Buying guide for Best bundt cake pans
Nothing takes dessert to the next level like a bundt cake. These elegant, dense cakes get high marks for both appearance and flavor. Extra height is the secret to their rich, moist texture.
Bundt cake pans are round and fluted, with a hollow post in the center. Besides adding visual interest, the post helps these dense cakes bake more quickly. Some bundt pans have intricate decorative designs molded into the pan’s bottom – which forms the top of the cake. Others are unadorned for a more classic look. The pan’s metal finish are key to baking success, while other convenient features can make your experience easier.
Bundt cake pans, by design, can make bundt cakes challenging to bake – unless you have a quality pan. Batter can easily stick to the pan’s ridged walls and ornate designs. Overcooked edges are often difficult to remove from these tall, solid pans, and hiding mistakes is challenging.
Key considerations
Material
Bundt cake pans come in a variety of materials, like silicone, ceramic, and steel. Most professional bakers agree that metal pans yield the best results overall. There are pros and cons to each type, though.
Silicone pans are a poor match for bundt cakes, even though their flexibility is appealing. Silicone pans tend to flop, even when resting on a baking sheet, and can sag under the weight of dense bundt batters. Bundt cakes baked in silicone pans rarely brown because this material conducts heat poorly. However, many love them for their lightweight, flexible design and easy cleaning.
While more sturdy, ceramic bundt cake pans rarely deliver as well as their metal counterparts. Ceramic pans have a lower maximum temperature than metal pans and lack the slight flex most bundt cakes need to release from their pan in one piece.
Many bakers swear by aluminum bundt cake pans. Aluminum is popular in the baking world because it conducts heat well, is fairly lightweight, and will not rust. The lighter color of aluminum makes it attractive for bundt pans in particular, as darker pans can speed exterior browning, while the dense batter in the center remains undercooked. Lighter pans help thick cakes cook evenly without over-browning or drying the exterior surface.
Steel bundt pans are also popular because they distribute heat evenly – a must when it comes to thick cakes. They are durable and heavier than aluminum pans. Lighter-colored steel, like stainless steel, allows the cake to cook more evenly. Carbon steel, on the other hand, makes excellent bakeware, but it must be watched carefully to prevent premature browning, thanks to its darker color.
Regardless of which metal you choose, you should pick a bundt cake pan with thick walls that supports your cake and allow it to cook evenly, all the way through. Additionally, a nonstick coating will help your cakes release like magic, according to most experts.
Expert Tip
If your bundt cake domes up and over the top edge, use a serrated bread knife to evenly trim off the dome for a level cake when it’s turned out.
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Size
Full-sized bundt cake pans vary in size from 9 cups to 15 cups – meaning they will hold 9 to 15 cups of batter. The standard size holds 10 to 12 cups. If you’re unsure which size you prefer, we recommend choosing a standard-size of Bundt pan. A pan that’s too small is too easy to overfill, which can lead to drips and messes in your oven. An oversized pan is difficult to fill and may leave you with cakes that are smaller and shorter than you want.
Features
Decorative edging
Attention-grabbing, decorative designs are the hallmark of bundt cake pans. Some pans feature classic rounded, arched edges. Others are more intricate, with swirls, leaves, flowers, and other ornate patterns. You can also find novelty shapes like castles and holiday wreaths.
The design you choose is up to you, but remember: the more complicated the pattern, the harder it will be to get out intact. Ornate designs are also harder to frost, but most bundt cakes are meant for showing off with no icing, or a simple glaze or dusting of sugar at most.
Handles
Bundt cake pans have a rounded shape that makes moving them a challenge. There are no corners to hold or slender surfaces to grasp. Handles make a pan much easier to place in the oven and are a lifesaver for removing them from the oven when hot. They can also make it easier for flipping when it’s time to cool or remove them from the pan. We can’t recommend this feature highly enough. If your pan doesn’t have handles, we recommend placing it on a large sheet pan for easier transfer in and out of the oven.
