White Chocolate Bundt Cake

This moist, dense White Chocolate Bundt Cake is flavored with vanilla and almond for a simple, yet delightfully delicious dessert. Made in a cake pan named Dorothy that is touring the world, this is my contribution to the Peoplehood of the Traveling Swirly Pan!  

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White Chocolate Bundt Cake

This white chocolate Bundt cake recipe was buried deep in my stacks of pre-blogging recipes. Flavored with vanilla, almond and white chocolate, this cake was perfect to showcase the special pan that had traveled across the country from north to south and east to west before it arrived in my kitchen.

I, apparently, was the only family member who remembered this cake. Maybe their minds were clouded due to the new look given by the swirly Bundt pan or possibly the decade which had past since they were able to indulge.

I divvied up the batter and put most of it in the swirly pan, plus I had enough to bake up two mini-Bundt cakes.  The recipe below is timed for the classic 12-cup Bundt pan.

A Hit Across the Board

Katie quickly put dibs on one of the smaller ones, but then relented and gave her dad a slice realizing she’d get bigger pieces from the larger cake. Smart girl. Even Nick, who groans when I make white chocolate desserts instead of intense dark chocolate creations, seemed to enjoy his slice as much as his father did.

The swirly pan released wonderfully after coating it with both shortening and a dusting of flour, but my mini Bundts were over-sprayed with Baker’s Joy and a little pooling action made for uneven browning.  Still, the cakes were sensational with their delicate crumb and lovely flavor. Some of the best cake recipes have a few similarities worth sharing.

• I look for butter in the list of ingredients and also something like sour cream, cream, or buttermilk to provide some extra moisture.
• Also, when reading through the directions, if you see you must alternate wet and dry ingredients, I find that this is a clue indicating a quality recipe. This method helps prevent gluten formation and makes for a tender cake.
• When adding the flour, the recipe should have you mix just until it’s incorporated. Beating or mixing too long will encourage gluten formation and make for a tougher, less tender cake.
• Check for a detailed recipe that gives a range of baking times (still you should start checking early  in case your oven runs hot). Some of my old hand written recipe cards from my mom are lacking explicit instructions. I’m certain many of you have those same recipes! But they’re still treasures and over time, I’ve added some notes to help with the specifics.

Peoplehood of the Traveling Swirly Pan

My lovely blogger friend, Jenni, of Pastry Chef Online, is a fabulous baker and has a blog full of amazing recipes and baking tips. She is a huge fan of the Nordic Ware Heritage Bundt Pan, AKA Swirly Pan, as are so many of her blog fans. So in true Jenni style, she purchased and engraved a pan with “Dorothy” (as in The Wizard of Oz!) and sent it on a journey across the land to bakers who wanted to be part of this baking extravaganza.

On a cool rainy day, I picked up “Dorothy” in my sons’ former high school parking lot, a halfway point between my house and the previous recipients of the pan. I was told to grease it well. After so many uses, the finish was becoming a little finicky.  But nothing that a nice sprinkling of coarse sugar couldn’t hide!  After I finished with the pan, I sent it off to Mooresville, Indiana, for the next leg of the journey!

Tip of the Day:

Tips of the day: I greased this pan with Crisco (shortening) then a dusting of flour.

If you want more of a drizzle than a glaze, double the amount of white chocolate to 8 ounces.

More Bundt Cake Recipes You’ll Love:

• Cherry Almond Bundt Cake from Beyond Frosting
• Greek Lemon Bundt Cake
• Chocolate Bundt Cake from Saving Room for Dessert
• Cream Cheese Filled Apple Bundt Cake
• Salted Caramel Mocha Bundt Cake from Inside BruCrew Life
• Easy Lemon Bundt Cake
• Hummingbird Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze from The View from Great Island

White Chocolate Bundt Cake

This moist, dense White Chocolate Bundt Cake is flavored with vanilla and almond for a simple, yet delightfully delicious dessert.

• Author: Liz Berg
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 12
• Category: Dessert, Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks butter, softened, plus more for buttering pan
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 5 eggs, at room temperature
• 4 ounces white chocolate, melted and still warm
• 1 cup sour cream

White chocolate glaze:

• 4 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Butter and flour a standard Bundt pan or spray with Baker’s Joy.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and cream together using a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment (if available) on medium speed until light and fluffy.
4. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and the eggs, one at a time, beating just until incorporated. Slowly beat in the melted white chocolate. Scrape down the bowl.
5. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in thirds, alternating with the sour cream. Beat just until combined. Place the batter in the prepared pan and smooth the top.
6. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. The top will be brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out with a few crumbs on it. Remove the cake to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool to room temperature.
7. Make the white chocolate glaze.
8. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the white chocolate with 1/2 cup heavy cream in a microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until smooth. Let the ganache cool for about 10 minutes, then drizzle and spread over cake with pastry brush.
9. Transfer the cake to a serving plate and garnish with berries if desired.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Great American Desserts.

Nutrition

• Calories: 579kcal
• Sugar: 45g
• Sodium: 238mg
• Fat: 31g
• Saturated Fat: 18g
• Trans Fat: 1g
• Carbohydrates: 70g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 7g
• Cholesterol: 135mg