Carrot Bundt Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make a bundt cake come out perfectly? ›

The best way to ensure your cake comes out of the pan cleanly is to grease it well from the start. Catherine and our Test Kitchen staff always use shortening to grease Bundt pans—yes, even ones with nonstick coating. To grease a Bundt pan, take a dollop of shortening on a paper towel and wipe the interior of the pan.

It's true that carrots are the star of the show, but aim for finely grated pieces rather than chunky. The finer you grate the carrots, the more evenly they will be distributed throughout the cake (for the perfect texture), and the more evenly the cake and the carrots will bake.

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.

The key to a soft and fluffy carrot cake is to have the carrots bake into the crumb. If you coarsely grate the carrots, then they will not bake as quickly and will stay as threads through the cake which can get stuck in your teeth. For maximum flavor and the best texture, you'll need to grate them finely.

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.

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.

Ingredient: Grated carrots - 3 cups (2 large carrots)

But when it comes to homemade cakes, oil is typically the better choice. Vegetable oil produces a more moist, tender cake than butter.

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.

Let the cake rest for 5 minutes once you remove it from the oven. Then, flip the cake onto a cooling rack upside down and let it rest for about 5 minutes before you remove the pan. A little trick here is to use a grid cooling rack, not one that has big gaps.

Do you oil a Bundt cake pan? ›

The Classic Method: Fat Plus Flour

The fat and flour bake into a protective barrier around the cake, almost guaranteeing the cake's release. Pro tip: Liquid fat (melted butter or oil) does a better job getting inside nooks and crannies of Bundt pans. Sugar can also be used in place of the flour for coating.

Carrots should be finely shredded for baking carrot cake. They should appear as small, thin, short strands of carrot. Large shreds of carrot will add noticeable bits of firm carrot within the cake. Finely grated or zested carrot will disappear into the cake.

"Raisins are controversial in a carrot cake," says Saffitz. Whether or not you add them is up to your tolerance for the chewy little nuggets—same goes for chopped walnuts (just be sure to toast them first for better flavor).

5. My cake has sunk in the middle. There are three main reasons for this: a/ the oven door has been opened before the cake has set, b/ the cake didn't go in the oven as soon as the mixture was ready or c/ there's too much raising agent.

Prevent a Domed Bottom

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.