How to Get Cake out of a Bundt Pan

Bundt cakes are elegant and beautiful by nature. Set in the center of the table, they can often be more striking than their traditional square or round counterparts. The best part? These cakes don’t require more effort from you as the baker—except when it comes to getting the cake out of the pan. Bundt cake pans can be detailed and ornate,  and if your batter sticks to said pan, that special cake can look like a crumbling mess instead. Luckily, there are a few tricks to keep in mind that will ensure a stress-free bundt cake baking experience. Here are the best ways we’ve found for how to get cake out of a bundt pan.

1. Use a Nonstick Pan

Typically, the newer the nonstick pan, the better. Sometimes the worn surface of an older nonstick bundt cake pan (like, perhaps, your grandmother’s) runs the risk of no longer being smooth enough to release your cake as perfectly as you’d like.

2. Grease the Pan

Before you pour your beautiful cake batter into the pan, make sure you grease it! Opt for non-stick spray rather than butter (as the milk solids in butter can often act like a glue and cause your cake batter to stick, making it even harder to get your bundt cake out of the pan). Alternatively, you can also use melted shortening for your pan greaser. And remember—don’t forget to grease the central tube before you bake!

3. Grease the Pan Right Before You Pour in the Batter

The grease may start to slide into the bottom of the pan if there’s too much time in between.

4. Let the Cake Cool for a Few Minutes

Before you try to get your cake out of the pan, allow it to cool for about 5 minutes. Before cakes cool, they are super fragile and run the risk of crumbling and cracking. Once it’s cool, loosen it a bit from the sides and around the central tube with a thin spatula or butter knife to help release any spots that may stick. If you’d like, try turning the cake upside down for five minutes to help ease it out.

Bundt Cake Recipe Inspiration

Now that we’ve covered the tips to ensure a beautiful (and in-one-piece) cake once it comes out of the pan, let’s take a look at some recipes that show us how to make a bundt cake. From Key Lime Bundt Cake to Carrot Pound Cake with Coconut Milk Icing, here are a few of our favorite bundt cake recipes we love to bake.

Homemade Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake

This Homemade Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake is made with chocolate pudding, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, and chopped pecans. The recipe calls for Organic Unbleached White All Purpose Flour as a base and also incorporates sugar, cocoa powder, sour cream, eggs, and more. With its rich and decadent taste, it’s the perfect accompaniment to a weekend brunch or an after dinner treat served with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Pair it with a sip of hot espresso or a big mug of your favorite tea.

Kentucky Butter Cake

If you’ve yet to try the traditional regional cake that is the Kentucky Butter Cake, you’re in for a true treat. Keep in mind that butter (as you might guess) is the primary ingredient of importance for this rich and wonderful bundt cake, so make sure to use high quality, fresh butter. This recipe is made using our Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, sugar, salt, eggs, vanilla extract, and buttermilk. A glaze is created by melting sugar with butter, water, and vanilla extract. Long holes are poked into the baked cake and half of the warm glaze is poured over it. Once it’s fully cooled, the remaining glaze tops the cake and it’s time to sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Cranberry Almond Bundt Cake With White Chocolate Glaze

This easy-to-make Cranberry Almond Bundt Cake is made with fresh cranberries and topped with a sweet and beautiful white chocolate glaze. The almond flavor pairs well with the tartness of the cranberries. Although it’s popular during the Christmas season, it tastes good all year long if you’re a cranberry lover like us! It’s created using Organic Unbleached White All Purpose Flour, almond extract, vanilla extract, butter, orange zest, and orange juice (among other tasty ingredients). To create the glaze, you’ll use white baking chips, heavy cream, and almond extract. Top it all with sliced almonds and cranberries, and enjoy a slice or two with family or friends.

Key Lime Bundt Cake

This Key Lime Bundt Cake tastes as elegant and gorgeous as it looks. Created by Jessica Toothman of A Million Moments, it’s a cake fit for the spring and summer seasons. Jessica creates her cake masterpiece with Organic Unbleached White All Purpose Flour, butter, sugar, eggs, fresh key lime juice, key lime or lime yogurt, and key lime zest. Once the cake is baked, drizzle it with icing made from powdered sugar, key lime juice, and milk. Tip: enjoy your slice in the sunshine, accompanied by a good book and some relaxing tunes. Keep in mind, if you can’t find key limes at your local store, you can easily substitute them for regular limes without much of a flavor difference.

Lemon Blueberry Swirl Bundt Cake

This recipe for Lemon Blueberry Swirl Bundt Cake was created by Gina Kleinworth from Kleinworth & Co. She describes the cake as, “A simple bundt cake recipe blending favorite spring flavors of lemon and blueberries. Great for Easter or Mother’s Day!” Her creation is made using butter, cream cheese, sugar, flour, eggs, and the secret ingredient of instant lemon pudding mix. For the blueberry swirl, she uses blueberries and sugar and tops the cake with a glaze of powdered sugar and milk. If you’re a fool for all things yellow and lemon, this is the cake for you. As Gina said, it’s perfect for springtime gatherings, and makes for a beautiful centerpiece placed on the table alongside a bright bouquet of fresh flowers.

Peppermint Chocolate Gluten Free Bundt Cake

This Peppermint Chocolate Gluten Free Bundt Cake comes complete with ganache and peppermint whipped cream. This recipe, courtesy of Sugar & Soul, is fit for Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and all gatherings winter-inspired. The cake is made using our Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, cocoa powder, sugar, buttermilk, and freshly brewed coffee. The ganache comes to life with heavy cream and baking chocolate, and the seasonally festive peppermint whipped cream is made with heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and a few drops of red food coloring. Top your tiny bundt cakes with peppermint chips or crushed candy cane pieces and pair these baked beauties with a mug of hot cocoa.

Banana Blueberry Chia Seed Bundt Cake with Coffee Glaze

This Banana Blueberry Chia Seed Bundt Cake is topped with a coffee glaze for an added touch of decadence. It’s made with a mix of Unbleached White All Purpose Flour and Whole Wheat Flour and is made sweet with the addition of applesauce, dried blueberries, and bananas. Organic Chia Seeds add a fantastic texture, and the glaze of coffee and powdered sugar offers a boost to your morning routine. Try a thick slice in the summertime alongside an iced coffee with almond milk and cinnamon for a special break in the usual breakfast routine.

Breudher Cake with Blood Orange Glaze

This Sri Lankan Breudher Cake is a yeasted cake that’s popular in Sri Lanka during festive times. This recipe from Dini Kodippili of The Flavor Bender strikes a balance between buttery richness and the citrus flavor of blood oranges. It has a hunt of “boozy sweetness from the brandy soaked raisins,” as Dini says, which adds to its extra festive flair. To make this cake, you’ll create both a standard bread dough, the Breudher cake itself, and a blood orange glaze to top it all off. When the cake is created, follow Dini’s expert advice and serve it with butter, Gouda cheese, and a cup of hot tea!

Carrot Pound Cake with Coconut Milk Icing

This recipe for Carrot Pound Cake with Coconut Milk Icing is from Isadora Lassance of She Likes Food. The coconut glaze is both sweet and nutty and serves to complement the carrots, walnuts, and spices. It’s a moist and delicate cake with vibrant colors fit for many occasions. It’s also gluten free, made with our Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, butter, granulated sugar, eggs, milk, grated carrots, chopped walnuts, and more. The cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg give it a wonderful taste, and the coconut milk icing is both easy to create and delicious.

Coffee Cake with Butter Pecan Streusel

If you’re looking for the perfect breakfast cake for any week or weekend day, look no further. This versatile Coffee Cake with Butter Pecan Streusel can be given an entirely new life by changing the streusel on the top or the filling in the center. The batter typically stays the same, but the possibilities for creative coffee cakes abound. This particular recipe calls for a simple softened cream cheese filling and a streusel of flour, butter, sugar, cinnamon, and chopped pecans. Whether you’re making a bundt cake for a special occasion or to satisfy your sweet tooth, we hope these recipes have inspired your future cake creations. May they release easily from the pan and come out mess free!