Gluten-Free Mini Easter Bundt Cakes

These Mini Easter Bundt Cakes are a delicious gluten-free cake, decorated with some delicious Easter Eggs. They’re light, flavoursome and you would never know they were gluten-free.

Inspiration for these Mini Bundt Cakes:

I love individual desserts. There is something attractive and elegant about them. These cakes are made from simple ingredients; however you will need a special tin to achieve the bundt cake. If you do not have a bundt tin, this recipe also works perfectly as cupcakes!

Whenever I think of bundt cakes, I am always reminded of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. When presented with a bundt cake as a hostess gift, Maria “fixes” the cake but putting a pot plant in the hole!

Instead of a plant – why not use Easter eggs!!

What is a Bundt Cake?

If you’re a keen baker, there is every possibility that you own at least one Bundt cake tin. A Bundt cake is not one which is related to a specific recipe, but rather it is the style of the tin in which it is baked.

The Bundt cake tin was developed in 1950 by Mr David Dalquist, the owner of Nordic Ware, a Minneapolis-based, family-run cookware business. He was approached by a number of ladies from a local Jewish charity. They were keen to reproduce a cake that their European mothers had made.

Wikipedia advises that the Bundt cake has origins in a European, brioche-style cake called Gugelhupf. In the North of Germany Gugelhupf is known as Bundkuchen, which are also known as “gathering cakes”. A ceramic mould was used to make the Bundkuchen. The ceramic mould was round, with elegant, fluted sides and a tube running up the centre.

The ladies asked if Nordic Ware could make a similar tin in metal. Nordic Ware was able to oblige and produced a tin in cast aluminium. Mr Dalquist could not trademark the German noun “bund” so he added a “t”.

From the beginning, sales of the pan were fairly slow.  However, it was in Texas in 1966 that a local woman found a more American use for the Bundt pan. She submitted a rich, chocolate “Tunnel of Fudge Cake” to the annual Pillsbury Bake Off contest and was awarded second prize.

Overnight there was an overwhelming demand for the Bundt pan and these days, you can buy Bundt tins in a number of spectacular, fancy shapes.

Ingredients in the Mini Easter Cakes:

Butter:

Butter aids in giving the cakes a tender texture. Ensure your butter is softened at room temperature, as this will allow it to blend with the sugar much more easily.

Caster/Superfine Sugar:

For this recipe, I have used superfine/caster sugar. As the name suggests, it is finer in texture than regular granulated sugar and it, therefore, dissolves more readily.

If you do not have caster sugar, you can easily use regular sugar. Or, you can also easily make your own superfine sugar. Just briefly whiz some granulated sugar in a food processor or blender until the grains are reduced in size.

Eggs:

Eggs have an important role in baking. They provide structure, flavour and improved texture by adding moisture. Ensure they are at room temperature for this recipe.

Vanilla Essence/Extract:

The above terms, extract and essence, have different meanings in different countries. Therefore, I recommend that you check the label before purchasing the product to ensure that it has not been synthetically produced. The essence/extract which is made from vanilla beans has vastly superior flavour.

Gluten-Free Plain/All Purpose Flour:

There are many excellent commercial varieties of gluten-free flour mixes available nowadays. I have tested this recipe using several different brands, and have always had success.

Gluten-Free Baking Powder:

Baking Powder adds a light texture to the cake, and allows it to rise. Some baking powders do contain gluten, so be sure to check the label if you require these cakes to be gluten-free.

Almond Meal:

The terms almond meal and almond flour are often used interchangeably. However, there are slight differences between countries.

One may be made from blanched almonds and one from the whole almond. They are both finely ground, the main difference will be that the almond meal made from the whole almond will have some colour from the almond skin. 

You can use either for this recipe. Almond Meal provides a moist texture to the cake, and prevents them from drying out.

Icing/Confectioners’ Sugar:

I use Pure Icing Sugar, as it is gluten-free. Some icing sugar mixtures contain gluten, so again, be sure to check the label should you require this recipe to be gluten-free.

This is how I make the Mini Gluten-Free Easter Cakes:

This is a very simple recipe to prepare, so I start by preheating my oven.

In a food processor, stand mixer or using hand-held beaters, I cream the butter and sugar together. The mixture should be smooth and creamy, and the sugar fully dissolved.

I then add the vanilla, and the eggs, one at a time.

To this mixture, I add my almond meal, flour and baking powder. Mix until just combined. Scrape the bowl down if necessary, to ensure the mixture is all incorporated evenly.

I like to spray the Mini Bundt Tins will a little oil, or brush with melted butter. This will make the cakes much easier to remove. If you are making cupcakes, you can use a paper liner.

Divide the mixture between your 12 mini bundt moulds. I use a spoon and find this to work just fine, however, you could use a piping bag also.

Bake the Mini Easter Bundt Cakes in the oven for approximately 12 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into a cake comes out clean.

Allow the cakes to cool in the tin for a few minutes before removing gently to a cooling rack. Cool the cakes completely before icing and decorating.

I like to serve the cakes with either a dusting of icing sugar or a simple icing. Decorate with Mini Eggs, or Easter Eggs for a fun and festive garnish.

Tips for success:

Be sure to grease your bundt tin well. This will make it much easier to get your cakes out. Given the intricacies of a bundt tin, the greasing will help prevent any of the mixture from sticking.

If you do not have a mini bundt tin, you can certainly use this recipe to make cupcakes. They’ll be just as delicious, and there is plenty of surface area to decorate with Easter eggs!

The cakes will stay moist for 3-4 days in an air-tight container.

They’re delicious with or without icing – if you prefer not to ice the cakes, a dusting of icing sugar before serving will be nice for presentation.

More delicious Easter Sweet Treats:

• Chocolate Pretzel Easter Nests
• Gluten-Free Cookie Easter Nests
• Easy Easter Chocolate Cake
• Chocolate Leaf Easter Wreath
• Hot Cross Bun Olive Oil Ice Cream by Another Food Blogger
• Lemon Shortbread Bunnies by Mrs Jones’s Kitchen

These Gluten-Free Mini Easter Bundt Cakes are truly one of the easiest and most delicious cakes you can make.

If you try them, I would love to know what you think! Let me know in the comments below.

Alex xx