Vanilla Bean Bundt® Cake

This vanilla Bundt® cake is delicious plain or topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. The outside has a sugar crust that turns golden brown and sparkles while the center of the cake remains light and moist.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 438 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ¾ cups white sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 serving cooking spray with flour (such as Pam®)
• ¼ cup superfine sugar, or more as needed
• 2 each vanilla beans, halved lengthwise

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a fluted tube cake pan (such as Bundt®) with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/4 cup superfine sugar all along the sides and bottom of the pan until evenly coated. Dump out and reserve any extra sugar.

Step 2

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Scrape out all the seeds from the vanilla bean pods into a small bowl. Discard pods.

Step 3

Beat sugar and butter together in another bowl until fluffy. Mix in vanilla seeds and vanilla extract until well incorporated. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately mix in flour mixture and buttermilk with a wooden spoon, a little at a time, beginning and ending with flour mixture, until just combined.

Step 4

Pour batter evenly into the prepared pan and tap gently on the counter or stovetop to eliminate air bubbles. Sprinkle the reserved superfine sugar over the batter, adding more to completely coat, if you wish.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool until cake is warm, about 20 minutes; invert onto a rack or plate and let the cake cool completely before you remove from the pan.