The 6 Best Bundt Pans of 2023
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The Nordic Ware Anniversary Gold Bundt Pan is our top pick for show-stopping cakes
There’s something so charming about a bundt cake. They make even the simplest cake recipe, like a coconut pound cake, feel special. “Bundt pans add a bit of drama and flair to your cakes without you needing to be an expert in piping and decoration,” says Rebecca Eisenberg, pastry chef and food blogger behind The Practical Kitchen. "You can even make some really cool rainbow cakes by layering colored cake batter into a bundt pan." The traditional alternate vertical fluting design of the bundt pan makes it easy to portion and slice.
Thanks to their timeless appeal, there are various bundt cake pans on the market. We sorted through the lot and picked the best based on online reviews, value, size, materials, and design. The Nordic Ware Anniversary Gold Bundt Pan was our overall top pick for its durable classic design and braided handles that make lifting and unmolding easy.
Nordic Ware Anniversary Gold Bundt Pan
Best Overall
If you’re looking for a classic bundt pan to last forever, you really can’t do better than this one.
What We Love: Lifetime guarantee, durable, nonstick
What We Don't Love: Not dishwasher-safe
David Dalquist, Nordic Ware's co-founder, crafted the first fluted tube pans in 1950 (one is now in the Smithsonian). To this day, it still manufactures its trademarked bundt pans in the U.S., and they still come with a lifetime guarantee and are available in the same iconic style that took the baking world by storm in the 1950s.
Distinguished by its signature alternate vertical fluting design, the 12-cup Anniversary Bundt pan is coated in an attractive gold finish and holds 10 to 15 cups, just right for standard bundt cake recipes. It's also available in a 6-cup size. It's made of cast aluminum, has great heat conduction for even cooking, a light-colored interior, and browns cake to just the right shade of golden. The braided handles will make turning out your favorite cake simple and easy.
Online reviewers also give the bundt pan high marks for being easy to clean, sturdy, and worth the price, with one raving it’s “like upgrading to a Cadillac.” Like many other nonstick pans, it’s not dishwasher-safe, but if you’re looking to invest in a classic bundt pan that's durable enough to last forever, you really can’t do better than this one.
Price at time of publish: $72
Material: Cast aluminum | Size: 6-cup, 12-cup | Dishwasher Safe: No
Wilton Perfect Results Premium Fluted Tube Pan
Best Budget
It’s more heavy-duty than some other bundt pans, which reviewers praise for its durability.
What We Love: Nonstick, dishwasher-safe, warp-resistant
What We Don't Love: Slightly smaller size
This 10-cup pan may very well cost less than the ingredients of the cakes you’re making. Made of chromium steel material, it’s nonstick, dishwasher-safe, and warp-resistant. A thoughtful design touch is the oversized handles, meant to be used with oven mitts, so you’re not juggling a hot pan as you retrieve your freshly-baked honey cake from the oven. Even better, the handles are stamped with precise measurements, so it’s easily referenceable when you're deciding which recipe to make.
It’s more heavy-duty than some other budget-friendly bundt pans, with online reviewers praising it for its sturdiness and durability. Since the pan is a slightly smaller size at 9 inches, it might not accommodate all recipes, so it’s advisable to research how much batter your recipe yields. While the pan is nonstick, we recommend hand-washing it in warm, soapy water for best results.
Price at time of publish: $15
Material: Chromium steel | Size: 10-cup | Dishwasher Safe: Yes
Chefmade 4-Piece Mini Bundt Pan Set
Best Mini
This set of four mini pans will get you started on your adorable cake journey with flair.
What We Love: Nonstick, several pieces in set, versatile
What We Don't Love: Not dishwasher-safe
If there’s anything cuter than a bundt cake, it must be a mini bundt cake. This set of four mini silicone-coated carbon-steel pans will get you started on your adorable cake journey with flair. It’s great for angel food cakes, Instant Pot cakes, flans, molded desserts, and more.
Online reviewers praise the pans for their durability, ease of release, and ease of use. Plus, the size makes them fairly easy to clean. Like many nonstick options, they shouldn’t be run through the dishwasher, but otherwise, these are foolproof. Many online reviewers say that, after using these, they loved them so much that they bought the larger size as well.
Price at time of publish: $21
Material: Carbon steel | Size: 1-cup | Dishwasher Safe: No
Nordic Ware 12-Cup Original Sparkling Silver Bundt Pan
Best Nonstick
This silver Nordic Ware option is cast aluminum for even baking, plus it is fully non-stick.
What We Love: Nonstick, classic aesthetic, will last for years
What We Don't Love: Not dishwasher-safe
This is the classic 12-cup capacity Nordic Ware Bundt pan with the signature fluted design, and still one of the absolute best. It's made of durable cast aluminum, provides even baking, and it's fully nonstick. However, it’s important to note that you should still grease a nonstick pan to ensure that even the stickiest monkey bread will come out in one glorious crown. To keep the nonstick coating intact, it is best to hand-wash it with mild detergent since the pan is not dishwasher-safe.
Online reviewers praise its ease of use and report buying the same one for their children and friends after using the pan themselves for years. If you treat it well, this pan should last you for years, if not decades.
Price at time of publish: $27
Material: Cast aluminum | Size: 12-cup | Dishwasher Safe: No
Related: The Best Flour Sifters for Bakery-Worthy Cakes
Aokinle European Grade Silicone Cake Mold
Best Silicone
Reviewers praise it for baking, both because they find it easy to remove cakes from it and easy to clean.
