Bready or Not: Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Some cake recipes make a LOT of cake. If you need to celebratory cake to just feed a few people, make this Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Frosting instead: it’s a simple one-layer cake that tastes incredibly good.
This is a case where folks can really tell you baked from scratch. The cake is sweet and moist, and the frosting? Wow. I have to say, the kosher salt in the frosting was a revelation. The little pockets of salt melted on my tongue and really amplified the flavor of everything.
I stored this cake in my cake dome at room temperature, and it kept just fine for days, too.
Modified from Bake from Scratch: One Layer Cakes Magazine.
Bready or Not: Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Equipment
- parchment paper
- nonstick spray with flour
- 9-inch cake pan
- offset spatula
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk or soured milk (see note)
Chocolate Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) softened
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2-3 Tablespoons buttermilk or soured milk (see note)
- multicolored sprinkles to garnish
Instructions
Make cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut parchment paper to fit in the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan. Apply nonstick spray with flour inside cake pan, then place parchment and spray again, being sure to coat the interior sides.
- Beat butter and sugar until fluffy, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla.
- In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk/soured milk, beating just until combined. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to let it cool completely on a wire rack.
Make frosting
- After the cake is completely cool, make the frosting.
- Beat butter until creamy. In another bowl, sift together confectioners’ sugar, cocoa, and salt. Add cocoa mixture to butter, beating until combined. Stir in buttermilk/soured milk until it reaches a spreadable consistency. Use an offset spatula to adorn cake. Add sprinkles on top.
OM NOM NOM!
Notes
Bready or Not: Sock-It-To-Me Bundt Cake
I love a good bundt cake, and this Sock-It-To-Me Bundt Cake is especially good. To me, it seems like a coffee cake with the spiced crumble on the inside!
I’ve had this recipe for years and years, clipped from a pretty old issue of Cook’s Country magazine. Their goal was to make a from-scratch version of the Duncan Hines cake mix recipe that dates to the 1970s–hence the very 1970s name.
They used a food processor, and so I did as well. It does make the cake-making extremely easy, and the crumb was light and soft, as they promised. However, the cake can be mixed by hand or with a mixer. If you do, however, be sure to chop the pecans.
Bready or Not: Sock-It-To-Me Bundt Cake
Equipment
- food processor
- large bundt cake or tube pan (12 cups)
- baking spray with flour
Ingredients
Streusel
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled a smidgen
- 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup pecans
Cake
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups white sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream or vanilla or plain Greek yogurt, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) melted and cooled
Glaze
- 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons milk or half & half
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
Instructions
- The base recipe is written for the food processor, but the ingredients can be mixed by machine or hand as well, though the crumb will not be as fine.
- Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Use a baking spray with flour to fully coat every nook and cranny on the interior of the bundt or tube pan.
- Start by making the streusel. In the food processor, combine the flour, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Pulse until everything is ground down. Transfer to another bowl. Wipe out food processor (no need to do a thorough wash).
- Now it's time for the cake batter. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of the food processor, blend together sugar, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually pour in the melted butter. Add the dry ingredient mix, pulsing until just combined.
- Pour about half the batter into the bundt pan. Sprinkle the streusel to cover. Pour on the other half of the batter. Smooth out the top.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick plunged into the center comes out clean. Cool for about 20 minutes, then carefully invert onto a rack to cool.
- After the cake is fully cool, mix up the glaze. The result should be thick and smooth. Place cake on cutting board or serving dish. Drizzle glaze over cake so it oozes down the sides. Let set about 2 hours, speeding the process in fridge, if desired.
- Slice and serve. Keeps well at room temperature for at least 4 days. Cake pieces can also be individually wrapped and frozen.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Brown Sugar Bundt Cake
It’s New Year’s Eve. This year was… something, wasn’t it? Yeah. Something. But now it is almost over, and let’s celebrate with some cake! How about this Brown Sugar Bundt Cake?
The high amount of brown sugar creates magic. The bake results in a crisp, caramelized exterior, while the crumb is soft and sweet and moist.
This cake is fantastic all by itself, but you could also add whipped cream, ice cream, fruit, all kinds of things. It’ll serve as a breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Modified from the King Arthur Flour Catalog, May 2017.
Bready or Not: Brown Sugar Bundt Cake
Equipment
- bundt pan
- nonstick spray
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- confectioners sugar to dust
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Fully grease a large bundt pan with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time.
- In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
- Gradually mix in about half of the dry ingredients into the wet. Add the sour cream and vanilla, scraping the bottom of the bowl to incorporate. Mix in the rest of the dry ingredients.
- Pour batter into the bundt pan and level out. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes; the middle should pass the toothpick test. Let cool for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to completely cool.
