Vanilla Bundt Cake
This Vanilla Bundt Cake is one of the best cakes I’ve ever baked. The texture is incredibly soft, moist, and tender, with a rich vanilla flavor in every bite. While the vanilla bean ganache adds a beautiful finish and makes the cake feel extra special, the cake itself is the real star of the show.
A vanilla syrup brushed over the warm cake keeps it exceptionally moist and adds even more flavor. Finished with a silky white chocolate vanilla bean ganache and delicate white chocolate curls, this Bundt cake will impress everyone who tries it!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This cake seems simple, but it’s actually so flavorful!
This post may contain affiliate links. I earn a commission from qualified purchases. Please read our Privacy policy here.
- It has a soft, buttery, and incredibly moist texture.
- It’s packed with real vanilla flavor from vanilla beans and vanilla paste.
- The vanilla syrup keeps the cake tender for days.
- This cake is elegant enough for celebrations but simple enough for everyday baking.
- The white chocolate vanilla bean ganache creates a beautiful bakery-style finish.
- It stays fresh and delicious longer than many traditional Bundt cakes.
What You Need
Vanilla Bean: The vanilla bean is what makes this cake truly special. The tiny specks throughout the cake, syrup, and ganache add an incredible depth of flavor that can’t be replicated with vanilla extract alone. I love using vanilla beans when I can, like in my Vanilla Caramel Cake or Vanilla Muffins.
Sour Cream: Sour cream creates a tender crumb and helps keep the cake moist. Full-fat Greek yogurt can be used instead if needed. I always use sour cream in my bundt cakes, like Strawberry Bundt Cake or Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake.
Oil and Butter: Using both butter and oil gives the cake the best of both worlds. The butter provides flavor while the oil helps keep the cake exceptionally moist.
White Chocolate: A good-quality white chocolate is essential for a smooth ganache. Look for one containing at least 20% cocoa butter for the best results.
The Components
What makes this Vanilla Bundt Cake stand out is the combination of three layers of vanilla flavor. The cake itself is rich, buttery, and incredibly soft, thanks to the combination of butter, oil, sour cream, and vanilla bean. It has a tender crumb that stays moist for days.
After baking, the warm cake is soaked with a simple vanilla bean syrup. This extra step takes only a few minutes but makes a huge difference in both flavor and texture. The syrup locks in moisture and infuses every bite with even more vanilla. To finish, the cake is topped with a silky white chocolate vanilla bean ganache. The ganache adds just enough sweetness while creating an elegant finish that makes the cake look bakery-worthy.
How to Make Vanilla Bundt Cake
This cake is pretty easy to pull off, but here are detailed step-by-step instructions to make sure you nail it. The full recipe card and ingredients can be found at the bottom of this post.
Start the Cake Batter
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Generously grease a 12-cup Bundt pan, making sure to coat every crevice. Dust lightly with flour and tap out any excess.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a mixing bowl using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar.
Beat the butter for about 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla bean seeds and continue beating for another 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add the Eggs and Vanilla
Pour in the oil and beat until pale and airy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Scrape down the bowl as needed. With the final egg, add the vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract. Mix until fully incorporated.
Finish the Batter
Mix in the sour cream. Add half of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until almost combined.
Pour in the milk and mix until incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix only until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
Bake the Cake
Transfer the batter to the prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
Make the Vanilla Bean Syrup
While the cake bakes, combine the sugar, water, and vanilla bean seeds in a small saucepan.
Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
If using vanilla extract, stir it in after removing the syrup from the heat.
Let the Cake Cool, then Soak with The Syrup
Let the cake cool for at least five minutes before adding the vanilla bean syrup. Using a skewer or toothpick, poke holes all over the surface.
Slowly brush or spoon the warm syrup over the cake, allowing it to soak in gradually.
Let the cake cool in the pan for another 15 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before glazing.
Make the White Chocolate Vanilla Bean Ganache
While the cake is fully cooling, make the ganache. Place the chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
Heat the cream and vanilla bean until steaming. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit for 1 minute.
Whisk gently until smooth and glossy. Allow the ganache to cool at room temperature for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a pourable consistency.
Make White Chocolate Curls
These white chocolate curls make a beautiful garnish for the cake. For extra vanilla flavor, you can add the seeds from 1 vanilla bean to the melted chocolate, but this is completely optional.
Place the white chocolate and vegetable shortening in a heatproof bowl. Microwave in short intervals, stirring frequently, until smooth and fully melted. If using vanilla bean seeds, stir them in now. Spread the melted chocolate into a thin, even layer on the back of a quarter sheet pan. This amount of chocolate is enough to cover a quarter sheet pan perfectly. If using a half sheet pan, spread the chocolate over only half of the surface so the layer is thick enough to create curls. The pan needs to be big enough to fit the freezer.
Freeze for four minutes, just until the chocolate loses its shine and feels firm but still slightly pliable when touched. If the chocolate becomes too hard, let it sit at room temperature for a minute or two before continuing.
Using a bench scraper, gently push the chocolate forward to create curls of varying sizes. Transfer the curls to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper as you work. If the chocolate becomes too soft, return it to the freezer briefly and continue. Also place the curls in the freezer if they are too soft, so they don’t lose shape.
While forming the curls, if they are breaking, that means the chocolate is too cold. If the curls are coming out in big chunks, it’s too warm and the pan needs to go back in the freezer. Once all the curls have been formed, chill them until firm. Store them in the freezer until ready to decorate the cake.
