Baking in a Bundt pan is all fun until it’s time to remove the cake- you must know how to cool the Bundt cake pan if you don’t want to wreck the cake. Unfortunately, a good number of bakers neither allow the pan the right amount of time to cool nor do they cool it suitably.
In this article, we will look at how the cake should be cooled for the best results. We shall also look at how long the cake should be cooled before glazing or frosting.
How long to cool a Bundtcake
Just because we need to cool the cake doesn’t mean we can cool it forever. You could underdo or overdo it altogether, with each action coming with undesired consequences. We cool a Bundt cake to allow it to become sufficiently firm to be removed frosted or glazed.
Whereas cooling should take between 10 and 20 minutes, if you exceed 20 minutes, the cake will possibly become damp and stick on the pan. On the other hand, allowing a short time for the cake to cool means it won’t be firm enough to be iced. In such a case, you’d most likely wreck the cake before it can release from the pan.
Related:
- Bundt cake pan reviewed and buying guide.
- How to use a bundt pan
How to properly cool a Bundt cake
As delicate as it is to bake a cake, so is cooling the cake down. Any excesses will get you closer to regretting the whole process. Although different cakes call for different methods to remove from the pan, Bundt cakes generally have similar requirements, even with different types of Bundt pans.
1. Place on a grid rack
After baking, place the pan on a wire rack for five minutes. This allows excess heat to conduct away and leave the cake at a temperature you can efficiently work with.
2. Loosen the edges
Before cooling, there’s one thing you should do to the cake, straight from the oven- loosen the cake from the pan, at the edges. A flexible plastic spatula does the job well. Just remember to be gentle not to ruin the classic Bundt pan cake appearance.
Since most Bundt pans have a non-stick coating, avoid using any metallic utensil on the pan surface. Still, you should avoid strong cleaning liquids and abrasive sponges, which can scrape off the non-stick coating. A damaged non-stick coating makes the cake stick really bad.
3. Flip the pan
Once the pan is considerably cooled down, it will have released the cake. Flip the pan with the cake carefully over a serving plate. If the cake feels stuck, tap the sides of the pan gently until it releases. When it releases, you can lift off the pan, and your Bundt cake is ready for the next step- cooling.
4. Cooling the cake
Cooling the cake takes a few simple steps:
Begin by wrapping the cake with plastic paper or wrap. The paper wrap traps the moisture within the cake so that it doesn’t cool by evaporation. If the cake lost a lot of moisture, it’d become hard and chewy- that’s not what any baker would want after so much effort.
When you have covered the entire surface, leave the cake at room temperature. Depending on the ambient temperatures, it can take an hour or several to sufficiently cool. You will need to keep checking.
After cooling, unwrap the cake carefully. More often than not, some sections will absorb condensed vapor and become soggy. Sprinkle powdered sugar on those areas to keep them sturdy and coat the moisture.
Why cool the cake?
Perhaps you like hot treats and would love to try a hot Bundt. But there are two main reasons why a Bundt needs to be cooled before serving:
It’s necessary to cool the cake before icing. After all, ‘ice’ wouldn’t really last over a hot surface. You would end up with a runny cake. Yuck!
A hot cake is also very fragile. Apart from the icing crumbling the cake, cutting a hot Bundt cake would also be problematic.
How long to cool a Bundt cake before frosting
Want to devour your cake immediately? After removing the Bundt pan and wrapping the cake in plastic wrap, leave it in the fridge for half an hour. By this time, it’ll be ready for frosting.
Got more time? you can leave the cake cool for between two to three hours at room temperature before icing it.
How long to cool a Bundt cake before glazing
Frosting and glazing are often confused for the same thing, but there is a difference. Whereas a frosting mixture is somewhat thick, a glaze is usually thin enough to be poured from a cup or a bowl.
If you want to pour the glaze consistently, you’ll have to let the cake cool down sufficiently but not completely cold. Remember, a little warmth makes the glaze flow easily. Ideally, the cake should cool for two to three hours at room temperature.
After glazing, put the cake in the refrigerator to have the glaze set is as short as 10 minutes. If you have more time at your disposal, leave the cake at room temperature for about two hours.
Conclusion
Cooling a Bundt cake is a matter of timing and understanding the ambient temperature. As you’ve seen, you can cool the cake at room temperature or much faster in the fridge. Either way, bear in mind the amount of time the cake should be cooled in each case.
Jennifer D. Simon has spent the last 26 years studying and practicing nutrition science. She has used a larger part of this time in improving people’s livelihoods. She has done so by coming up with unquestionable ideas on how to tackle food problems in her community. Read More