Bundt Cake
19 Best Bundt Cake Recipes That Look Super Fancy but Are a Cinch
From double-chocolate to gingerbread to salted egg yolk and everywhere in between.
As the holidays quickly approach, it’s time to get your trusted bundt pan out of storage to take baking season by the reins. From a nutty tahini bundt number that's swirled with berries to a chocolate cake made with mashed potatoes—trust us on this!—we’ve gathered 19 of the best bundt and tube cake recipes to guarantee you’ll find one right for every occasion.
1. Salted Egg Yolk Pound Cake
Typically used in Asian cuisine, salt-cured egg yolks add a unique, briny quality to any dish they touch. The author of this recipe, ingeniously adds this “umami gold” to the pound cake batter to create “rich saltiness that heightens the sweetness—and deepens the savoriness—of pound cake.” Keep in mind that this must-try recipe does require some foresight, as curing the yolks does require a few weeks of anticipation. Though, you can always look for store-bought, salt-preserved eggs at your local Asian market.
2. Brown Sugar Apple Cake With Pecans & Dried Figs
This ultra-cozy recipe features sweet and nutty ingredients like: brown sugar, dried figs, tart apples (such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), and chopped pecans. The beauty of this recipe—aside from its delectable appearance—is that you can sub out any of these mix-in ingredients for what you have on hand in your pantry. Try using walnuts instead of pecans, or add in other seasonal fruits like raspberries or pears.
3. Tahini Cake with Blueberry Swirl
Make this nutty bundt cake crust using tahini and sesame seeds to coat the exterior as it bakes to golden perfection. Instead of brushing the pan with butter, the recipe creator uses tahini to create a slick, nonstick surface. Though, this version is marbled with blueberry, feel free to swap it out for the next best seasonal fruit.
4. Yuzu Coconut Cake With Caramelized Sugar Crust
You’d have no idea that this cake is completely plant-based if no one were to tell you. Made with olive oil and coconut milk, to yield a moist, rich cake, this completely dairy-free recipe will definitely become a part of your baking rotation. The author adds yuzu—a floral, lip-puckering citrus fruit—to help cut the fat in the olive oil and coconut milk for a well-balanced sugary treat to satisfy your cravings.
5. Buttermilk-Streusel Coffee Cake
This coffee cake is exactly what your morning coffee has been missing. Made with a generous amount of streusel topping, to ensure you get a bit with every bite, this cake is equal parts comforting and delicious. Erin Jeanne McDowell recommends freezing the leftover slices “in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil [to] reheat them in the microwave for unexpected coffee guests or snacktime emergencies.”
6. The Gingeriest Gingerbread
It’s never too early to start making gingerbread! Adapted from award-winning pastry chef, Claudia Fleming’s famous Gramercy Tavern-favorite recipe—Guinness Stout Ginger Cake—Emma Laperruque amps up the gingery factor for an exquisite combination. Instead of stout beer, Laperruque added ginger beer, and doubled both the ground and freshly grated ginger for a zesty gingerbread that will be hard to forget.
7. Last-of-the-Bunch Banana Bundt
Don’t know what to do with your overripe bananas, almost-expiring yogurt, and aging shredded coconut, that have been sitting in your pantry for wayyyyy too long? Turn them into this easy, flavorful, and storage-friendly banana bundt cake. When cookbook author, Dorie Greenspan, was faced with a similar dilemma just before a cross-country trip, she quickly transformed her kitchen leftovers into a delicious, coconutty, banana cake to take with her on the flight—and more to store for when she got back!
8. Walnut Cake
Don’t be fooled by the modest appearance of this cake—it is everything but that! Though the ingredient list may seem simple and traditional, once you’ve tried this cake there is no going back. With just the right amount of sweetness and nutiness, this delicate, and elegant cake proves that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication!
