NewsYou’re holding a get-together. You need a more exquisite (but yet simple) dessert than a plain sheet cake. What to cook… Marblehead sees the light! Bundt cake is a simple yet striking way to turn a standard cake into something special.
So you bake your Bundt cake, flip it over, hold your breath… and let the expletives fly as the cake falls out of the pan in bits, a mangled disaster.
Prevent Bundt cakes from sticking: Our top 10 tips for perfect bundts every time
1. If it ain’t broke.
If you use your grandma’s beat-up old aluminum pan (or a brand new top-of-the-line model), and your Bundt cakes ALWAYS come out of the pan with nary a crumb out of place — thank your lucky stars! Continue on if you want to have a self-satisfied giggle but don’t want to alter anything about your Bundt-baking process.
2. Use a non-stick pan — preferably one in good shape
Nonstick pans are the ideal answer to the inherent difficulties in the delicate design of a Bundt cake. But beware the older non-stick pan: a scratched, worn non-stick surface may no longer be slick enough to release your cake flawlessly.
3. Grease the pan thoroughly
Use non-stick vegetable oil spray or melted shortening — not butter. The milk solids in butter can act like glue, encouraging cake batter to stick to the pan. (Do you constantly grease your baking pan and your cake never sticks?
If your pan is extremely detailed, use a pastry brush to coat all of its nooks and crevices with melted shortening.
Oh, and don’t forget about the middle tube: it requires just as much care as the rest of the pan.
4. Grease the pan just prior to adding the batter
Most recipes begin with, “Preheat the oven. Grease the pan…” We’ve found that greasing a non-stick Bundt pan too far ahead of time allows the oil to slide down the inside of the pan and pool in the bottom.
5. Don’t flour the pan; but do coat it
If you’re using a nonstick pan and still have problems with sticking Bundts, consider putting finely ground nut flour (toasted almond flour on the left) or granulated sugar into the oiled pan before adding the batter. Either will provide a barrier between batter and pan — which is what you’re seeking.
“But isn’t sugar sticky?” Yeah, it gets sticky as it cools, and when completely chilled, it may function like glue. But, sugar is still semi-liquid when heated, and your sugar-coated cake should slip easily out of the pan.
What about flour?
Here’s a thought experiment: I did sprinkling the inside of a greased Bundt pan with toasted almond flour (left side of cake); granulated sugar (top), and flour (the missing chunk, and some adjoining real estate at the bottom).
Not only does flour sometimes provide a less-than-satisfactory non-stick experience, it also adds a dry layer of “gunk” to the cake’s surface. I like finely ground nuts or sugar (nut flour).
“I always flour my Bundt pan and my cake always comes out just fine,” you say? See the preceding advice.
6. Loosen the edges of the cake when you remove it from the oven
All you need is a little poke with a table knife or thin heatproof spatula. Carefully slide the knife or spatula down the sides of the pan as far as you can, to release any sticking spots.
7. Don’t forget the tube
Your cake may sometimes rise up and over the tube, thereby preventing it from releasing from the pan. Cut away any excess cake that has encroached on the tube, or use your fingers to gently push it back. The whole top surface of the tube should be visible.
8. Let the hot cake rest for a few minutes
If your cake splits as you remove it from the pan, you may be misinterpreting the reason. Some cakes are extremely fragile right out of the oven; even if they don’t stick to the pan, the simple act of moving them from pan to rack causes a fracture.
I like to let my Bundt cakes rest for about 5 minutes right side up; then for another 5 minutes upside down on a rack. As I turn the pan onto the rack, the cake sometimes falls out. It sometimes need a little assistance — continue reading.
9. Give your Bundt a gentle nudge
If you’ve turned the pan over, waited, and the cake hasn’t dropped out of the pan onto the rack, give it a few gentle side-to-side jiggles. This tiny motion is often sufficient to release it.
10. If all else fails…
Return your cake to the cooling (but still warm) oven for about 10 minutes. This gentle heat is often sufficient to soften and release any baked-on regions sticking to the pan’s edges.