I’ve learned to make these curls using this recipe by Beyond the Butter.
Decorate the Cake
Pour the ganache over the cooled cake, allowing it to drip naturally down the sides.
Decorate with white chocolate curls if desired.
Let the ganache set slightly before slicing and serving.
Storage
Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 5 days. The cake can also be frozen, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 months.
Variations
This cake is perfect because of its simplicity, but if you had to do anything, here’s what I would do!
- Add fresh raspberries for a Vanilla Raspberry Bundt Cake.
- Replace the white chocolate ganache with a simple vanilla glaze.
- Add lemon zest to the batter for a bright citrus twist.
- Fold mini white chocolate chips into the batter for extra richness.
FAQ
Yes. Vanilla bean paste works wonderfully and still provides excellent flavor.
The syrup keeps the cake exceptionally moist and reinforces the vanilla flavor throughout.
Absolutely. The cake is delicious on its own, though the ganache adds a beautiful presentation.
Yes. In fact, the flavor and texture are even better the next day.
More Bundt Cake Recipes
If you enjoyed this Vanilla Bundt Cake, be sure to check out my Chocolate Bundt Cake, Lemon Bundt Cake, Marble Cake, and Glazed Donut Cake.
If you make this recipe, tag me on Instagram @piesandtacos so I can see your beautiful creations!
Vanilla Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 3¼ cups all-purpose flour 370g
- ½ tsp salt
- 1¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened (170g)
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar 350g
- seeds from 1 vanilla bean optional, but recommended
- ¼ cup vegetable oil 60ml
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream 120g
- ½ cup whole milk 120ml
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Vanilla Bean Syrup
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100g
- ⅓ cup water 80ml
- seeds from ½ vanilla bean or 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste, or extract
White Chocolate Vanilla Bean Ganache
- 125 g white chocolate finely chopped
- 60 g heavy cream
- ½ vanilla bean split in half and seeded (or ½ tbsp vanilla bean paste)
Vanilla Bean Chocolate Curls
- ½ cup chopped white chocolate 85 g
- 1 tbsp shortening
Instructions
Cake Batter
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Generously grease a 12-cup Bundt pan, making sure to coat every crevice, then dust it lightly with flour and tap out the excess.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter for about 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and the vanilla bean seeds, if using, and continue beating for about 3 minutes.
- Add the oil and keep beating until the mixture becomes pale, light, and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Along with the final egg, add the vanilla bean extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Mix in the sour cream. Add half of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until combined. Pour in the milk and mix until incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix only until no dry streaks remain, being careful not to overmix.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
Vanilla Bean Syrup
- While the cake is baking, prepare the vanilla bean syrup. Combine the sugar, water, and vanilla bean seeds, if using, in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, just until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
- If using vanilla extract instead of the seeds, simply add the extract after you remove the syrup from the heat.
Soak
- Once the cake is out of the oven, let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Using a skewer or toothpick, poke holes all over the exposed surface of the cake. Slowly spoon or brush the warm syrup over the cake, allowing it to soak in gradually. Let the cake cool in the pan for another 15 minutes before carefully inverting it onto a wire rack. Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing.
Vanilla Bean Ganache
- To make the white chocolate vanilla bean ganache, place the chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream with the vanilla bean seeds (or paste) until steaming but not boiling. Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate and let it sit undisturbed for 1 minute. Whisk gently until smooth, glossy, and fully emulsified.
- Allow the ganache to sit at room temperature for about 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens to a pourable consistency. Once the cake is completely cool, pour the ganache over the top, letting it drip naturally down the sides before serving.
- If the ganache is too runny, you can place it in the fridge for about 5 minutes. Stir gently. Then let it rest on the counter for 10 minutes before pouring over the cake.
- Decorate with the white chocolate curls, if making them. (See below)
Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Curls (Optional)
- These white chocolate curls make a beautiful garnish for the cake. For extra vanilla flavor, you can add the seeds from 1 vanilla bean to the melted chocolate, but this is completely optional.
- Place the white chocolate and vegetable shortening in a heatproof bowl. Microwave in short intervals, stirring frequently, until smooth and fully melted. If using vanilla bean seeds, stir them in now.
- Spread the melted chocolate into a thin, even layer on the back of a quarter sheet pan. This amount of chocolate is enough to cover a quarter sheet pan perfectly. If using a half sheet pan, spread the chocolate over only half of the surface so the layer is thick enough to create curls. The pan needs to be big enough to fit the freezer.
- Freeze for four minutes, just until the chocolate loses its shine and feels firm but still slightly pliable when touched. If the chocolate becomes too hard, let it sit at room temperature for a minute or two before continuing.
- Using a bench scraper, gently push the chocolate forward to create curls of varying sizes. Transfer the curls to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper as you work. If the chocolate becomes too soft, return it to the freezer briefly and continue. Also place the curls in the freezer if they are too soft, so they don’t lose shape.
- While forming the curls, if they are breaking, that means the chocolate is too cold. If the curls are coming out in big chunks, it’s too warm and the pan needs to go back in the freezer.
- Once all the curls have been formed, chill them until firm. Store them in the freezer until ready to decorate the cake.
- I’ve learned to make these curls using this recipe by Beyond the Butter.