Vanilla Bean Mini-Bundt Cakes are the perfect size for one person celebrations or, when feeding a crowd, for everyone to have their own cake. Under the double drizzle of chocolate and vanilla icing is a fluffy vanilla bean cake and a crunchy chocolate-toffee filling.
Why you'll love this recipe
These mini bundt cakes are adapted from a recipe in “Sweet Times” by Dorie Greenspan, published in 1991. The same sour cream bundt cake with a few changes also appears in her 2006 cookbook, “Baking: From My Home to Yours”.
In the 1991 recipe, a layer of filling is sprinkled onto the bottom of the cake. In the 2006 recipe, the filling stays inside the cake, but instead of vanilla, the cake is flavored with orange.
This recipe is a combination of the two cookbook recipes, with a few of my own edits and re-sized for use with a 6-mold mini-bundt pan.
I stuck with the original vanilla cake and upped the flavor using vanilla paste to speckle the cake with vanilla bean bits. I substituted pecans with an equal amount of toffee bits.
The vanilla bean, chocolate, and toffee flavors are wonderful together and, though some of the toffee melts into the cake, some of the toffee stays crunchy.
For those with nut allergies who cannot eat packaged toffee bits (which contain almonds), an easy recipe for homemade toffee is included with the Biscoff Oatmeal Cookies recipe.
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In a small bowl, combine the filling ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar for 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat for 2 minutes. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat for 2 minutes. Mix in the flour mixture at the lowest speed, just until combined.
- Spoon about 4 tablespoons of batter into each mini-bundt mold. Use a butter knife to even out and smooth the batter. Sprinkle the chocolate-toffee filling (about 1 tablespoon) on top of the batter. Gently spoon the remaining batter on top of the filling (about 4 tablespoons into each mold) and use a butter knife to smooth the surface.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Storage
When stored at room temperature in an airtight container, the texture of these little cakes is moist and fluffy for up to 5 days. The flavors are best on days 2-3.
Tips
- Be sure to both grease and flour each mini bundt mold for easy removal and no sticking.
- Change the toffee for holiday sprinkles to dress up these cakes for any occasion and turn them into impressive holiday desserts.
- The crunchy toffee bits in this recipe can be substituted with equal amount of chopped nuts.
Related recipes
For lots of vanilla bean flavor in a crunchy, melt in your mouth butter cookie you can't beat Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookies.
Coconut Milk Cake is a quick and easy snack cake with a delicous moist and tender crumb.
Coconut Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake is another irresistible recipe using coconut milk that would be welcome at any occasion.
Tea Brack is a traditional Irish quick bread full of plump, sweet raisins.
Cherry Bread is both tasty and pretty with bright red cherries and shiny pink cherry glaze.
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Vanilla Bean Mini Bundt Cakes
Ingredients
Filling
- ½ cup toffee bits
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar packed
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ tablespoon cocoa
- ½ ounce semisweet chocolate finely chopped
Cake batter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste for vanilla bean speckles or vanilla extract
Chocolate Icing
- ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ½ tablespoon Lyle’s golden syrup or corn syrup
- 1-2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons cocoa
Vanilla Icing
- ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ½ tablespoon Lyle’s golden syrup or corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Butter each mini-bundt mold and coat with flour.
- In a small bowl, combine the filling ingredients: toffee bits, brown sugar, cinnamon, cocoa, and chopped chocolate.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar for 4 minutes, until light and fluffy
- Add the egg and beat for 2 minutes.
- Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat for 2 minutes.
- Mix in the flour mixture at the lowest speed, just until combined.
- Spoon about 4 tablespoons of batter into each mini-bundt mold. Use a butter knife to even out and smooth the batter. Sprinkle the chocolate-toffee filling (about 1 tablespoon) on top of the batter. Gently spoon the remaining batter on top of the filling (about 4 tablespoons into each mold) and use a butter knife to smooth the surface.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn over onto a wire rack to unmold the mini-bundts and cool completely.
- TO DECORATE: Mix the ingredients for each icing in a separate small bowl, using just enough water to create a drizzle consistency. Place each icing in a zip lock bag. Cut a tiny piece off a bottom corner of each bag. Start with the chocolate icing and use a back and forth motion to zigzag the icing around each cake. Repeat with the vanilla icing. (optional) Top each cake with a sprinkling of toffee bits or seasonal sprinkles.
- Allow the icing to set completely (about 2 hours depending on humidity) before storing or wrapping. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. The flavor and texture is best on days 2 and 3!
Notes
Nutrition
First Published: September 29, 2015. Last Updated: January 1, 2023. Updated for better reader experience.
Barbara
I just made these again and used the one tablespoon of filling and the cane out perfect. Thank you so much. Love these cakes!
