roasted nuts and it is best to sprinkle them on the top of the cake batter after pouring it into the pan.
• Adding different flavors is possible, add lemon or orange zest, or a teaspoon of cinnamon if you wish.
• My Indian audience mostly uses sugar granules but it’s best to use fine sugar for this recipe since it dissolves faster.

Recipe Variation Ideas for Vanilla Bundt Cake

This cake recipe is perfect as it is and you’re going to get great results every time you make it. But it simultaneously makes for a versatile recipe that you can customize according to your preferences.

Here are some ideas you can try:

Topping ideas: You can use a bunch of different toppings with this cake! Dust some powdered sugar like I have in the video or drizzle a vanilla glaze on it. You can also add some rainbow sprinkles on top of the vanilla glaze while it’s still wet to decorate it. 

Serve with berries: This cake tastes amazing with a side of cream and slices of strawberries. You can also have it with some ice cream on the side if you feel like splurging!

Sprinkle nuts: You can add roasted nuts and it is best to sprinkle them on the top of the cake batter after pouring it into the pan.

Try different flavors: Adding different flavors is possible, add lemon or orange zest, or a teaspoon of cinnamon if you wish

How to Store Vanilla Bundt Cake

You can store this cake wrapped in plastic wrap in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

You can also freeze it for up to three months. Just make sure to wrap in several layers of plastic wrap or place it into a freezer bag with as much air removed as possible.