This moist vanilla bundt cake has a tender crumb and golden crust. Covered in not one but two glazes, this vanilla bundt cake recipe ensures that this cake stays moist for days!
It's easier than ever to bake a vanilla bundt cake that rises up beautifully with a golden crust on the outside and releases well from the bundt cake pan. Since it stays fresh for up to 5 days while keeping it room temperature, this vanilla bundt cake is perfect to make a few days before your family comes to visit for the holidays!
Read on to learn everything you ever needed to know about making moist vanilla bundt cake!
What's In This Blog Post
Vanilla Bundt Cake Ingredients
Buttermilk: Buttermilk is the magic ingredient to make any cake moist and delicious. If you do not have buttermilk, you can use one of my preferred buttermilk substitutes.
Vegetable oil: I use vegetable oil to keep my cakes moist like my red velvet cake and my pumpkin spice cake.
High-quality vanilla: I prefer the vanilla from Nielsen-Massey. Vanilla is very expensive, but when it's the only flavor in your cake, now is the time to use it. The better the vanilla quality, the better the cake will taste!
How to Make Vanilla Bundt Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and adjust the rack to the lower-middle of the oven so it's not too close to the top element.
- Coat your bundt cake pan in a thin, even layer of cake goop or another pan release that contains flour. Oil sprays will not work and may cause your bundt cake to stick to the pan.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then, set it aside.
- Next, using another medium-sized bowl, combine together your room temperature buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract and then set it aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the room temperature butter on low speed until it's smooth using the paddle attachment.
- Then, sprinkle in your sugar and cream it until it is light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl if needed.
- While mixing on low, add in your room temperature eggs one at a time. Let them mix fully before you add the next egg.
- Next, add in ⅓ of your flour mixture, and then ⅓ of your liquid mixture. Repeat this process two more times. Scrape the bowl as needed. Mix the ingredients just until they are combined. Do not over-mix.
- Pour the batter (the batter will be thick) into your prepared bundt cake pan.
- Bake the cake at 350ºF (177ºC) for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the deepest part of the cake comes out clean. My cake took exactly 47 minutes to bake.
- Remove the cake from the oven, and let it cool for 15 minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack.
Make Your Own Simple Syrup Using These Steps
- Place water and sugar in a medium-sized saucepan.
- Then, heat the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring it to a boil.
- Once it's brought to a boil, remove the pan from heat.
- Then, add in vanilla extract.
- Let it cool.
Preparing the Vanilla Glaze
- Sift powdered sugar into a medium-sized bowl.
- Add in your buttermilk and extract and stir until it is smooth and creamy.
- Then, add a couple of drops of white food coloring if you want your glaze to be more opaque.
Bundt Cake Decorating Instructions
- When you first take the cake out of the oven, brush ⅓ of your simple syrup over the top of the cake.
- Let it cool for 15 minutes.
- Then, turn the cake over onto a cooling rack. I put my cake on a cardboard cake round to prevent sticking. Make sure the cooling rack is over a cookie sheet to catch any glaze drips.
- Brush the cake all over with the simple syrup and then let it cool for 2 hours.
- Drizzle your thick, vanilla cake glaze over the top of your cooled cake.
- Once the glaze stops dripping, you can transfer the cake to a cake plate.
- Keep your bundt cake covered with plastic wrap, or keep it at room temperature inside a cake dome to keep it from drying out.
FAQ
A bundt cake is literally any cake that is baked in a bundt cake pan.
You can change the flavor of your bundt cake by switching out the extracts, adding in zest, dried fruits, nuts, chocolate, or even puree. The flavor possibilities are endless!
Fill your pan about ⅔ of the way in your bundt cake pan. You will do this in order to avoid the cake batter from spilling out the top or getting a dome. Once your bundt pan is filled, tap your filled pan on the counter a couple of times to avoid bubbles.
It can be kept at room temperature for up to 5 days or frozen for 6 months (defrost the frozen cake before serving).
Wet a towel with boiling hot water (be careful). Then, use tongs to wring out the excess water and then place it over the top of your cake pan to warm it up. This should help the cake release.
If all else fails, remove the cake from the pan and then patch it up as best you can and cover it with frosting.
Here are 4 reasons why your bundt cake might be sticking:
#1 The cake pan was not greased with a flour-based cooking spray. I prefer using cake goop. It's easy, inexpensive to make, and creates a beautiful crust that helps the bundt cake release.
#2 Not greasing thoroughly. Don't forget to grease the nooks and crannies as well as the center tube. Use a pastry brush and create a nice even layer to grease the pan.