What We Love: Versatile, durable, dishwasher-and freezer-safe
What We Don't Love: Lack of design on the final cake
Silicone molds can be used for many things, from cakes to gelatin-based desserts to puddings. Its nonstick material makes it easy to unmold even the stickiest cake, and unlike many aluminum options, it can handle oven temperatures up to 500 degrees. They are made of durable, high-grade silicone that is dishwasher- and freezer-safe. Online reviewers praise it for baking because they find it easy to unmold cakes and easy to clean. The Aokinle cake mold is sold individually or in sets of two, each with a 10-cup capacity.
Keep in mind silicone does have a couple of downsides. First, it's hard to bake a design into a cake with silicone due to the material's soft and flexible nature. Additionally, silicone's poor heat conduction will not provide your bundt cake with the same level of browning and crisp, defined texture as cast aluminum.
Price at time of publish: $18
Material: Silicone | Size: 10-cup | Dishwasher Safe: Yes
Related: The Best Silicone Muffin Pans for Mess-Free Sweet Treats
Nordic Ware 3-Tiered Bundt Pan Set
Best Tiered
The classic design of these bundt pans allows you to make impressive sculptural baked goods with little effort or know-how.
What We Love: Classic design, warp-resistant, versatile
What We Don't Love: Not dishwasher safe
Does baking a tiered cake sound like an impossible project, only suited for advanced bakers? If so, you’re in luck. The classic fluted design of these bundt pans from Nordic Ware allows you to make impressive sculptural baked goods with little effort or know-how. Turn a basic glazed lemon poppyseed bundt into a towering show-stopping centerpiece.
Of course, the pans can be used separately too. The set includes one 3-cup pan, one 6-cup pan, and one 12-cup pan. It's made of cast aluminum material that ensures even baking and resists warping in the oven. Online reviewers praised the pans for being lightweight and easy to use. While not dishwasher-safe, the nonstick interior does make the pans easy to hand wash. You do have the option of buying the set glossed in a retro mint color. This set allows for versatility and will likely lead to you becoming the star baker of your family or friend group.
Price at time of publish: $49
Material: Cast aluminum | Size: 3-cup, 6-cup, 12-cup | Dishwasher Safe: No
Related: The Best Cake Decorating Tools
Final Verdict
If you're looking to invest in an easy-to-clean durable classic bundt pan that will last through decades of baking, the nonstick iconic Nordic Ware Anniversary Gold Bundt Pan with braided handles is your best option. With a lifetime warranty, it can't be beat. For a more budget-friendly nonstick option, we recommend the sturdy and warp-resistant Wilton Perfect Results Premium Fluted Tube Pan.
What to Look for When Buying a Bundt Pan
Materials
Different materials will bake differently. Metals like cast aluminum and heavy-duty chromium steel offer more consistent bakes because they conduct heat evenly. Lighter-colored pans will encourage even browning over darker-colored pans which can cause the outer surfaces to overbake.
"Silicone bundt pan molds won't give you the dramatic, crisp bundt cake silhouette you're looking for," says Rebecca Eisenberg. "A silicone ‘bundt cake’ pan is actually meant to be used for a frozen or chilled mousse or gelatin-based dessert, not for cakes." While it may be easier to remove a cake from and clean a silicone mold, Eisenberg wouldn't recommend it for a traditional bundt. "The batter is too heavy and will warp the shape; the silicone is a poor heat conductor and won't help the outside of the cake brown into a nice crust," she says.
Capacity
The standard bundt cake size is 10 to 12 cups. It’s useful to know before going into your bundt cake journey that not every 10-cup capacity pan will hold exactly 10 cups of batter. The exact volume it holds depends on the recipe you’re using. Slowly pour in the batter if you’re using a new recipe or pan until the pan is two-thirds full (unless the recipe specifies otherwise—different cakes rise differently) and consider adding or subtracting a few minutes of baking time.
Design
If you’re going to the expense of buying a bundt pan, it’s worth knowing that it will be what you hoped. Something like the Nordic Ware Original Sparkling Silver Bundt Pan has the classic bundt cake silhouette, but there are many shapes out there. Design-wise, buy something you enjoy the look of and you’ll almost certainly get good use of it. Just know that different designs will bake a bit differently.
“The more complicated and delicate the designs are, the harder it can be to dislodge the cake from the pan, and the more likely it is you'll accidentally trap air bubbles on the outside of the cake,” says Eisenberg. Furthermore, she advises, "If you have a pan with deep wells and grooves and indentations, you want to make sure you bang the filled pan on your counter several times to knock any air bubbles loose, or even layer your batter in, in a few batches, using a toothpick or skewer to make sure the batter gets into all the grooves without air bubbles before you add the rest of the batter."
FAQs
How do you grease a bundt pan?
"Even if you're using a nonstick bundt pan, you still want to grease it to help the cake slide out without any issue," says Eisenberg. "Make sure you hit them with nonstick spray or butter or pan-release spray from all angles and that the spray is in every crack and crevice of the pan.” Either wait for air bubbles to fall or flour it, then you’re good to go.
How do you measure a bundt pan?
Each bundt pan is a snowflake, to some extent, so make sure to check the manufacturer’s approximation for measurements, but also keep an eye on the recipe. Different cakes rise differently, so it’s worth doing a bit of research before you bake a new cake in your bundt pan.
Why Trust Simply Recipes?
Christine Clark has been in the specialty food world since 2015, with bylines in Epicurious, AllRecipes, The Spruce Eats, Wine Enthusiast, and more. She researched online reviews and took into consideration value, size, materials, and design to find the best bundt pan options on the market. Christine also consulted pastry chef and food blogger Rebecca Eisenberg for her insights and expert opinion on bundt pans.
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