Bundt Pan: How Much Room To Leave?

When it comes to baking a Bundt cake, there are a few key things to keep in mind to ensure your cake doesn't stick to the pan. Firstly, it's important to generously grease your Bundt pan, even if it's non-stick. You can use liquid or solid fats, such as canola oil, vegetable oil, or shortening. Brush the fat into every nook and cranny of the pan to ensure the cake doesn't stick. You can also flour the pan after greasing it for extra precaution. Additionally, only fill your Bundt pan until it's about two-thirds to three-quarters full to allow room for the cake to rise. This is especially important as Bundt cakes tend to be tall and thick, and can take up to 75 minutes to bake properly. By following these tips, you'll be well on your way to creating beautiful and delicious Bundt cakes that release cleanly from the pan!

Greasing the pan

Liquid fat (melted butter or oil) does a better job of getting inside the nooks and crannies of a Bundt pan. You can also use sugar instead of flour for a crisp, sugary crust. This method is best for Bundt cakes that won't be frosted or glazed.

The Classic Method: Fat Plus Flour

• Use a pastry brush to brush the Bundt pan with melted butter, making sure to get into the details of the pan.
• Add about 1/4 cup of flour, sprinkling it evenly into the bottom of the pan.
• Cover the top of the Bundt pan with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap seals the pan. Shake to coat the pan.
• Invert the Bundt pan to remove the plastic wrap. Discard the plastic wrap and excess flour.

The Alternative: Pan Release Paste

• Make a quick paste of equal parts shortening and flour and a few tablespoons of vegetable oil.
• Apply the pan-release paste to the pan with a pastry brush.
• Store any unused paste in an airtight container in the pantry for up to a month.

If you don't have shortening, you can use a cooking spray specifically formulated for baking and containing flour.

Flouring the pan

Firstly, use a paper towel to wipe a thin layer of shortening onto every bit of the pan. You can also use butter or lard, but avoid using butter if your pan is particularly intricate, as the milk solids in butter can act like glue, causing the batter to stick. If using butter, brush melted butter into the pan's nooks and crannies with a pastry brush.

Next, dust the grease with a dry ingredient like flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, or even nut flour. You can also use baking spray as an alternative, as this contains flour. However, be sure to use short bursts of spray rather than a continuous stream, and distribute the spray evenly with a pastry brush if needed.

If you want to avoid flour residue on your cake, you can skip this step and instead coat the greased pan with a simple syrup, a glaze, or a paste made from 1 tablespoon of melted butter and 1 tablespoon of flour.

Once you've finished coating the pan, tap out any excess flour or residue.

Thoroughly examine the pan for any areas that are not greased and floured, no matter how small. Use the pastry brush to apply shortening to these areas, coat with flour, and tap out the excess. This step is crucial, as even a small ungreased area can cause your cake to stick and tear.

Now your pan is ready for batter!

Filling the pan with batter

Now that your Bundt pan is prepared, it's time to fill it with batter! But how much batter should you put in?

The general rule of thumb is to fill your Bundt pan about two-thirds to three-quarters full. This ensures that the batter has enough room to rise without overflowing the pan. For a standard 10-cup Bundt pan, this usually translates to about 40 to 50 ounces of batter for light and fluffy cakes. If you're working with denser cakes, like pound cakes, you can go up to 50 to 60 ounces of batter.

If you're using a different size or shape of Bundt pan, the amount of batter will vary. As a guide, the 6-cup Classic and Wreath pans require half the amount of batter as the standard 10-cup pan. The Festival pan takes 9 cups, while the Rose, Sunflower, Star, Fleur De Lis, Bavarian Pan, and Fancy Loaf Pan hold 10 cups each. The Bundtlette Pan and Mini-Bundt make six 1-cup small cakes.

To get an accurate measurement of how much batter your pan can hold, you can fill it with cups of water and count how many it takes. This will give you the total volume of batter your pan can accommodate.

