Strawberry Bundt Cake
This cake is bursting with bright strawberry flavor, incredibly moist, and topped with a dreamy vanilla glaze that takes it over the top.
Equipment
- Electric Mixer (Hand or Stand)
- Bundt Cake Pan
- Mixing Bowls
- Wire Cooling Rack
- Sifter or Fine Mesh Strainer
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Spatula
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 (15.25 oz) box strawberry cake mix
- 1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries, crushed into fine crumbs (about ⅓ cup when crushed)
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
For the Glaze
- 1¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Mixing and Baking the Cake
- Before anything else, I preheat my oven to 350°F (175°C). Then, I prepare the Bundt pan by greasing it well with butter and dusting it with flour, or using a nonstick baking spray that contains flour. Don’t skip this step — Bundt pans can be tricky, and proper greasing ensures the cake releases cleanly.
- Next, I place the freeze-dried strawberries in a zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to crush them into fine crumbs. You can also pulse them in a food processor if you prefer. This adds intense strawberry flavor and beautiful specks of red throughout the batter.
- In a large mixing bowl, I combine the strawberry cake mix, vanilla pudding mix, crushed freeze-dried strawberries, milk, vegetable oil, and eggs. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, I beat everything together for about 2 minutes, or until the batter is smooth and well incorporated. It should be slightly thick, rich, and beautifully pink.
- I pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan, smoothing out the top with a spatula. Then, I gently tap the pan on the counter once or twice — this helps eliminate any large air bubbles that could create gaps in the finished cake.
- Bake the cake in the center of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out clean. Your kitchen will start to smell like strawberries and vanilla — absolutely irresistible!
- Once baked, I let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack. Cooling in the pan allows the structure to firm up slightly so it holds its shape. After that, I let it cool completely on the rack before moving on to the glaze.
Making and Applying the Glaze
- In a small mixing bowl, I whisk together:1¼ cups confectioners’ sugar2 tablespoons milk (or heavy cream for a richer texture)1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Once the cake is completely cool (this part’s important — a warm cake will melt the glaze), I place it on a wire rack set over parchment paper to catch drips. Then, I slowly drizzle the glaze over the top, letting it run naturally down the curves of the Bundt shape.If you want to get fancy, you can use a spoon to control the direction of the drizzle or do a second layer for extra coverage. The glaze sets in about 15–20 minutes, forming a delicate, sweet shell that cracks ever so slightly when you slice into it.