9. Tunnel of Fudge, 1966
Recipe creator, Jessica Reed, recounts the interesting history behind the bundt pan that was made “at the request of two local women looking for a lightweight alternative to the cast-iron Bundkuchen.” In 1950, H. David Dalquist, co-owner of Nordic Ware, created the bundt pan—as we know it—that can now be found in over “60 million” homes throughout the United States, according to Reed. This classic chocolate fudge bundt cake is based off of the 1966 Pillsbury Bake Off Tunnel of Fudge recipe that helped secure the baker, Ella Helfrich, second place!
10. Roasted Pear Cake with Browned Butter Glaze
Make the most of this year’s seasonal pears with this roasted pear cake with browned butter glaze that will have you going back for seconds. To get the maximum amount of fruit-filled flavor, the creator roasts the pears, then mashes them into sauce consistency that helps keep the cake moist and tender.
11. Paula Shoyer’s Chocolate Quinoa Cake
This recipe is a genius twist on traditional flourless cakes that tend to lack moisture. In place of gluten, this recipe calls for cooked quinoa to mimic the moist, fudgy qualities of a traditional cake. You’ll wonder how you hadn’t tried this trick sooner!
12. Tipsy Apple-Parsnip Cake with Sultanas and Cider Glaze
If you’re a fan of infusing your cake with a little booze, this recipe is for you. Perfect for the cooler months, this rum-infused cake will definitely warm up your soul. Made with ingredients like smokey cinnamon, spicy nutmeg, sweet apples, and spiked raisins, this cake is perfect for the upcoming holiday parties.
13. Chocolate-Mashed Potato Cake with Ganache
Yes, you read that right! This cake is made using mashed potatoes! According to janeofmanytrade, “potatoes are a baker's secret weapon” that help “add wonderful moisture and structure to baked goods including breads of all kinds as well as cakes.” Masked by the rich chocolate cake and chocolate ganache glaze, you won’t even realize a spud or two made their way into the batter!
14. Monkey (Ginger)Bread
Enjoy this new take on a childhood classic that calls for most of fall’s favorite spices: ginger, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. This monkey bread is perfect for bringing the family together as they tear away pieces of the fluffy nubs of dough, drenched in sweet caramelized sugar, one by one. You’ll want to make sure you get in on the fun before it’s all gone!
15. Esteban Castillo's Dulce de Leche Chocoflan Cake
Proving that bundt cakes are never boring, this dulce de leche chocoflan really takes the prize. This indulgent dessert combines two of the best baked goods: flan and chocolate cake. When making this recipe, you first add the chocolate cake batter, then ladle the custard mixture overtop. Then, something magical occurs as it bakes—the chocolate cake floats to the top, as the flan sinks to the bottom. This truly spectacular dish will be the talk of the party.
16. Rich Chocolate Cake with Coconut Filling and Ganache
Calling all chocolate lovers! This rich chocolate cake is filled with a coconut cream cheese filling, and is topped with a thin layer of decadent chocolate ganache. Resisting the creamy, luscious layers of this bundt cake will be a nearly impossible feat.
17. Whole Orange Bundt Cake with Five-Spice Streusel
This spiced, citrus-infused recipe is definitely not your average bundt cake. Crafted with great care and technique, this recipe is sure to surpass your expectations. Deemed “the best cake I've made or eaten in a long time” by the test kitchen editors, you’re sure to want to give this one a whirl. Made with whole oranges to add fruitiness, and Chinese five-spice powder to make an unforgettable streusel topping, this cake will be approved by all members of your family.
18. Sweet Cream Bundt Cake
This mild, sweet, and satisfying cake is like a warm, comforting hug on a cold day. Made with standard baking ingredients you likely already have at home, this recipe is perfect for making a last minute dessert for someone special. The author notes that some compare the flavor of this simple, maple glazed cake to honey, or honey crullers.
19. Gingerbread Beer Bundt Cake with Chocolate Glaze
Make gingerbread bundt cake even more irresistible with a healthy serving of your favorite dark beer. This not-so-secret ingredient helps add depth, and bring out the flavors of the spicy, ground ginger. Best of all, you don’t need any fancy cake decorating skills to make this cake a success.
Written by: Maki Yazawa
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