Bundt Cakes 101: Everything You Need to Know
What is Bundt Cake you ask? Are you looking to make someone’s birthday extra special? Then a Bundt cake can be the ideal option for this special occasion. The cakes are finely made so you can get the pleasure of the delicious taste of the item. One bite and you would fall in love with the cake.
What is Bundt Cake? History and Origins
Pronounced with a silent d, the word “Bundt” is of German origin. In fact, a Bundt cake is baked in a Bundt pan that is shaped like a ring. Traditionally speaking, these cakes were referred to as Gugelhupf. They were more popular in North Germany, often referred to as Bundkuchen.
It became more famous in the middle of the 20th century when Nordic Ware, an American-based cookware company, started manufacturing the pans.
Americans became enamored with the distinct form and the excellent appearance of a finished Bundt cake that made a great dessert centerpiece at holidays and family gatherings. Since then, Bundt cake has stayed a famous dessert in America and worldwide.
What is the Difference Between Regular Cake and a Bundt Cake?
You may be wondering what makes Bundt cake different from a regular cake. The major difference of this cake is that it has less to do with the ingredients than with the pan itself. To make things simple, the most important component of a Bundt cake is its shape.
A cake baked in a Bundt pan features a doughnut-like shape. That means there is a big hole in the center. The outer edges are grooved or fluted and normally have a deeper brown color and a bit more well-done texture compared to the cake’s interior.
Keep in mind that a Bundt cake wouldn’t be easily recognizable in a taste test. Nonetheless, it would be quite certain that a pastry is a Bundt cake by sight.
Do Bundt Cakes Take Longer to Bake? What is Bundt Cake?
Bear in mind that Bundt cake and pound cake batters are very dense, and the pans are quite big. That’s why such cakes do take a bit longer to bake than most takes out there. It normally takes at least an hour. Just make sure you keep your patience long as your cake bakes.
How Long Should You Let a Bundt Cake to Cool Before Removing It from the Pan?
So, let’s say you finally removed your cake from the oven. Make sure you put the pan on a wire rack and let it cool for a while. Remember that your recipe will designate the needed time, normally from ten to twenty minutes.
Doing that allows the cake to become stable enough to transfer from the pan without even breaking apart. What’s more, cooling your cake too long in the pan will cause the Bundt cake to become damp and stick to the pan itself. You want to avoid that from happening.
What is the Best Way to Get a Cake of a Bundt Pan?
You can try different options to get your Bundt cake off the pan. One of them is by trying to give it a bang. Take out of your stress on the Bundt cake by giving it a decent bang. Make sure you lay a dishtowel on your countertop. Then, invert the pan and bang on the pan’s top and sides. That will help to loosen up the Bundt cake from the walls of the pan.
But you can also try to let gravity to the hard work for you. Once inverted, let the pan sit for at least ten minutes and check on it again. That gives your cake a chance to cool, contract, and slide out the pan.
Simple Bundt Cake Recipe for You to Try – What is Bundt Cake?
Ingredients you need:
- 1 tsp. of vegetable oil
- ½ cup of chocolate chips
- 2 cups of chopped walnuts or pecans
- 2 tsp. of vanilla extract
- 2/3 cups of cocoa powder
- 2 cups of flour
- 2 cups of sifted, powdered sugar
- 6 eggs
- 1 once or 2 squares of melted chocolate
- ¾ cups of brown sugar
Instructions:
- Flour and butter will not work for the crevices of the pan. Hence, you might well utilize cooking spray to avoid the cake from sticking to the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Beat the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and butter in a big bowl until the mixtures become fluffy. Add two squares of cooled and melted chocolate and continue beating until the mixture is smooth. Add the eggs one by one and beat carefully.
- Add the vanilla extract, cocoa powder, flour, pecans, and powdered sugar when the batter is smooth until you get a smooth texture.
- After the batter is done, place it into the prepared Bundt pan and bake it for forty-eight to fifty-four minutes. Test the cake by checking if the crust already looks shiny and dry.
- Let the cake cool for at least an hour after baking, after which you can move the cake onto a plate. Be thorough about transferring the cake from the pan so as not to destroy its shape. Try shaking it slowly to loosen it.
So, are you ready to start making a Bundt cake? A crucial step to making any type of cake is enjoying eating it. Even when these cakes do not come out with their perfect form, they still taste delicious.
You can hide a few imperfections in these cakes with a fruit syrup, frosting, or some toppings.
Here is a great video featuring several bundt cake recipes:
Share your favorite bundt cake recipe with us below!
If you are new to baking and want to learn some basic tips and techniques be sure to visit our newbies section.