Ahhhh a classic vanilla bundt cake! There is nothing better than a fluffy and moist vanilla cake with the most perfect and silky vanilla glaze. This bundt cake is easy to make with simple ingredients and comes together easily. It is perfect for a special occasion, small get together, or to just simply enjoy when you're craving something sweet.
Components of a vanilla bundt cake
- The cake. This cake is *mwah* chef's kiss in both taste and texture. It has the best vanilla flavor. The cake is super light and fluffy and the glaze melts in your mouth.
- The vanilla glaze. The glaze is by far my favorite part - I can eat it with a spoon. It almost reminds me of the glaze you would find on a vanilla frosted donut from Dunkin Donuts.
Key ingredients
- All purpose flour: all purpose flour is the key to a fluffy and moist cake! This is where a kitchen scale is most important, but if you don't have one, make sure to properly measure your flour using the spoon and level method.
- Leavener: we use baking soda in this recipe.
- Fats: the fats in this recipe are the unsalted butter, vegetable oil, eggs, and whole milk. All of these ingredients add moisture to the bundt cake.
- Sugars: the sugar of choice in this cake is granulated sugar. We also use powdered sugar in the glaze.
- Eggs: eggs add moisture and bind the ingredients together.
- Vanilla extract: since vanilla extract is the key flavor in this cake, make sure to use pure, good quality vanilla!
Steps
- Whisk the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Beat together the butter and oil. Stream in the granulated sugar and mix. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well in between each addition. Then add the vanilla extract and mix.
- Combine. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until almost fully incorporated. Then add half of the milk and mix on low until almost fully incorporated. Repeat this with the other halves of the dry ingredients and the milk.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, checking for doneness at 40 minutes as all ovens differ.
- Let the cake cool. Let the bundt cake cool in the pan for no longer than 10 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack. Let cool for 20-30 minutes before adding the glaze.
- Make the glaze. While the cake is cooling, make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, salt, and milk. Pour the glaze over the cake and enjoy!
FAQ
Why is my cake dry?
A cake can be dry from over measuring the flour. The best way to measure flour is with a kitchen scale - it is the most accurate. If you don't have a kitchen scale, spoon the flour into a measuring cup, then level it off with a knife.
Over baking can also result in a dry cake. Just a few extra minutes in the oven can turn a soft and moist cake into a tough and dry one, so make sure to keep an eye on it. It is finished when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Why did my cake sink?
Cakes can sink for a number of reasons. First, is over mixing the batter. Make sure to only mix your batter until the dry ingredients are JUST incorporated, not any longer. Second, an underbaked cake can sink, so make sure to bake the cake all the way through. Finally, poor air circulation in your oven/opening and closing the door too quickly can cause your cake to deflate. If you have poor air circulation, make sure to rotate your bundt pan half way through baking, and don't open/close the door to fast. This will blow all of the hot air out of the oven.
Why is my cake dense?
A dense cake is likely from too much liquid. I highly suggest using a kitchen scale to measure our your ingredients - it is the most accurate and will serve better results. Using volume measurements is not ideal because my 1 cup measuring cup can be different from your 1 cup measuring cup.
Can I make this cake gluten free?
I haven't tried it, but Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 baking flour is always a good alternative! If you try a gluten free flour blend, please let me know how it turns out in the comments!
How do I store this cake?
Any cake exposed to air will become dry pretty quickly, so make sure to store it in an airtight container at room temperature. It will keep for 3-4 days, but it is best enjoyed fresh (or even slightly warm!).
Baking in grams
While I provide volume measurements for the recipes on my blog, I highly suggest baking these recipes using weight. It is the most standardized and accurate way to bake. I carefully recipe test all of my recipes using a kitchen scale, not by using cups, and therefore I cannot guarantee the success of my recipes when using volume measurements.
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Vanilla Bundt Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For Coating the Bundt Pan
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- granulated sugar
Cake
- 2 ½ cups (313 grams) all purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup (100 grams) vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 grams) whole milk room temperature
Glaze
- 2 cups (240 grams) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter melted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch of salt
- 3-4 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350F and generously grease a 12 cup bundt pan by spreading 1 tablespoon of melted butter all over the inside of the pan with a pastry brush, then coating it with granulated sugar.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and oil together on medium-high speed until completely combined. This will only happen if the butter is fully at room temperature. About 2-3 minutes.
- With the mixer on low speed, stream in the granulated sugar then beat on medium speed until combined and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well on low speed in between each addition, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Add the vanilla extract and mix on low-medium speed until combined.
- With the mixer on low, add half of the dry ingredients. Once almost fully incorporated, add half of the milk and mix until almost combined. Stop to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Repeat this with the other halves of the dry ingredients and the milk. Do not over mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
- Bake the cake for 40-50 minutes (all ovens differ - so begin checking it at 40 minutes) until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool for no more than 10 minutes before turning out the cake onto a cooling wrack.
Glaze
- While the cake is cooling, whisk together the powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, salt, and milk until smooth and combined. You may need to add more powdered sugar (to thicken) or milk (to thin) depending on desired consistency.
- Pour the glaze on the cake and enjoy!
Tried this recipe? Make sure to rate and review and tag @sturbridgebakery on Instagram!
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