Bundt cakes are stunning yet stressful creatures. You can put so much love and care into making them, just for the cake to become a patchwork project when you try to remove it from the tin.
Well stress no more – here are our top tips for a flawless bundt!
How to prep your bundt tin
Preparing your tin correctly is the most important step to ensure your cake comes out in one piece, even if it’s a fancy non-stick one. Although this method takes a little more time, it’s well worth it – plain old non-stick spray often isn’t enough.
- GREASE WITH BUTTER. Grease your bundt tin all over with a thin layer of softened butter. You can either tear off a piece of your butter paper, use a soft pastry brush or your fingers to do so. Whichever you choose, make sure to grease every nook and cranny of the tin, including the inner cone.
- DUST WITH A DRY INGREDIENT. Sift 1-2 tablespoons of flour (or cocoa powder for chocolate cakes) all over the inside of your tin. Then slowly tap and rotate the tin with your palms until the buttery layer is completely coated.
- TAP OUT THE EXCESS. Remove any excess flour from your bundt tin by tapping it out onto your work surface. You should be left with an even coating of butter and flour.
Once your cake tin is prepped, carefully dollop your cake batter in the tin and spread it out carefully – avoid scraping any edges or wiping away batter as this will ruin the non-stick layers you worked so hard to create.
Removing the cake from the tin
The next pressure point is to remove the cake from the tin. If you prepared the tin well, this step shouldn’t be an issue, although we’ve included some extra tips just in case your cake isn’t playing ball.
- COOL. Make sure to cool your cake for about 10-15 minutes before trying to remove it. If it’s too hot, it’ll be very fragile and more prone to breaking (plus burnt hands aren’t fun). But if left until completely cool, the sugars in the batter with set up against the sides of the tin, causing it to stick.
- LOOSEN THE EDGES. Run a blunt knife around the top edge of the cake to help release it from the tin.
- COVER & FLIP. Place a sheet of baking paper and a wire rack/plate/tray on top of your tin to catch the cake. Then, in one swift motion, flip over the tin onto the wire rack.
- TAP. Place a dish cloth on your countertop and gently tap the tin 1-2 times on your work surface to loosen the cake and it should plop out (see troubleshooting tips if not).
- FINISHING TOUCHES. Allow to cool completely before during with icing sugar or glazing.
Troubleshooting tips
Sometimes things will go wrong despite your best efforts. Here are some extra tidbits of useful info in case things start to go pear-shaped:
- Make sure your cake is properly baked with a beautiful golden crust. If it’s still a little soft or gooey near the middle cone, it’s likely to stick and break apart.
- Patience pays off if your cake is being a bit stubborn. With the tin inverted, carefully support the surface of the cake with one hand to stop it from collapsing out, and gently tap the edges of the tin against your work surface. Keep tapping and rotating to help release all the sides until it releases.
- You can also gently pull the sides of the cake away from the tin to help it release. Place your fingers flat on the surface of the cake (you don’t want to gouge or dig it out) and gently pull it towards the middle and rotate around the whole edge.
- Make sure not to leave cakes with chocolate chips, cinnamon-sugar swirls or any sticky additions to cool for too long.
- Bundt cakes are more successful with thicker, denser batters so try substitute the milk in your recipe for buttermilk or thick Greek yoghurt.
If all else fails, don’t fret. The broken pieces of cake will work great for trifles, cake pops and mini tiramisu cups!
Ready to give it a go? Try this super delicious Spiced Carrot Bundt Cake using our MiniMakes Spiced Cake Batter Mix or this Chocolate Almond Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache.