Baking has a whole science behind it. One ingredient measured off, and an undersized pan will leave you with a failed cake. I’m sure you’ve experienced following a step-by-step tutorial on how to make the fluffiest cake, and once ready, you regretted wasting your time on it. In this article, we’ll go through all the tips and tricks to making the fluffiest cake. Specifically, today, we will discuss how to make the perfect bundt cake pan.
What is a Bundt Cake?
A bundt cake gets baked in a bundt pan, resulting in doughnut-shaped deliciousness. Bundt pans have intricate designs built into the sides but are also sold with a solid design. The beauty of a bundt cake is its display. It can be brought out of the pan with no cracks or dents, serving as beautiful dessert table décor with the proper techniques.
Check out our Baking Must Haves article.
The Cake-Making Process – Tips for Success
Preparation
Before starting any baking recipe, set out all the ingredients. If you want to go one step further, measure all the ingredients and set them aside. For many, the most challenging part of the cake-making process is following the directions step by step. However, if your ingredients are already set out and ready to be used, there’s no fiddling around with the bag of flour or trying to crack the eggs one-handed while holding the mixer. You simply grab the next ingredient, pour it in, and move on to the next step.
Make sure your mixing bowls are completely dry! Do not use a slightly damp bowl, as this will prevent your eggs from whipping and turning stiff. Similarly, ensure your mixing spoons, whisks, measuring cups, utensils, etc, are all completely dry.
The Eggs
Separate your eggs. Yes, you heard it right. Put the yolk in one bowl and the white in another bowl. Make sure not to mix any yellow with the white, as this will also prevent the egg whites from doubling in size.
The egg whites are probably the most crucial step in the cake-making process. This is the base of your cake; without this, there will be no fluff. Once you’ve separated your egg whites, begin the whipping process. Whether using a hand-held or stand mixer, start on low and slowly move your way up.
Over time, you should see the egg whites double or even triple in size. That’s when you know the egg whites are almost ready. The test is to take the bowl and flip it upside down; if you see your batter doesn’t budge, you can move on to the next step. If it moves slightly, continue whipping for a few more minutes. Your batter should look almost like whipped cream but don’t give it a lick just yet.
The Sugar
Once you’ve got the perfect egg-white mixture, add your sugar. Proceed with caution. Egg whites are pretty sensitive. One wrong move and all that hard work can be gone. Gradually add all the sugar until you get a creamy, shiny egg-white mixture.
Wet and Dry Ingredients
Mix the rest of the wet ingredients at a low speed, depending on your recipe. Your egg white mixture may deflate, which is normal.
Move on to the dry ingredients, mixing slowly after each addition. Once you have added all the ingredients, your cake batter is ready to be baked.
Prepping The Pan
The last and most important step is prepping the pan for baking. Ensure your bundt pan is dry, and pour about two tablespoons of oil. Grab a napkin or egg wash brush, and get the oil on every nook and cranny. Once you have covered all areas of the pan, you can place the cake in your preheated oven. Get your timer going according to the recipe you used. Once the timer finishes, stick a fork into the cake to ensure it’s ready. Once you bring the cake out, let it cool down to room temperature.
Taking the Bundt Cake out of the Pan
As we discussed earlier, the beauty of a bundt cake is its shape and detailed designs that are indented into the cake through the pan. Many believe that bundt cakes don’t need any frosting or icing because they already look pleasing to the eye.
Removing the cake from the pan is often the stage at which something can go wrong, whether it be the cake being stuck to the pan or only half the cake budging. Therefore, the secret to completely removing the cake from the pan is letting it cool completely. Once done, you can prepare your serving dish, ensuring it’s big enough. You’ll take your bundt pan and flip it over; chances are that it will slide out, but if not, we still have what to work with. Flip it back over, get the thinnest knife you have, and start sliding it around the edges of the pan.
You’re going to gently try again to flip it over onto the serving dish, and this time, we’re hoping it will come out. But if not, do the knife trick again until you get the cake out of the pan, and enjoy a piece of the fluffy and moist cake.
Closing thoughts – Make the Fluffiest Cake
This article discussed the basic step-by-step process of making the fluffiest cake in a bundt pan. Of course, every recipe differs, but the main few tips for success that make all the difference were explained in detail, from prepping the ingredients, breaking the eggs, whipping them, prepping the pan, and so on. The secret of baking is to have patience and not give up. It could be that your first time won’t be a success, but practice makes perfect, especially with baking. We hope you can use these tips and tricks as a guide for your next attempt at making a bundt cake.
Which brand makes the best bundt cake pans?
The Nordic Ware Platinum bundt pans are one of the best brands. They are also pretty affordable and have a myriad of design options.
Why does my cake deflate once I bring it out of the oven?
The wrong amount of baking powder or baking soda can cause the cake to expand too quickly and deflate once it is taken out of the oven.
Why are my egg whites not doubling in size or becoming stiff?
A wet bowl can prevent your egg whites from doubling in size; additionally, if any yolk was added to the egg whites, that can also be part of the issue.
Which ingredient makes cake soft and fluffy?
There are two ingredients that make for a soft and fluffy cake. In any recipe there is either baking soda, baking powder or both. These are the two main ingredients in charge of the fluffiness in a cake.
