One of the most frustrating things that can happen is to bake a Bundt cake only to find that it is stuck to the pan and refuses to let go. You don’t want to throw it away because you worked hard on it, but it really can seem as though it will never come out.
Fortunately, there are a few tricks to getting it out, and a few tips on how you can prepare better next time so that it doesn’t happen.
What Is a Bundt Cake?
A Bundt cake is a cake baked in a Bundt pan. The Bundt pan is round and normally has a decorative bottom and a hollow center.
It is very popular to bake cakes that are going to be heavily decorated in this style because the hollow center allows the cake to have a crustier edge, which holds frosting and decorations well.
The surface of the cake will be exposed to higher temperatures in this pan, so you want cake recipes that you use to have a lot of moisture.
In addition, it is important to grease and flour the pan well before you bake the cake, as there are a lot of small places for the cake to get stuck. You don’t want the cake to bake unevenly, and you definitely don’t want it to break up when it comes out of the pan.
How to Prepare the Bundt Cake Pan for Baking
First of all, make sure that you are using a pan that has a nonstick coating. This will make life so much easier because most Bundt cake pans have all kinds of crevices that are part of the design of the pan.
Aluminum pans work well because they conduct heat well, and they are lighter colored, so they will bake your cake more evenly.
Even though you are using a nonstick pan, you will need to grease and flour the pan. The non-stickiness will help to prevent the cake from sticking. If your nonstick pan is older, make sure that it doesn’t have too many scratches because older nonstick pans aren’t nearly as effective as new ones.
For the best results, you should use a pastry brush to grease your pan. There are several methods for this. The goal is to create a nonstick layer between the pan and the cake batter.
Fat and flour work together nicely to accomplish this. For your fat, you can use butter, oil, or shortening, and when it bakes with the flour, it forms a protective layer around your cake.
You should use a liquid form of fat, so if you choose butter, you will want to melt it first. Use the pastry brush to cover every part of the pan. Once you finish, sprinkle flour all over it. You can also use sugar in place of flour. This will help you to end up with a crisp sugar crust on the exterior of your cake.
After you sprinkle the flour or sugar onto the pan, cover it with plastic wrap and shake it. It is important for the flour or sugar to be distributed uniformly throughout the pan.
You can also use a baking spray in place of the grease and flour method. Add a few tablespoons of vegetable oil and coat the pan in this mixture. The best way to do this is with a pastry brush, although you can use a paper towel or even your fingertips.
The pastry brush will be able to coat every single part of the surface.
After You Bake the Bundt Cake
After you bake your cake, there are more precautions for you to take so that your cake will slide out easily. Remove your Bundt cake from the oven, and let it cool on a wire rack for 10 to 20 minutes.
Your recipe will probably tell you the exact amount of time for your cake. While the cake is cooling, it will also become firmer, which will help it to slide out of the pan.
After this time, you should be able to slide a regular knife down the sides of your cake without breaking the cake apart. This will help you to free up any parts of the cake that might be sticking to the sides of the pan.
Then, tap the pan on the sides, and shake it a little bit to loosen it more. When you turn the pan over, the cake should slide right out.
It is important that you cool the cake for the time specified in the recipe because cooling it for too long can cause your cake to become too damp and actually stick to the pan. For this reason, watch the clock and pay close attention to how long your Bundt cake is cooling.
What to Do If Your Bundt Cake Sticks to the Pan
If you have done everything you can to make sure that the Bundt cake will not stick to the pan, and it sticks anyway, you still have options. One of the reasons people use Bundt cake pans is for the designs and shape of the cake, and obviously if it sticks, it won’t show those beautiful designs.
If your cake sticks to the pan, do what you can to get it out, and you can add a fruit topping, sweet heavy cream, or pudding to the top of it. In fact, your cake might be so delicious that you forget that you are upset that your cake stuck to the pan.
What Kind of Cakes Should I Bake in a Bundt Pan?
Most of the time, people use a Bundt cake pan to bake heavier cakes, such as coffee cake, fruitcake, rum cake, or chocolate fudge cake.
However, people often use the Bundt pan as a substitute for other pans because they love the decorative bottom and the hollow center allows for a crispy outside layer without excessive browning.
You can bake any kind of cake in a Bundt pan, but you will definitely want to use it for heavier recipes, including fruitcakes, chocolate fudge cake, coffee cake, or rum cake.
Steps for Removing a Bundt Cake from the Pan
- Make sure that the pan is a nonstick pan.
- Before you cook, spray a fat such as oil, melted butter, or oil into the pan’s surface.
- Coat the entire pan.
- Sprinkle four or sugar on the pan.
- Cover the pan in plastic wrap, and shake it thoroughly.
- Pour in the batter and cook.
- Afterward, place the pan and cake on a wire rack to cool 10 to 20 minutes.
- Scrape the sides with a table knife.
- Tap the side of the pan to loosen the cake.
- Flip the pan over and let the cake slide out.
Types of Bundt Cake Pans
Bundt cake pans come in all different shapes and sizes, and the only thing to really take note of is that the more intricate the design, the more important it becomes that you grease the entire pan.
Bundt cake pans are circular with a hollow center, and they almost always have a design on the top of the cake. In addition to decorative Bundt cake pans, you can get pans that are shaped in any way you can imagine.
For example, they have Bundt cake pans shaped like a rose, a square, and even a gingerbread house. They make castle Bundt pans and ones with a setting of trees. Remember that the distinguishing characteristic is that it has a hollow center.
Where Did Bundt Cakes Come From?
You may wonder where Bundt cakes come from. The Bundt pan is actually trademarked, and it was invented by H. David Dalquist.
He made it for a group of people who wanted to have an elaborate cake. He styled it after European pans, but he added the design on top because he wanted it to be easier to cut.
What Else Can I Do with My Bundt Cake Pan?
You may have an older Bundt cake pan, or maybe you just want another use for your pan. These pans are so decorative that you actually have options. First of all, you can make a lot of cakes. They will be delicious with that crisp outer layer.
You can also use your Bundt cake pan as a centerpiece in your house. Put some finger foods in the Bundt pan and have some friends over for dinner. They will love the pan, and you will be happy that you used it this way.
You can also use your Bundt cake pan for your side dishes. Fill it with mashed potatoes or mac and cheese, and it will be a lot of fun at the dining room table. Rather than pulling out the same old boring serving dish every time, use your Bundt cake pan.
You can also use it to make Jello. This is easy to do, and everyone loves it. Finally, you can roast a chicken in it. It will have very crispy skin and the meat will be juicy and tender.
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.