Nonstick coating
As mentioned earlier, nonstick coating is a must for bundt cake pans. Without it, your cake is not likely to release properly, and you’ll be left with a pile of crumbs. Some are wary of nonstick cookware because of the fumes they can release and are concerned that pieces of the coating may become mixed in with their food. Baking temperatures are, however, nowhere near the nearly 600ºF threshold that can damage nonstick coatings.
expert Tip
If completely-cooled cake sticks to the pan when you try to turn it out, try gently warming the metal over a stove burner by moving it in quick circles. Warming the pan softens the crust of the cake, and can help loosen it.
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Prices
Inexpensive
You can find budget bundt pans for $5 to $10. At this price point, bundt pans will be hit-or-miss in quality. Most will be made from silicone or a thinner gauge aluminum or steel, and hold 9 to 12 cups. Some will have thicker walls but lack intricate designs. They are not likely to have handles. Even at this price range, bundt cake pans should have a nonstick coating, although you may want to use spray or butter as a fallback measure to ensure the cake doesn’t stick, especially in the finer detailed areas.
Mid-range
The next tier of bundt pans will generally cost $10 to $20. You will find thicker aluminum and steel bundt pans in this range, as well as ceramic options. Most will hold 10 to 12 cups. Pans in this price range should have handles and nonstick coating. Pans may have thicker, more pronounced grooves or more ornate designs.
Expensive
The highest quality bundt cake pans will usually cost $20 or more. Pans in this price range may be made from thick, specialized aluminum or steel, and will often feature intricate designs on the top. They should have an effective nonstick coating and sturdy handles. Most will hold between 10 and 15 cups of batter.
Expert Tip
If your cakes stick to the pan when turning them out, try coating every nook and cranny with a thin coat of butter. Then, put about a cup of flour in the pan, and tilt the pan around and around to distribute the flour evenly over the butter. This will help the edges stay defined, and it helps the cake release cleanly.
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Tips
- Never serve a bundt cake from its pan – slicing the cake in the pan puts the metal at risk for scratches, which can compromise critical nonstick finishes.
- Even if you get a nonstick pan, consider coating it with flour, oil, or butter to ensure the cake releases cleanly.
- Some bundt cake pans are labeled as dishwasher-safe, but many users get better results from washing them by hand.
- To avoid scrubbing away the nonstick finish, soak your bundt cake pan in warm, soapy water to make cleaning it a breeze.
FAQ
Q. What’s the best way to remove a bundt cake from its pan?
A. A quality non-stick should not give you trouble — as well as regular ones when prepared with spray, oil, or butter. Many suggest letting the pan rest with the metal size down for 10 minutes on a cooling rack, then inverting the pan until fully cool. Some bakers, and even some bundt cake mixes, recommend using gravity to help do the job. To do this, invert the pan when it’s still a bit warm and slide a small bottle or other, slender but heavy object through the center ring. This will suspend the cake as it cools, making your job easier.
Q. How full should I fill my pan?
A. Bundt cakes are one situation where you want to get this right. Too little batter, and your cake can look like an oversized donut. Too much can lead to an epic mess in your oven. For best results, fill your pan about two-thirds of the way to the top. If you’re not using a recipe specifically for bundt cakes, look for one used to make a single 9” x 13” rectangular cake or two 9” round pans. If you’re making angel food or a similar eggwhite-based batter cake, allow room for it to rise a lot. If you’re worried about spillover during baking, put the bundt pan on or over a large sheet pan, so it catches any spillage (versus the bottom of your oven, which will create a big mess to scrub, not to mention a smoke/fire hazard).
Q. How do I clean my bundt pan if the cake does stick?
A. First, remove as many large crumbs as you can by wiping them out with a paper towel. Next, put your bundt pan in the sink, douse it with dish soap, and add hot, steamy water. Let the pan soak for a few hours, and then scrub it with a dish sponge. A bottle brush may be helpful for removing sticky residue from crevices. You can use baking soda paste to tackle particularly stubborn crumbs, but never use abrasive tools like steel wool.
