Using a Bundt Cake Pan: Preparing, Baking, & Removing the Bundt Cake

A Bundt cake is merely any type of cake that is baked in a Bundt pan. Traditional Bundt cakes are more like pound cakes and are rich and dense. They are rarely frosted, typically being showered with powder sugar or drizzled with glaze instead.

The Bundt pan was invented in 1950 by H. David Dalquist, inventor of the Nordic Ware Bundt pan. He invented it at the request of members of the Minneapolis Center of the Hadassah Society who wanted a better pan for baking a Jewish dessert named kugel. At that time only ceramic cake pans were available and they wanted an aluminum one. The Bundt pan is now the top selling cake pan in the world.

The signature "tube" which protrudes through the center of the cake gives the Bundt pan its unique baking ability. The Bundt pan allows the cake to bake high while maintaining and even doneness throughout. No more gooey centers and burnt outsides! The Bundt pans high profile also allows a "tunnel" of filling to be easily placed in the cake, though most Bundt cakes do not contain fillings.

Correctly Preparing the Bundt Cake Pan For Baking

When using a Bundt cake pan it is important to thoroughly spray each crevice in the Bundt pan to assure a quick even release of the Bundt cake. Bundt pans are famous for having intricate folds and carved looking sides which can resemble anything from a blooming rose to a church steeple!

I like to use Bakers Secret, a spray which has oil as well as flour in it. If you prefer to do it "old School," take these steps:

1) Coat the inside of the Bundt pan with a thin layer of shortening or oil using a pastry brush.

2) Place about 1/4 cup of flour in the pan.

3) Encase the Bundt pan with cling wrap making sure it is well sealed.

4) Shake the Bundt pan until a thin layer of flour is clinging to the shortening.

5) Take the Bundt pan out of the bag and touch up any areas you missed with the shortening.

6) Re-shake the Bundt pan in the flour filled bag if necessary.

7) Discard the bag and excess flour.

Properly Removing the Baked Bundt Cake From the Bundt Cake Pan

Bundt pans are easy to use. When people do have problems it tends to be in removing the Bundt cake from the Bundt pan after baking. Proper preparation of the pan is the key to an easy release from the Bundt pan. Always start there when trying to determine why your cake stuck to the Bundt pan. If you are sure you properly prepared the pan then there are a few other steps you can take to help your Bundt Cake leave your Bundt pan a bit more easily

1) Just before removing the Bundt Cake from the Bundt pan place a hand towel in the sink and drench it in steaming hot water.

2) Leaving the towel in the sink, set the cake upright on the towel immediately upon removing it from the oven.

3) let the pan sit on the moist towel for about half a minute then immediately flip the cake over on a cooling rack.

The steam from the hot wet towel will help the cake fall out of the pan with great ease. Be careful when removing the Bundt cake from the Bundt pan. Bundt cakes are very moist and tender and cake fall about or crack in half even under the best of circumstances.

If your Bundt cake begins to crack or fall apart put it back in the pan until it is totally cool. The moistness in the cake will sometimes 're-glue" the cake together so that the crack is diminished or at least hidden!