Bundt cake recipes are cake recipes that use a “bundt” cake pan or a round baking pan that with a hole in the middle and ridged, decorated sides. Bundt cake recipes use a dense cake such as a butter or pound cake recipe. These cakes are sturdy and last well. Recipes often call for a simple glaze or fruit topping. The name Bundt comes from the German word bund, which means “a gathering of people.”

Bundt cake recipes have grown in popularity since 1966 when a “Tunnel of Fudge” cake recipe used a bundt pan to win second place at a Pillsbury sponsored baking contest. Bundt cake recipes have since been quite popular and bundt cake pan sales have increased.

Because bundt cakes are baked in these intricate pans, there can be mishaps when turning the pan upside down and seperating the cake from the pan, ruining a wonderful cake. These mishaps can be avoided by following a few simple steps.

In order to stop your bundt cake from sticking when you turn it upside down you must prepare the pan by brushing it with vegetable shortening and a dusting of flour, alternatively use a non-stick spray with flour, stay away from sprays that contain lecithin as is will leave a residue. If you use the first method, tap the pan lightly over the sink to get rid of surplus flour.

You want the structure of your cake to be consistent throughout so you must avoid trapping air bubbles in the batter. This can be done by pouring the batter slowly, allowing it to fill the crevices of the bundt pan. It is prudent to only fill the pan ¾ of the way to allow the batter to rise. Use a spatula to press batter into the detailed walls of the bundt pan. Lightly wobbling the filled pan and tapping it against the counter will allow any remaining air bubbles to escape.

The cake should be placed in the center of the oven to allow for air circulation and even cooking. If the pan is dark colored it will absorb heat more quickly and the cooking temperature should be reduced 25 degrees fahrenheit from what the recipe calls for.

Once the cake has finished baking the correct time, let it cool for 10 minutes. If you turn the cake over now and it is stuck to the pan it may break so be sure to wobble the pan to indicate if it is loose. The cake should move freely from side to side letting you know it is ready to turn over. If the cake is sticking around the sides use a butter knife to gently pry the cake from the sides. Then turn the pan over on to a cooling rack and allow to fully cool.