Coffeecakes and liqueur cakes look really special if baked in a Bundt pan. On today’s issue, we compiled questions about the use of Bundt pans. These would surely come in handy for home bakers out there. Read on.

Q: My question is about Bundt cakes. How do I make sure that the cake comes out perfect? I had a bad experience before wherein the cake was stuck to the pan even though I greased the pan.  I also noticed an uneven browning in the cake.  How do I prevent this from happening again? (Leslie Lazo of Quezon City)

Adoree:  I strongly suggest that you generously grease the Bundt pan with shortening, especially the ridges or grooves of the pan, and then dust the pan with flour. Sometimes, greasing the pan is not enough; you have to dust it with flour because the flour ensures that the cake does not stick to the ridges. 

To ensure that the cake browns evenly, position the pan in the middle of the rack. You may adjust the pan by turning it, once you see a part of the cake browning ahead of the other parts. However, this can only be done three-fourths through the baking time. If the cake is brown on top, but when inserted with a tester and it comes out with wet crumbs, you may loosely cover the cake with aluminum foil while you continue to bake it; this will protect the cake from browning further.

Jun Jun: Greasing the pan with too much shortening and dusting it with flour will create a very dirty look on the surface of your cake. I suggest that you smoothen the Bundt pan with shortening and dust it with just the right amount of flour, then tap the pan once to remove the excess flour. The method that I do is either removing the cake after five to ten minutes of cooling or just completely cooling it on the pan then releasing it. The first method might leave some parts of the cake on the pan. With the longer method, you will surely remove the cake completely. 

Q: I tried making rum cake using a Bundt pan. The cake stuck to the pan after I poured some rum syrup into the cake. I believe this is the right thing to do, brushing and pouring the syrup while the cake is in the pan and while the cake is still hot. How do I prevent the cake from sticking to the pan when it is all wet with the syrup? (Gayle Hernandez of Pasig)

Adoree: You have to unmold the cake first then let it cool for a few minutes. Create holes by pricking the cake with a cake tester then brush the cake with the syrup. Put the cake back into the Bundt pan then pour some more syrup. The cake should still be warm when you do this. The technique is, you have to unmold the cake first to be sure that the cake does not stick to the pan then you glaze it with the syrup. To sort of “soak” the cake in syrup, you have to put the cake back in the pan and pour in the syrup to be absorbed by the cake. The cake and the syrup have to be warm enough so that the cake absorbs the syrup.

Jun Jun: That’s right, the first rule should be: “warm cake, warm syrup.” Remove the cake after 10 minutes of cooling. Then, place some offset spatulas around the cake and pour the syrup so that you have an area for the syrup to go to and enough area for the cake to soak. 

Q: Can I use a tube pan instead of the Bundt pan? Do I need to adjust the baking time and the oven temperature?  Thanks in advance and more power to both of you. (Keri Gil of Taguig)

Adoree: Yes, you may use a tube pan instead of the Bundt pan. However, you will not get the shape and the design of the Bundt pan. If you are using the tube pan, you still have to bake it at the same temperature and more or less the same baking time as when you use a Bundt pan.

Jun Jun: All tube pans available here in the country have a removable bottom. I don’t suggest that you use that since your batter might just leak out. Just use a regular cake pan with higher sides or use two smaller cake pans for the big recipe you have. 

Q: I used to have a Bundt pan that was heavy and thick but my sister got it so I got myself a new one. This time what I got was lighter and the material was thinner than before. Will it give a different result than my old one? Do I need to make any adjustments? (Remy Chioco of San Juan)

Adoree: Yes, the result will differ with the new pan. The thicker and heavier one is made of cast iron so heat is more evenly distributed and retained as compared to the thinner one. The cake would also be lighter in color with this new pan of yours.  Generally, you do not have to do any adjustments. It might only take you longer to bake with this new pan; just bake the cake until it is springy when touched and when tested with a toothpick, the toothpick should come out clean.

Jun Jun: That’s true. But whatever cake pan you are using, make sure that you have a cookie sheet or baking sheet under so that it doesn’t brown too soon and looked burnt. 

Q: I would like to sell liqueur cakes baked in a Bundt pan. I should have perfect-looking cakes for there is no frosting to cover the imperfections. My concern is how I can make the cake even and without any “hard” crumbs.  Please give some tips as to how I can make the Bundt cake more special. (Maila Zaballero of Makati)

Adoree: Maila, remember to just fill the pan three-fourths full to give head space for the cake to rise while inside the oven. If you fill it too much, the cake will just overflow and you will end up with an uneven top. Bake the cake at 325 to 350 F so that the cake rises up evenly. Baking it at a higher temperature will result in cracks and an uneven top. In case you still ended up with an uneven top, you can always trim off the top to make it even.

Jun Jun: I don’t know what hard crumbs you are talking about, but I guess it’s the one present on the surface of your cake.  These are spots that develop due to the blending of the shortening and the dusting of the flour. If there is too much flour, this mapping happens and is not too appetizing to look at. So by hand, just spread the right amount of shortening, dust it with the right amount of flour and tap out the excesses. 

Questions? Email us at mbdining@gmail.com