Vanilla Bundt Cake

This Vanilla Bundt Cake is dense, moist, and bursting with aromatic, sensual vanilla flavor. It's a beautiful dessert that's anything but ordinary and ideal for almost any situation.

How did vanilla become synonymous with plain and boring? We're talking about the stamen of a tropical orchid, something that has to be carefully cultivated and preserved. The best vanilla is imported from places like Madagascar, Tahiti, and tropical Mexico. What's boring about that?

And we haven't even begun to talk about the flavor. Rich and aromatic, great vanilla is sexy and sensual but also somehow homey and comforting at the same time. When I smell vailla on the air, I know something awesome is about to happen. And usually that awesome thing involves eating cake, which I'm always ready for.

What makes this Vanilla Bundt Cake so awesome?

This Vanilla Bundt Cake has a moist, dense crumb with a crunchy crust on the bottom (that used to be the top) for a hint of texture. This recipe uses vanilla bean paste, and plenty of it, for an intense vanilla flavor. It's also topped with a sweet vanilla glaze. If you look closely, you can see the specks of vanilla beans, each one bursting with flavor.

I think the addition of precious vanilla beans takes this cake firmly into the elegant category. It's just as appropriate at an office meeting, a charity coffee morning, or a dinner party dessert. I'd happily eat it any time of day with tea or coffee or a glass of wine. You could also feed a piece to your partner for a sexy date night at home if you want to tap into some of vanilla's more grown up properties.

Magical Properties of Vanilla

Possibly because of its ubiquity in home baking, vanilla can evoke feelings of happiness, friendship, and relief from stress and anxiety. But it's exotic origins and shape of the vanilla pod also call in love, passion, and beauty. It's tied to the goddess Venus as well as the luxury loving sign of Taurus and carries feminine water energy.

The next time you have a leftover vanilla pod, make yourself some vanilla sugar, but this time, infuse it with the intention of creating a happy home. Then, each time you sprinkle that vanilla sugar into your tea or over your porridge, let the scent fill your whole house with happiness. (Source: Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells by Judika Illes)

For more on the magical properties of the ingredients in this recipe, check the Kitchen Magick page.

Ingredients

Here's everything you'll need for this recipe. All the details are in the recipe card below.

• Flour - all-purpose or plain
• Baking powder and baking soda - you need both, they are not interchangable
• Salt
• Butter - unsalted, softened, and cut into chunks
• Sugar
• Vanilla bean paste - I find this easier and cheaper than scraping out a whole vanilla pod. You could also use vanilla extract, but the flavor won't be quite as intense.
• Eggs - room temperature
• Buttermilk
• Milk - any kind is fine
• Powdered sugar

Tips for making Vanilla Bundt Cake

We'll use a typical creaming method for this cake, which means we'll start by beating together butter and sugar until their light and fluffy. About five minutes should do it. Then you'll mix in the eggs and vanilla bean paste. The last step is to alternate your dry ingredients with the buttermilk until it's all worked in and everything is well incorporated.

Do your best to evenly spread your cake batter in your well greased bundt pan before baking until golden. Let the cake cool in the bundt pan for 15 minutes before turning it out on a rack to cool completely.

There's nothing tricky to the glaze. I like to keep it nice and thick, so add your milk sparingly at first until it just barely starts to run. Then just pour it over your cake and let some gorgeous drips form.

This Vanilla Bundt Cake is so far from ordinary, you're going to be craving it all the time. And there's no rule saying you can't have it whenever you want. You're welcome.

Looking for more awesome cake ideas? Try this beautiful Lavender Loaf Cake or an Old Fashioned Pound Cake.

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