Maple Nut Cake

This bundt cake starts with a cake mix shortcut but finishes with layered swirls of cinnamon-sugar nuts and a maple-vanilla glaze that make it look and taste like a from-scratch bakery creation. The vanilla pudding mix stirred into the batter adds extra moisture and a dense, tender crumb that stays soft for days.

The layering is what makes this cake special. Batter and the nut-cinnamon-sugar mixture get alternated in the bundt pan, creating ribbons of spiced, crunchy nuts running through each slice. Start and end with batter so the top and bottom stay smooth.

Eight full minutes of beating sounds like a lot, but that extended mixing aerates the batter and develops a structure that holds up in the tall bundt shape. Don’t shortcut the timing here.

Pro Tips

• Grease and flour the bundt pan thoroughly, especially in the fluted ridges. This cake sticks if you miss a spot
• Let the cake cool completely in the pan before inverting. Warm cake crumbles when you try to unmold it
• The maple glaze should be thin enough to drizzle. Add milk a teaspoon at a time until it flows off a spoon
• Ground pecans or walnuts work best for the nut layer

Variations

• Add a tablespoon of real maple syrup to the glaze alongside the maple flavoring for deeper flavor
• Use a spice cake mix instead of yellow for an even warmer, autumn-flavored version
• Fold chopped toasted pecans into the glaze for a praline-style topping