These Beautiful Bundt Cakes Are Surprisingly Easy to Make at Home

By Jennifer Anderson
Updated April 15, 2020
Marcus Nilsson
Serve these gorgeously shaped cakes at brunch or for dessert—either way, they're guaranteed showstoppers.
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Marcus Nilsson

Bundt cakes have captivated bakers for generations, ever since the Minneapolis-based Nordic Ware company began crafting their signature pans in the 1950s. However, the crowd-pleasing creations you're about to see are anything but a nostalgia trip. With our mold-breaking recipes, Bundt cakes are the shape of things to come.

What's more, a Bundt cake can dazzle for dessert (put any of these cakes on a pedestal and serve as your meal's sweet ending), charm at teatime, or be a hit at brunch (we're looking at you, Aunt Patty's Coffee Cake).

A Bundt pan produces beautiful cakes with more curves and crevices than a mountain range, which means these treats don't need a lot of decoration to wow—the shape of the cake itself is more than enough to catch everyone's eyes. If you really want gild the lily, go ahead and top your Bundt cake with pools of whipped cream or a glossy chocolate ganache. A coat of sanding sugar in the pan is another way to define the shape of a Bundt and add a touch of sparkle. That's actually the secret to the tangy Lemon-Rhubarb Olive Oil Cake shown here. We're sure you'll agree it's a knockout. A bonus is that the sanding sugar helps the cake come out of the mold cleanly.

If individual desserts are more up your alley, don't rule out Bundts just yet. Mini pans, which are sometimes called Bundtlets, are absolutely adorable. They are typically formed as one mold with six cake forms rather than separate tiny Bundts, and they're used to produce delightful desserts like our Mini Pistachio Bundts.

For a little slice of heaven (or a big one!), bake up one of our irresistible Bundt cakes. You'll be pleasantly surprised at just how easy they are to master in your own kitchen.

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Orange-Cardamom Bundt Cake

Marcus Nilsson
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Will you serve it for brunch or afternoon tea? This cardamom-scented sunburst gets a double dose of an orange-liqueur-spiked syrup: It's soaked into the bottom through skewer-poked holes, and brushed on top to harden into fine, crackly glaze. We like it with a cup of chai.

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Mini Pistachio Bundts

Marcus Nilsson
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These small wonders are Middle Eastern-inspired rings made with half flour and half ground pistachios (for the best taste and vivid-green color, use the blanched Sicilian kind), and flavored with pistachio extract and aromatic orange-flower water. Chopped nuts and rose petals, the classic toppings on Persian love cake are so pretty.

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German Chocolate Bundt Cake

Marcus Nilsson
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German chocolate cake is defined by its iconic coconut-pecan frosting; we've bucked tradition and tucked it inside. Here's the trick: Transfer the batter to the pan, then spoon on the gooey goodness—we used a small ice cream scoop for easy release and evenly distributed dollops. It settles into the middle while baking, so when you cut through that glossy ganache, a scrumptious surprise awaits.

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Strawberry-Swirl Bundt Cake

Marcus Nilsson
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Chocolate and vanilla swirls are a classic, but we riffed on strawberry shortcake for this rosy update. Egg whites and cake flour make the batter super-white and tender. For the pink part, flavor one third of the batter with ground freeze-dried strawberries. Pour in plain batter, strawberry, then plain again, and swirl a knife through everything a few times. To serve, fill the center with whipped cream and macerated berries.

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Key Lime Bundt Cake

Marcus Nilsson
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Our cross between coffee cake and Key-lime pie is brought to you by streusel. The cinnamon-scented nubbins (a blend of ground graham crackers, brown sugar, and butter), get scattered in the pan, layered in the middle of the batter, and sprinkled on top before baking. As for the lime, a full cup of tart juice flavors the batter, a syrup that infuses the cake, and a lip-smacking coating that will be devoured lickety-split.

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Kentucky Bourbon-Brown Butter Cake

Stephen Kent Johnson
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Three flavor bombs come together to create this crowd-pleaser: nutty brown butter and tangy buttermilk in the batter, and spicy Kentucky bourbon in the glaze.

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Apple-Cider Doughnut Cake

Jonathan Lovekin
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Move over, apple-cider doughnuts! There's a bigger, better-for-you dessert in town—a Bundt cake made with cider, applesauce, and whole-wheat flour.

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Vanilla Bundt Cake with Chocolate-Cream Cheese Filling

Kate Mathis
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We like to think of this spectacular dessert as a giant vanilla pound cake stuffed with chocolate cheesecake. A shiny chocolate ganache glaze makes it stand out even more.

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Triple-Citrus Bundt Cake

Christopher Testani
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The trifecta of freshly squeezed juice, grated zest, and fruit segments gives this Bundt plenty of orange and lemon flavor. The final flourish of whipped cream and candied lemon zest takes it to another level.

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Sour Cream-Mocha Bundt Cake

Con Poulos
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A double dose, instant espresso powder and brewed espresso, gives this Bundt plenty of coffee flavor—and there's chocolate too! Sour cream in the batter ensures the cake stays moist for days, if you can make it last that long.

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Peaches-and-Cream Bundt Cake

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The classic peaches-and-cream pairing is even better in Bundt form. The warm cake is finished with a generous sprinkling of cinnamon sugar instead of icing.

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Zucchini Bundt Cake with Orange Glaze

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Not just a way to use up zucchini! This Bundt is moist (thanks to the shredded zucchini) and altogether delicious. The orange-cardamom glaze and candied zucchini strips make it special enough for company.

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Chocolate Bundt Cake

Con Poulos
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Chocoholics, rejoice! This decadent Bundt cake can be baked a day in advance, and the ganache glaze makes it fancy enough for a dinner party.

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Aunt Patty's Coffee Cake

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A versatile cake to have in your baking arsenal, this marble Bundt looks gorgeous and freezes beautifully. Serve with coffee or hot chocolate for a midmorning snack or with a scoop of ice cream for dessert.

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Maple Bundt Cake

James Merrell
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This cake will knock pancakes out of first place in your brunch rotation. Serve topped with whipped cream and pools of maple syrup.

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Glazed Pecan-Raisin Cake

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This cake elevates the flavors of traditional fruitcake—nutmeg, pecans, raisins, and brandy—with a lighter texture and a fingerlickin’ good orange glaze.

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Apple-Walnut Bundt Cake

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Caramelized apples in the batter and an apple-cider glaze set this spice cake apart. It can be made up to three days in advance and stored at room temperature.

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