Buttermilk Bundt Cake with Buttermilk Glaze is a perfect snack cake. The tangy-sweet buttermilk glaze forms an ultra-thin coating over the melt-in-your-mouth cake.
If you read my blog with any frequency, by now you know that buttermilk is one of my favorite ingredients. I use it in all sorts of recipes from mashed potatoes to scones.
But I absolutely love using buttermilk in cake batter, not only for the special flavor, but mostly for the tenderizing effect that the slightly acidic ingredient has on the cake crumb.
No other ingredient makes as soft and tender a cake as buttermilk does.
How to make the best Buttermilk Bundt Cake:
- Don’t be tempted to swap out yogurt or soured milk, it’s really not the same.
- If you don’t want to buy buttermilk because you don’t want left overs in the fridge (seriously though, use it in mashed potatoes. It will change your life!!) the best substitute is buttermilk powder.
- Use the reverse creaming method for a super-tender cake.
- If you’re interested in learning why I use this method for mixing butter cakes rather than the traditional “cream the butter and sugar” method, check out my Cake Batter Mixing Methods post (I’m talking to you, baking science geeks!).
- Add a full tablespoon of the best vanilla extract for the best vanilla flavor.
- Glaze the cake while it’s slightly warm so the glaze to set to a shiny finish.
- If you glaze the cake while it’s too warm the glaze will melt and if you glaze the completely cooled cake the glaze won’t set as nicely.
- If you keep a Sourdough Starter, you should definitely try my Sourdough Bundt Cake with Buttermilk Glaze.
Scroll through the process photos to see how to make and glaze Buttermilk Bundt Cake:
Generously butter and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan before pouring in the batter. The cake can get stuck in the nooks if you don’t butter it well.
Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes before turning it out onto the cooling rack.
Glaze the cake on a rack set over a clean sheet pan. Collect the run off from the sheet pan and re-glaze the cake until the entire surface is covered. Glaze the cake while it’s still slightly warm for the best finish.
The cake is delicious all by itself, but I love to serve it with fresh berries or seasonal fruit. I find it pairs especially well with apricots or peaches.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, I’d really appreciate a 5-star review.
Buttermilk Bundt Cake with Buttermilk Glaze
Buttermilk Bundt Cake with Buttermilk Glaze is a perfect snack cake. The tangy-sweet buttermilk glaze forms an ultra-thin coating over the melt-in-your-mouth cake.
Ingredients
Buttermilk Cake
- 2 large eggs plus 2 yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (8 oz, 240ml) buttermilk
- 2 1/2 cups (11.25 oz, 315g) cake flour
- 1 1/3 cups (11 oz, 308g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1 1/2 sticks (6 oz, 168g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1" chunks
Buttermilk Glaze
- 2 cups (8 oz, 224g) confectioner's sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup (2 oz, 60ml) buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan or using baking spray.
Make the batter
- Whisk together the eggs, yolks, vanilla and 1/2 cup of the buttermilk, set aside.
- Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a mixer bowl. Mix on low speed to combine the dry ingredients. Toss the chunks of butter into the flour mixture.
- Add the reserved 1/2 cup of buttermilk increase the speed to medium. Mix on medium high for 2 minutes to aerate the batter. Scrape the bowl.
- Add the eggs in 3 batches, scraping the bowl between each addition. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake until the cake springs back when lightly pressed or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
- Cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Invert the cake onto a cooling rack set over a clean sheet pan.
Make the Glaze
- Combine the sugar, vanilla and buttermilk and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the glaze over the still slightly warm cake. You can scoop up the glaze from the sheet pan and use it to fill in any gaps in the glaze.
- Cool completely and allow the glaze to set. Transfer to a serving plate.
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Despoina
Monday 13th of April 2020
Yes i bake in a bundt pan. In start the cake has volume inside the oven and the end after the oven, it loose the volume and inside has many moisture.
Deborah
Saturday 29th of August 2020
The cake isn't cooked completely, Let it cook for additional time until a toothpick stuck into the cake comes out clean.
Despoina
Sunday 12th of April 2020
Hello, i am despoina frin greece and i must to tell you this recipe has a problem. After the oven the cake it loose the volume. Today make it for the second time and the problem it was here. Tell me way, please?
Eileen Gray
Sunday 12th of April 2020
Hi Despoina. It's hard to help without knowing exactly how you did the recipe. I do know that flour and other ingredients can vary from country to country so that could be the problem. Did you bake it in a Bundt pan?
Cheryl
Monday 13th of August 2018
I freeze buttermilk in 1/2 cup portions in plastic baggies and then I use my food-saver for extra protection. Once it is thawed I just throw it in the blender.
Eileen
Tuesday 14th of August 2018
Great idea! Thanks for sharing.
TSandy
Thursday 7th of September 2017
I used to swear by buttermilk powder and then I purchased a heritage buttermilk starter culture. I make my own buttermilk weekly(or more frequently when I cook/bake more often). You keep 2oz out of the old buttermilk to add to a quart of fresh milk. Leave it out overnight and in the morning I have a quart of new buttermilk! Whether it's baking, making buttermilk waffles for breakfast or a new batch of buttermilk ranch dressing everything is better when I use fresh buttermilk in the recipe. Thanks for a new buttermilk cake recipe. I can't wait to try it.
Eileen Gray
Thursday 7th of September 2017
Hi! What a great idea to use the starter. Personally, I never have trouble using up buttermilk. I almost always have it in the house. It's absolutely one of my favorite baking ingredients.
Lita
Sunday 4th of June 2017
I love the cake and the ideas what to serve with it like fresh berries, seasonal frui, apricots and peaches. Thank you, Eileen.
Eileen Gray
Monday 5th of June 2017
You're welcome.