When pouring the batter into the pan, be careful not to overfill it. Leave some room for the batter to rise during baking. Also, remember to place your Bundt pan on a sheet pan before putting it in the oven. This will catch any overflow and prevent the uneven shape of the pan from tipping to one side.

Now that your Bundt pan is filled with the perfect amount of batter, it's ready to be baked! But how long should you bake it for? Well, that depends on a few factors...

Baking Time Considerations

The baking time for your Bundt cake will depend on the size of your pan, the density of your batter, and the accuracy of your oven temperature. In general, Bundt cakes in 12-cup pans take anywhere from 35 minutes to an hour to bake. Smaller pans, like the Bundtlette Pans, bake for 15 to 35 minutes.

A good rule of thumb is to budget about one minute of baking time per ounce of batter at 350°F (180°C) in a conventional oven. However, this may vary depending on your specific recipe and oven, so it's always a good idea to start checking your cake a few minutes early. Most Bundt cakes are done when they reach an internal temperature of about 200°F (93°C).

To test if your Bundt cake is done, insert a toothpick into the centre of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached, your cake is ready. If not, pop it back in the oven and check again in a few minutes.

Now that you know how much batter to put in your Bundt pan and how long to bake it for, you're well on your way to becoming a Bundt cake pro! Just remember to always prepare your pan properly, fill it to the right level, and keep an eye on your baking time. Happy baking!

Baking the cake

Now that your bundt pan is prepared and filled with batter, it's time to bake!

Bundt cakes tend to be tall, thick cakes and can take up to 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) to bake fully. The oven temperature should be set to either 325 ºF or 350 ºF. Be patient and use a cake tester and/or a digital thermometer to check that your cake is baked through.

When adapting a recipe to a bundt pan, it can be tricky to guess how much time it will need in the oven. A good rule of thumb is to budget about one minute per ounce of batter at 350°F (180°C) in a conventional oven. Most bundt cakes are done when they reach an internal temperature of about 200°F (93°C).

Bundt cakes should always be baked on a sheet pan as their uneven shape may cause them to tip to one side when placed on a wire oven rack. This can also catch any overflow if you've miscalculated the amount of batter.

Once you've checked that the cake is done, place the cake pan on a cooling rack and wait 10 minutes. This gives the crumb time to harden and firms up the whole cake. After this time, invert the cake onto the cooling rack and remove the pan. Place the cooling rack on top of the opening of the bundt pan and flip it over swiftly, holding both the rack and the pan firmly. If the pan is still hot, use a towel or oven mitts to protect your hands.

The cake should slide out of the pan and onto the rack cleanly without sticking if it's been baked properly and cooled just enough. If the cake has cooled too much in the pan, it will stick and break apart. If this happens, preheat the oven to 300 ºF and place the cake pan back in the oven to warm up. This should melt the fat on the edges and allow you to unmould the cake cleanly.

Removing the cake from the pan

Once your cake is baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool for around ten minutes. Then, place a wire cooling rack upside down on the exposed side of the cake. Hold the pan and cooling rack together and invert the pan. If the cake has dropped out, wonderful! If not, don't stress. Give the pan a gentle bang on the countertop to help loosen the cake from the sides. If the cake is still stubborn, let gravity do its work and leave it upside down for five to ten minutes.

If only a small chunk of the cake is stuck, patch it together while the cake is still warm, and disguise any imperfections with a simple glaze or icing. If your cake is a total flop, turn it into a trifle by cubing the cooled cake and layering it with cream, custard and fruit.

• Use a non-stick Bundt pan and take proper care of it. Avoid putting it in the dishwasher, and gently hand-wash it instead.
• Avoid using butter to grease the pan, as the milk solids can cause the cake to stick.
• Use a flexible silicone or plastic utensil to loosen the edges of the cake before removing it from the pan.
• Let the cake cool for five minutes once you remove it from the oven, then flip it onto a cooling rack upside down and let it rest for about five minutes before removing the pan.
• If the cake is still stuck, apply steam to the exterior of the pan to help loosen the cake.

Frequently asked questions