- Before slicing and serving, dust with confectioners’ sugar. Store covered at room temperature. Slices can also be individually wrapped and frozen for later.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Pumpkin-Chocolate-Apple Butter Bundt Cake
There’s something especially cozy and right about a pumpkin and spice bundt cake in the autumn. This Pumpkin-Chocolate-Apple Butter Bundt Cake hits all those notes perfectly… and that took some effort on my part, as I actually had two fail-cakes in the process of developing this recipe.
This isn’t a heavily sweet cake. There is no dense glaze. This cake is really all about pumpkin and spice, with the chocolate and apple butter beautifully complementary.
This is the kind of cake that functions well for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Bready or Not Original: Pumpkin-Chocolate-Apple Butter Bundt Cake
Equipment
- 10-cup bundt pan
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons pumpkin spice
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups white sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/3 cup apple butter
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup half & half or milk
- confectioners’ sugar to dust top
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Generously apply nonstick spray to a 10-cup bundt pan.
- Combine the flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together sugar, butter, apple butter, and eggs until no eggy streaks remain. Add pumpkin puree and half & half. Fold in the dry ingredients, scraping bottom of bowl to incorporate everything.
- Pour batter into pan and smooth out the top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes; the middle of the cake should pass the toothpick test.
- Let cool for 15 minutes. Carefully invert cake onto cooling rack to cool completely.
- Add sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar over the top. Slice and serve. Cake can also be sliced, wrapped, and frozen for later enjoyment.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Leftover Cranberry Sauce Bundt Cake
I’m sharing this recipe today to help folks out there be prepared for an awesome way to use up leftover cranberry sauce from the holidays: use it to fill this Leftover Cranberry Sauce Bundt Cake.
And if you don’t have cranberry sauce–or the full amount this recipe calls for? Use a thick fruit jelly, jam, or preserve.
The texture of this is like a pound cake, moist and soft. It’s perfect for a breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Bready or Not Original: Leftover Cranberry Sauce Bundt Cake
Equipment
- 10 cup bundt pan
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup leftover cranberry sauce or thick fruit jelly, jam, or preserve
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened
- 1 3/4 cups white sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream or plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3 Tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
Instructions
Make bundt cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan.
- If the cranberry sauce or other filling is cold from the fridge, zap slightly in microwave to bring to room temperature and loosen.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla. Alternate mixing in the flour mixture and sour cream.
- Spoon about half the batter into the pan. Use a spoon to create a deep trench in the batter going all the way around the pan. Spoon in the cranberry sauce to fill the trench, taking care that it doesn’t touch the sides of the pan; if it touches, it may stick and make cake removal trickier.
- Pour the remaining batter over the top. Smooth out.
- Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour 5 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes inside the pan. Invert the cake onto a wire rack. Cool cake completely.
Make glaze
- In a bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla. Add more sugar or milk as needed to form a thick texture. Drizzle over the cake. Let set 30 minutes before cutting.
- Cake can be stored under a dome at room temperature. It can also be sliced and individually wrapped to freeze.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Ginger Cream Filling
This Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Ginger Cream Filling is a winning combo of flavors: pumpkin, spices, ginger, and sweetness.
It’s a pretty cake, too, no matter what bundt cake mold you use. Filled cakes look so great when they are sliced open, like you’re revealing a present inside. And with a thin layer of glaze on top? Yum!
I’ve used this combo of ginger pumpkin before on Bready or Not. Here are some examples!
Bready or Not Original: Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Ginger Cream Filling
Equipment
- 10-12 cup bundt cake pan
- nonstick spray with flour
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened
- 3 cups white sugar
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup buttermilk or soured milk, see note
Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese (1 box) softened
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons milk or half & half
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Generously coat the interior of a large bundt pan with nonstick spray with flour.
- In a big bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the pumpkin. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bottom of the bowl to incorporate everything.
- In another bowl, combine the flour, cardamom, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the big bowl alternatively with the buttermilk/soured milk. Scape the bottom of the bowl again to make certain everything is combined.
- In another bowl, mix together the cream cheese, ginger, brown sugar, and flour.
- Scoop about 2/3 of the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Spoon in the filling, being careful to make sure it doesn’t touch the sides of the pan (it could possibly stick and cause the cake to pull apart). Spoon the remaining pumpkin batter on top, evening out.
- Bake for 65 to 75 minutes; the middle of the cake should pass the toothpick test. Let it cool about 15 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely.
- Make glaze, adjusting the amounts as needed to create a thick texture. Drizzle atop cake. Let set at least an hour before cutting. Store covered or as wrapped individual slices.