#3 You removed the cake from the pan too soon. It's important to let that crusty layer cool down so it doesn't pull away from the hot cake. Let the cake cool for 15 mins in the pan before turning it out onto a cooling rack. Then, let it cool for another 2 hours before cutting into it.
#4 Your cake is too cold. Don't leave your cake in the pan for too long otherwise, the sugar will fully solidify and glue your cake to the pan. Wiggle it a bit to get your bundt cake to release.
#5 Your nonstick bundt pan may be damaged or dirty. Don't scratch your nonstick surfaces, and always handwash the pan with a soft dishcloth and soapy water.
Aluminum bundt cake pans will give you the best results.
Pans made of silicone, ceramic, or glass may look nice but they do not produce that nice brown outer crust that gives the bundt cake its classic look.
I'm using the Nordic Ware Platinum Collection Anniversary Bundt Pan, which is widely regarded as the best bundt cake pan. It has a non-stick surface for easy release, and it is lightweight with handles that make it easier to flip.
Using buttermilk and oil in your cake batter will keep it moist, but the last step to a super moist bundt cake is using glaze.
I prefer to make two glazes. One is a thin glaze called simple syrup that is brushed on all sides of the cake while it's still warm. Then a second glaze which is thicker and flavored slightly with vanilla and citrus oil seals in all that moisture so the cake doesn't dry out.
Where did the bundt cake come from?
Bundt cakes are believed to have originated from Germany. They are similar to the Gugelhupf cakes from Europe which are made from a yeasted dough (usually with nuts and fruits) and baked in a decorative, tube-shaped pan. These cakes are usually taller and skinnier than a typical bundt cake.
The word "bund" in German means "tied" or "bind," so one theory is that a "bund cake" is so named because it was served at social gatherings or for people that you were emotionally or socially tied to.
When German immigrants came to America, they couldn't bring their Gugelhupf pans with them because they were made of cast iron or thick ceramic, and therefore they were too heavy to travel with. Today, bundt cake pans as we know them are a little lighter, shorter, and rounder than traditional Gugelhupf pans.
In the 1940s, H. David Dalquist who co-founded the company Nordic Ware created an aluminum version of the traditional Gugelhupf pan. A "t" was added to the name bund for trademark reasons and thus the first "bundt cake pan" was born. And it flopped! No one was interested in buying them.
Nordic Ware almost discontinued the pan due to a lack of interest. In 1966, Ella Helfrich took second place at the annual Pillsbury Bake-Off and won $5,000 with her bundt cake recipe, the tunnel of fudge. This resulted in over 200,000 requests for the bundt cake pan from the public. Since then, over 60 million bundt cake pans have been sold, and it is the most sold pan in the USA.
More Recipes You'll Love
Moist and Fluffy Vanilla Cupcakes
White Velvet Buttermilk Cake Recipe
Moist Vanilla Cake with Easy Buttercream
Recipe
Equipment
- bundt cake pan
- pastry brush
Ingredients
Vanilla Bundt Cake Ingredients
- 16 ounces All Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 10 ounces unsalted butter softened
- 14 ounces granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 8 ounces buttermilk room temperature
- 3 ounces vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Simple Syrup
- 4 ounces granulated sugar
- 4 ounces water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla Glaze
- 8 ounces powdered sugar sifted
- 3 Tablespoons buttermilk
- ¼ teaspoon orange or lemon extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 drops white food coloring optional
Instructions
Vanilla Bundt Cake Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and adjust the rack to the lower-middle of the oven so it's not too close to the top element.
- Coat your bundt cake pan in a thin, even layer of cake goop or another pan release that contains flour. Oil sprays will not work and may cause your bundt cake to stick to the pan.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then, set it aside.
- Next, using another medium-sized bowl, combine together your room temperature buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract and then set it aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the room temperature butter on low speed until it's smooth using the paddle attachment.
- Then, sprinkle in your sugar and cream it until it is light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl if needed.
- While mixing on low, add in your room temperature eggs one at a time. Let them mix fully before you add the next egg.
- Next, add in ⅓ of your flour mixture, and then ⅓ of your liquid mixture. Repeat this process two more times. Scrape the bowl as needed. Mix the ingredients just until they are combined. Do not over-mix.
- Pour the batter (the batter will be thick) into your prepared bundt cake pan.
- Bake the cake at 350ºF (177ºC) for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the deepest part of the cake comes out clean. My cake took exactly 47 minutes to bake.
- Remove the cake from the oven, and let it cool for 15 minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack.
Simple Syrup Glaze Instructions
- Place water and sugar in a medium-sized saucepan.
- Then, heat the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring it to a boil.
- Once it's brought to a boil, remove the pan from heat.
- Then, add in vanilla extract.
- Let it cool.
