This classic vanilla bundt cake has a sturdy but tender crumb and rich almond glaze. It's a delicious holiday dessert, and this recipe is easy to make with pantry staples!
Bundt cakes are some of the best desserts! Not only because they are easy to make, but they also look absolutely gorgeous on a dessert table.
This bundt cake recipe combines the nutty essence of almonds and the warm notes of vanilla in a moist and flavorful cake. It's subtly sweet and will make your house smell amazing!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- No electric mixer required. The batter is thin enough that the ingredients incorporate well together with a mixing spatula or spoon.
- Freezer friendly. Save time by making the dessert ahead. It freezes well for up to 4 months!
- Beautiful: These cakes are so pretty! You can use a fancy fluted bundt pan to make your dessert stand out!
An even easier dessert to make is cupcakes! If you like the flavors in this recipe, why not make some homemade vanilla cupcakes too?!
Ingredients
See ingredient substitutions in the next section. ⬇️
For this glazed vanilla bundt cake recipe, you'll just need some basic pantry staples.
- all-purpose flour: I prefer using unbleached flour because it's less processed.
- granulated white sugar: This gives the dessert its sweetness.
- leaveners: This recipe calls for both baking soda and baking powder. The soda works right away, working with the acidic ingredients to create an initial rise, then baking powder takes over to keep the rise in place.
- salt: People sometimes wonder why salt is so important in baked goods. It's because it counteracts some of the sweetness. Without salt, desserts can be too sweet.
- eggs: Yes, eggs are pretty expensive right now, but they provide a lot of the structure and moisture that are needed. There are some substitutions listed in the next section of this post.
- whole milk: Although I love sour cream cake, milk does the job of adding moisture just as well.
- unsalted butter
- extracts: To give the vanilla bundt cake some extra flavor, I use both almond extract and vanilla extract.
For the Almond Icing
I use a simple powdered sugar icing, but if you look below, there are other options.
- powdered sugar
- whole milk
- almond extract
- sliced almonds: This ingredient is optional, but a glazed bundt cake that's garnished with nuts is just so pretty!
You'll also need a 10-cup bundt pan. Here are some of my favorites:
- nonstick bundt pan- I highly recommend this one! It's affordable and works great.
- fancier bundt pan
- fleur de lis bundt pan
I do not recommend using a silicone bundt pan. They work great for cupcakes, but with cakes, the sides tend to collapse in before the batter is completely baked.
Substitutions and Recipe Variations
- all-purpose flour: Using cake flour will make the dessert more tender, but because bundts tend to be heavy, it's best to use all-purpose flour.
To to make a gluten-free cake, substitute the AP flour with any cup-for-cup variety of gluten-free all-purpose flour. Two popular brands are Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur Flour. - baking powder: If you happen to be out of baking powder, but you have baking soda and cream of tartar on hand, you can make a baking powder replacement!
To use baking soda as a substitute for baking powder, mix ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar with ¼ teaspoon of baking soda for every 1 teaspoon of baking powder. - white granulated sugar: To reduce the calories, you can substitute the sugar with any cup-for-cup variety of granulated sugar substitute. Monk fruit sugar is a good option.
- milk: You can use half and half or low fat milk. I haven't tried making this recipe with almond milk or any other dairy-free substitute, but they'll probably work. The only difference is that your cake may be a little dry, because aside from coconut milk, nut milks have little to no fat in them.
- unsalted butter: If you need or want to use salted butter, just omit the ½ teaspoon of salt this recipe calls for.
- eggs: Egg yolks are important for creating moisture and structure. If you need a substitute, there are several listed in my post, "Egg Substitutes for Cake Mix".
To make an almond pound cake in loaf pans
Instead of making a bundt, you can make two 9x4-inch almond pound cakes or three 8x4-inch cakes. You'll make the recipe as written, with just a couple of adjustments:
- Grease two 9x5-inch or three 8x4-inch loaf pans well with butter.
