It’s still summer in south Florida, but I’m thinking crisp air, fall leaves and welcoming fall in my mind with this delicious bundt cake. I mean, what’s not to love about this on Sunday morning with a good cup of coffee? This bundt cake came together quickly and in under an hour, you can enjoy this tasty treat any time.
Preheat the oven to 375°F and prepare a 5 cup bundt pan. I’m using one from Nordic Ware. You can butter and flour your pan and tap the excess flour off or you can use a baking spray. Because if the intricate design, I always use a baking spray when using bundt pans.
Make the streusel mix and set aside. To make streusel, you cut cold butter into the dry ingredients. You can use a pastry cutter, a fork or even your hands. In a separate bowl, cream the the room temperature butter and sugar until fluffy and light in color. Mix in sour cream. Add one egg at a time and use a spatula after each egg to clean the sides of the bowl and mix all ingredients. Mix in the vanilla extract and maple emulsion. While the emulsion is optional, I highly recommend it.
Blend in the flour in two parts, alternating with the milk. Add half the flour, followed by all the milk, then the remaining flour – mixing just until incorporated after each ingredient. Pour half the batter into the pan and evenly sprinkle all the streusel mixture.
Evenly pour the remaining batter over the streusel to cover it. Make swirls the batter by dragging a knife or wooden skewer in the batter in an S design. Notice how the batter came right up to the top? I placed the bundt pan on a baking sheet and baked it in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until golden. Mine was done at 45 minutes.
Tip: Since oven temps vary, always test a new recipe 5 minutes before indicated. Insert a skewer in the center, if it comes out clean, it’s done. If not clean, give it a few more minutes.
While the cake is baking, make the glaze. In a small sauce pan, combine the butter and brown sugar. Whisk until blended. Add the heavy whipping cream and real maple syrup and whisk briskly until a smooth glaze develops, about 2-3 minutes.
When the cake is done, remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire cooling rack. Place it on your serving cake plate before glazing. I love to add the glaze while the cake is still warm. While it melts over the cake and pools at the bottom, I don’t mind. If you want the glaze to remain on top, allow the cake to cool completely before glazing.
Cinnamon Swirl Bundt with Maple Caramel Glaze
A delicious fall bundt cake with swirls of cinnamon and topping with a sweet maple caramel glaze. A perfect morning snack.
Ingredients
STREUSEL
- 2½ Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed prefer Plugra brand
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
CAKE
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature prefer Plugra brand
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup sour cream prefer Daisy brand
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
- ½ teaspoon maple flavor emulsion, optional
- ¼ cup whole milk
MAPLE CARAMEL GLAZE
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature prefer Plugra butter
- 2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tablespoons real maple syrup
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter and flour the pan or use a baking spray. Set aside.
MAKING THE STREUSEL
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In a small mixing bowl, combine the cubed butter, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Using a pastry cutter or a fork, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is pea size. Add the chopped nuts and stir to combine. Set aside.
MAKING THE CAKE BATTER
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In a separate mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour and baking soda. Set aside.
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In a stand alone mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or with a hand held electric beater, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Mix in sour cream. Add eggs, one at a time and mix just until incorporated. After each egg, scrape the sides to ensure even mixing. Mix in vanilla extract and maple emulsion.
Note: The emulsion is optional, but I highly recommend it.
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On low speed, slowly add the flour and milk, alternating between the two (flour, milk, flour) and mix just until incorporated.
Tip: Always use a rubber spatula to fold the batter and double check that the bottom of the mixing bowl was incorporated. If not, fold the batter a few times to evenly distribute.
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Pour half the batter into the prepared bundt tin. Evenly sprinkle the streusel and add the remaining batter. Insert a knife or wooden skewer in the batter to make swirls.
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Gently tap bundt tin on the counter to release any air pockets or bubbles and place the filled bundt pan on a baking sheet in the oven. Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until golden. You can test by inserting a skewer in the center, if it comes out clean, it's done.
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Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before turning out on a baking rack.
MAKING THE GLAZE
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While the cake is baking, make the maple caramel glaze. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, stir until you combine butter and brown sugar. Add heavy whipping cream and maple syrup. The sauce will bubble up, but keep stirring until all ingredients are smooth and combined, about 2 minutes.
ASSEMBLY
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Place the cake on a serving platter and drizzle or pour the glaze over the bundt cake.
Note: If your cake is warm, the glaze will melt off the cake and pool at the bottom. If you want the perfect glaze on top, wait for the cake to come to room temperature before glazing.
Recipe Notes
This recipe was adapted from the Nordic Ware label recipe on the bundt pan packaging.