Vanilla Bundt Cake Glaze Instructions
- Sift powdered sugar into a medium-sized bowl.
- Add in your buttermilk and extract and stir until it is smooth and creamy.
- Then, add a couple of drops of white food coloring if you want your glaze to be more opaque.
Decorating Instructions
- When you first take the cake out of the oven, brush ⅓ of your simple syrup over the top of the cake.
- Let it cool for 15 minutes.
- Then, turn the cake over onto a cooling rack. I put my cake on a cardboard cake round to prevent sticking. Make sure the cooling rack is over a cookie sheet to catch any glaze drips.
- Brush the cake all over with the simple syrup and then let it cool for 2 hours.
- Drizzle your thick, vanilla cake glaze over the top of your cooled cake.
- Once the glaze stops dripping, you can transfer the cake to a cake plate.
- Keep your bundt cake covered with plastic wrap, or keep it at room temperature inside a cake dome to keep it from drying out.
Video
Notes
- Bring all your ingredients to room temperature or even a little warm (eggs, buttermilk, butter, etc) to ensure your batter does not break or curdle.
- Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe.
- Practice Mise en Place (everything in it's place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.
- If the recipe calls for specific ingredients like cake flour, replacing it with all-purpose flour and cornstarch is not recommended unless specified in the recipe that it's ok. Substituting ingredients may cause this recipe to fail.
- Do not overmix the cake or you can over-work the gluten and get big holes called tunneling.
- Add eggs one at a time while beating just until the yolk disappears.
- Always add the dry ingredients alternately with the liquid, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
- To prevent air bubbles, slowly spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
- Open the door of the oven only when ready to check for doneness.
Hannah says
I just have to say... DUUUUUUUDE! This is the BEST Bundt cake I’ve ever had/made. I am saving this recipe to make - weekly and for everyone I know!
Damien says
just made this yesterday as a bit of a "i am bored lets bake" saturday afternoon and it was so easy and tastes amazing!! will be using this again (and am going to try and do you chocolate bundt recipe soon too).
thanks
Amy says
I have bundt pans that says, for 9 cups, 10 cups and 12 cups. For this recipe that serves 14, which pan size should I use?
Elizabeth Marek says
Use the large bundt pan
Martine says
My go to recipe for vanilla bundt and addition of other flavors, lemon, pecan etc...doing another pecan for mama's birthday...will ship to her...love, love this very versatile and consistent bundt
Sandra says
Can I use a buttermilk substitute?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes you sure can https://sugargeekshow.com/buttermilk-substitute/
Fatima says
I made this cake and it’s the best bundt cake I ever made, added orange zest and cranberries and it’s so good, this recipe will be my go to from now on.
My question is I used frozen cranberries and the mixture curdled and froze solid. This is the first that ever happened, I always use frozen cranberries in a mix and never had that problem before. Do you have an idea why?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Sounds like you used a lot of cranberries if you used so many that the bundt cake batter froze. Maybe just add a little less berries
Eva says
Any adjustments if making mini bundt cakes? (Besides cooking time)
The Sugar Geek Show says
No adjustments 😀
Hattie says
Great recipe. Thank you for all the details and directions.
Michele says
I just made this cake today exactly how the recipe was written and it is delicious! Thank you for sharing!
sarah e says
Can you substitute the AP flour for AP gluten free flour?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I have used bobs red mill 1:1 baking mix but I havent tested this recipe with anything else
Elisabeth Petersson says
Hi.
I think the button for the metric measurments are missing. I can´t find them on the recipe card.
Cheers for the recipe, gonna give it a try and hope it works with my conversions.
The Sugar Geek Show says
The metric button is at the bottom of the listed ingredients. Customary/metric
Elisabeth Petersson says
Now I found it, thank you!
Tried the recipe this weekend, the cake was amazing and two of the people i made it for asked for the recipe. Perfectly moist and the texture was so nice. Will be my goto recipe from now on. In Sweden we call the cake ”sockerkaka”, perfect to serve to visitors and family.
Thank you for the recipe! ❤️
The Sugar Geek Show says
Thank you so much for the great feedback 🙂
Hareem says
Hi. Where are the metric measurements? I can’t seem to find it anywhere
The Sugar Geek Show says
Click the button on the recipe card that says metric
Romina says
Can I use cake flour?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes you can
Dori says
This looks so delicious! Can the batter be used in 9" cake rounds to make a tiered cake?
The Sugar Geek Show says
You could give it a try but it might be a little dense for a traditional stacked cake. I would recommend using my white cake or white velvet cake recipe
Krystal says
Would this be considered a pound cake?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Even though it is a similar texture, it's not a true pound cake because it doesn't have a pound of each ingredient