A Bundt cake is probably one of the easiest cakes to make, but just because it’s easy to make, doesn’t mean it can’t be a show stopper. Having a beautiful pan, like this gorgeous pan from Williams Sonoma and the perfect recipe is all you need. Today I’m sharing a favorite for the holidays, a beautiful and absolutely delicious gingerbread Bundt cake with vanilla glaze.

Bundt cakes are great for the holiday season – they’re make ahead friendly, perfect for serving to a crowd and they’re easy to decorate. I’m sharing my favorite recipe and simple tips to turn out a perfect Bundt cake every time. If you’d like to make this hurricane-style Bundt cake too, the pan is the Nordic Ware Heritage Bundt Pan from Williams Sonoma.

This gorgeous swirl style Bundt pan is so mesmerizing that it really doesn’t need a topping. Dust it with powdered sugar or cocoa powder, leave as is, or if you want that snowy icing look add a vanilla glaze topping. The glaze recipe I used is below.

Thanks to Williams Sonoma for sharing the beautiful goodies you see in the photos! Everything from the Bundt pan to the ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas salad plates, the Glow Cake Stand, and the ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Village Towels. It was truly like Christmas morning to receive these goodies, and I know they’ll be a part of my holiday traditions from now on.

Although easy to make, I thought I’d share a few tips about baking and releasing Bundt cakes from the pan, in case this is a new experience for you. If you have experience making Bundt cakes you can jump right to the recipe.

Jump to Recipe

Bundt Making Tips

Preparing the Pan – An important step, to ensure that your Bundt cake releases smoothly from the pan. You can use a non-stick spray of some sort, or use a pastry brush to spread the oil or non-stick mixture of your choice. (You can make your own “cake release” mixture. I’ve tried a mixture of equal parts flour, vegetable oil and shortening, 1/2 cup of each, which worked really well). Flouring the pan next, tapping out the excess, also helps the cake release easily. Just make sure there are not clumps of flour that will spoil the look of the baked cake.

Filling the Pan – I suggest filling the pan about 3/4 and if you have extra batter make a few cupcakes.

Baking and Testing for Doneness – The baking time in this recipe corresponds with the size of Bundt pan I’ve used. If you’re using another pan, to prevent overbaking, keep an eye on your Bundt as it nears the last quarter of the baking process, and check for doneness with a barbeque skewer or cake tester. Most fully baked Bundts have tops that spring back when lightly pressed.

Cooling and Releasing the Bundt – After baking, most Bundts are cooled for 10-30 minutes in the pan, giving them time to settle and shrink back a little from the sides of the pan. After this initial cooling process, place an inverted plate or a cooling rack over the pan, and holding both sides firmly with oven mitts, carefully flip the pan over to release the Bundt cake. If the pan doesn’t release the cake, use an offset spatula to carefully loosen the inner and outer edges of the pan. Flip the cake over onto a plate or wire rack again and let sit another 10 minutes.

Optional Recipe Additions

I’ve tried a few different additions to this recipe which taste quite nice. Preparations take a little longer, but they add a little something different. I’ll share here in case you’d like to try too.

(Rum) Raisins

Adding a little soft texture and a fruity sweetness – rum raisins! If you’d prefer not to use rum, water works well too. Measure 1/4 cup of dark rum or water and 1/2 cup of golden raisins, place in a pan, cover and heat until the liquid boils. Turn off the heat and set aside for a few minutes to cool. Drain and add them to your batter at the last stage of mixing.

Dried Crystallized Ginger

Another nice additions to the recipe I have enjoyed is adding dried crystallized ginger (not in syrup). Take about 1/3 cup and mince, then add to the last stage of mixing the batter. They add an enhanced ginger flavor and a bit of texture.

Gingerbread Cookie Recipe and House

If you’d like to make the mini gingerbread houses, HERE is my gingerbread cookie recipe, HERE is the gingerbread royal icing recipe and HERE is a tutorial on how to put the house together. The cookie cutters are from Gingerbread Cutter Co.

I hope you enjoy making and eating your bundt cake! As always, please feel free to ask me any questions in the comment section or on social media. You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.

Happy baking!

xo,

Marian

Gingerbread Bundt Cake Recipe

Print Recipe

Gingerbread Bundt Cake

Servings:

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups brown sugar, loosely packed
2 tsps orange zest
4 eggs room temperature
1 cup molasses
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
4 tsps ground ginger
2 tsps ground cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Liberally coat the Bundt pan with oil spray and lightly flour, tapping out the excess flour to create a thin even non-stick coat.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on low speed for about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add the orange zest and mix until fully combined.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat until thoroughly incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each egg addition. Add the molasses and continue mixing until well combined. (The mixture may look slightly curdled at the stage, but batter will come together).
In a separate medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon. Add the flour mixture to creamed butter mixture and mix briefly, just until ingredients have been incorporated.
Either pour or use a large ice cream portion scoop to transfer batter to the prepared Bundt pan. Spread the batter evenly throughout the pan. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
Let the cake rest for about 30 minutes. Turn the pan upside down unto a wire cooling rack and let cool before adding the vanilla glaze or serving as is.

White Vanilla Glaze

Print Recipe

White Vanilla Glaze

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar (icing sugar or confectioner's sugar)
4 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. The consistency should be quite thick. If you pick up the icing with a spoon, it should flow extremely slowly off the spoon. If your icing is too thin, add 2 tbsp of powdered sugar at a time until it thickens. If it's too thick, you can thin it with 1 tbsp milk at at time.