- Follow steps 1-4 of my recipe.
- Instead of pouring the batter into a 10-cup bundt pan, add 6 cups batter to each 9x5-inch pan, or 4 cups batter to each 8x4-inch pan. To leave room for the cake to rise, the pans will not be full to the top.
- The pound cakes will take less time to bake than a bundt. Start checking the cakes for doneness after about 40 minutes. When a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean or with a few crumbs, the cake is fully baked.
How to Make Vanilla Bundt Cake
Summary only. The complete recipe instructions are in the card at the bottom of this post ⬇️
- Whisk dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, and set aside.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Stir the wet ingredients slowly into the dry ingredients.
- Pour the batter into a buttered/floured 10-cup bundt pan and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.
- Make the almond icing.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes before inverting.
Liz's Tips for the Best Bundt Cake
- Use melted butter to grease the pan. The easiest way to get into the crevices of a bundt pan is to brush the butter on with a pastry brush.
- Avoid over mixing the batter, which can cause the vanilla cake to be dry and crumbly. Stir just until there are no visible streaks of flour.
- Wait at least 30 minutes before removing the cake from the pan. When bundt cakes are too warm, they can crumble when you try to remove them from the pan.
Serving
Although the vanilla bundt cake tastes great plain, I absolutely recommend topping it with almond icing or almond buttercream frosting and some sliced almonds. It is also delicious with fresh berries on top.
Storage
Storing: The cake will keep for 3-5 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
Freezing: You can freeze the whole cake or individual slices for up to 3 months. Let the cake cool, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and put it into a freezer-safe container before freezing. For the best consistency, wait until just before serving to add the icing or frosting.
Bundt Cake Recipe FAQs
Any cake can be a Bundt cake if it's baked in a Bundt pan. Other cakes are typically baked in round or square cake pans.
If it sticks, you likely didn't grease the pan well enough, or the cake cooled in the pan too long before it was removed.
If you overcook a bundt cake or cook it at the wrong temperature, it can come out dry. Also, be sure to measure the flour correctly, and avoid over mixing the batter.
Other Bundt Cake Recipes
- Lemon Bundt Cake
- Raspberry Lemon Bundt Cake
- Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake
- Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe
- Poppy Seed Lemon Cake
- Strawberry Marble Cake
- Moist Banana Cake Recipe
Classic Vanilla Bundt Cake with Almond Icing
Equipment
- 1 10-cup bundt pan
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted (*see Notes)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ cup sliced almonds optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Grease the insides of a 10-cup bundt cake pan with melted butter and lightly dust with flour. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk to combine eggs, milk, butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
- Gradually add wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Using a rubber or silicone spatula or spoon, stir, until just incorporated. *avoid overmixing, which can lead to a dry, crumbly cake.
- Pour the batter into the greased bundt cake pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.
- Let the cake cool in the bundt pan for at least 30 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack.
- For the Icing: To a small mixing bowl, add milk, almond extract, and powdered sugar. Stir until smooth, adding more milk and/or powdered sugar to reach your desired consistency.
- After the cake has cooled, drizzle almond icing over the top. Optional - garnish with sliced almonds.
Helpful Notes and Tips From Liz
- If using salted butter, do not include the ½ teaspoon of salt this recipe calls for.
- Wait at least 30 minutes before removing the cake from the pan. When bundt cakes are too warm, they can crumble when you try to remove them from the pan.
To make almond pound cake in loaf pans instead of a 10-cup bundt
- Grease two 9x5-inch or three 8x4-inch loaf pans well with butter.
- Follow steps 1-4 of the recipe shown above.
- Add 6 cups batter to each 9x5-inch pan, or 4 cups batter to each 8x4-inch pan. To leave room for the cake to rise, the pans will not be full to the top.
- The pound cakes will take less time to bake than a bundt cake. Start checking the cakes for doneness after about 40 minutes. When a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean or with a few crumbs, the cake is fully baked.
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