Easy German Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe - The Gold Lining Girl (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to getting a Bundt cake out? ›

The Best Trick For Releasing a Cake From a Bundt Pan

Usually the cake likes to cling to the tube in the middle, so nudging it loose there can be all it takes. After doing this, carefully flip the bundt pan over and lightly shake it.

A devil's-food cake is richer and darker, and has a strong cocoa flavor. German chocolate (a favorite here in south Texas) usually is a lighter-colored cake with a flavor of mild chocolate. True German chocolate cake has delicious pecan-coconut frosting, while the devil's food usually has a dark fudge frosting.

Not using the right material.

Follow this tip: Use light, nonstick metal pans if possible. They conduct heat well and the nonstick surface helps to prevent sticking. The nooks and crannies that come with a molded Bundt cake are prime places for the cake to fall apart.

A common misconception is that German Chocolate Cake comes from Germany. In fact, the name comes from American baker, Samuel German, who developed a type of dark baking chocolate in 1852. The baking chocolate was then named Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate in honor of German.

German chocolate cake uses a particular kind of baking chocolate as its base, one which has a milder, sweeter profile thanks in part to lecithin, a fatty substance derived from egg yolks. In contrast, classic chocolate cake recipes often use cocoa powder or darker chocolate for a richer, more intense flavor.

Originating in the United States, it was named after English-American chocolate maker Samuel German, who developed a formulation of dark baking chocolate that came to be used in the cake recipe. Sweet baking chocolate is traditionally used for the cake's flavor, but few recipes call for it today.

Allow the Cake to Cool

Once you've cooked your bundt cake and removed it from the oven, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then place a wire cooling rack over the base of the cake and invert the pan to release.

Sometimes Bundt pans can cause your cake to have a domed bottom, which means the cake won't lay flat. To avoid this, Dalquist says to turn the oven temperature down 25 degrees from what the recipe calls for. "This method needs a little more baking time, but not substantial, and creates an even cake," she explains.

Serve the cake with ice cream or sherbet. Top with fresh fruit, a homemade or store-bought fruit glaze, or leave off the glaze altogether, and instead lightly dust the cake with powdered sugar.

Bundt Cake Pan Capacity

Traditional Bundt cake pans hold 12-cups of batter, which is the perfect two-cake cake mix size. Most recipes that make 10 to 12 cups of batter will fit perfectly in most bundt cake pans.

Should Bundt cake batter be thick? ›

Chips, nuts, and dried fruit are tasty additions to many types of Bundt cake. To avoid add-ins sinking to the bottom of the cake, choose a cake that starts with thick batter. Stir add-ins into the thick batter before scooping it into the pan. Make sure your pan is large enough to accommodate add-ins.

Filling the Pan

How much batter should go into a Bundt pan? Broadly speaking, a classic 10-cup pan should contain enough batter to reach the two-thirds mark, but should be no more than three-quarters full.

Try Steaming the Cake Out

Carefully pour very hot water over the towel until it's damp, not dripping. Drape the towel over the tops of the pan and leave it there until the pan is cool enough to handle. The steam will help release the cake from the pan when you go to invert it.

When you remove your cake from the oven, don't flip it out of the pan right away! Instead, let the cake cool for ten minutes in the pan. Then, placing the wire rack over the base of the cake, invert the pan.

After removing from the oven, place the pan on a wire rack and let cool; your recipe will specify the required time, usually from 10-20 minutes. This allows the cake to become firm enough to remove from the pan without breaking apart. Cooling too long in the pan will cause the cake to be damp and stick to the pan.

Yes, we recommend prepping Bundt® and cakes pan with *BAKING SPRAY, which is a spray that has flour in it already, such as “Baker's Joy” or “Pam for Baking.” For pans with intricate designs, a baking spray works well to get into all the nooks and crannies.