Wendy Sondov
I'm glad you figured it out! I love these cakes too. 🙂 Happy baking, Barbara!
Barbara
I have made these several times and they are absolutely delicious. My problem is when the little cakes are baking they go over the top of the bundt mold making them difficult to get them out of the pans. Any idea what I could be doing wrong. I do use all the filling where the recipes states to use only one tablespoon. Could this be my problem? Thanks for your help.
Wendy Sondov
Hi, Barbara! I am so glad that you are enjoying these Vanilla Bean Mini-Bundt Cakes! I would appreciate it if you would give a star rating to the recipe. 🙂 I can't say for sure why your batter is overflowing. Is your mini-bundt pan a 6 mold pan? If so, then the only thing I can think of doing is reduce the amount of batter and/or filling that you are putting in each mold. I wouldn't reduce the cake batter by more than a tablespoon or the cakes won't hold together. I would try sticking with the one tablespoon of filling and see if that solves the problem. Good luck!
Barbara
Thank you I probably put too much filling.
Mary
Can these be made in one bundt pan instead of minis
The Monday Box
Hi, Mary. Double this recipe to make it in a 12 portion bundt cake pan. For example, you would need 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 2 eggs, 1 cup sour cream, and 2 teaspoons vanilla. A regular bundt would be baked for about 1 hour and 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Winnie
O M G !!!
Wendy these little cakes are mouth-watering!!
They's be a hit with my family 🙂
The Monday Box
Thanks, Winnie! I am a huge vanilla fan, and these little bundt cakes a hit the spot! 🙂
Reeni
These are adorable Wendy! You said chocolate toffee crunch and I fell in love! They're the perfect holiday dessert and would be great to bring to a potluck party. I bet they would be the first to dissapear!
The Monday Box
Thanks, Reeni! We are big chocolate toffee lovers too! I think these would be wonderful to bring to a potluck party. The icing dries just firm enough to transport (or mail) making these much easier to travel with than iced cupcakes.
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust
These are so pretty! Vanilla bean anything calls my name every time.
The Monday Box
Thanks, Dorothy! I am a major vanilla bean fan too. 🙂
Mir
I'm a big Dorie fan! Her books are just so full of ideas and wisdom.
These look so good! That first pic with the drizzle and toffee is incredible. And I am all about how you customized the tops to different occasions and seasons!
The Monday Box
Thanks, Mir! There are certain cookbooks I return to time after time because I can be sure that the recipe will turn out delicious! Dorie cookbooks are like that for me, also Tish Boyle, and Alice Medrich. Also, I am definitely all about sprinkles. 🙂
Winnie
These are soooooooooooo delicious looking!
And the combination of flavors - awesome
The Monday Box
Thanks, Winnie! Mini-bundt cakes are impressive to serve and delicious to eat! 🙂
Ashley
I definitely read cookbooks just for fun too - I love reading them all curled up in bed!! 🙂
These bundt cakes are so so pretty Wendy! And they sound absolutely delicious!
The Monday Box
Thanks, Ashley! The only problem I have with reading cookbooks in bed, is that I go to sleep with my stomach growling! 🙂
Lokness @ The Missing Lokness
These mini bundts look really good! I love that they have both a chocolate and vanilla icing. Little toffee crunch make them even better! 🙂
The Monday Box
Thanks, Lokness! The sour cream makes these cakes so moist and delicious...perfect with a cup of tea or coffee!
saltandserenity
Mini bundts are the best!! No sharing necessary, my kind of dessert.
I would fit right in at your house, I hate orange and chocolate too.
The addition of toffee bits is brilliant. They offer so much more than the lowly pecan.
Thanks for sharing the vanilla bean past love. More people need to know about it. I buy it in the big 64 ounce bottle. It makes me very happy to open it and smell.
Can't wait to give this one a try.
The Monday Box
Thanks, Cindy! Why doesn't it surprise me that you would fit right in at my house?! You can stop by for coffee and cake any time you like, confident that I won't serve anything orange-chocolate. 🙂
I chose the toffee bits to serve as crunch. When most of it melted while baking (duh) I was disappointed. Then I tasted the cake and all disappointment disappeared!
Only learned about vanilla paste when I started reading baking blogs. I can't believe I lived that long without it! I could almost (not quite) eat it with a spoon.
Liz
Wendy, these look beautiful! I love mini bundt cakes, and these little cakes are exactly what I would want to bake and eat. I also love cookbooks in good old fashioned book form. Great post!
The Monday Box
Thanks, Liz! All the creaming and mixing called for in this recipe makes these min-bundts surprisingly light and fluffy. Real live cookbooks have some hidden gems. 🙂
Chris Scheuer
These are adorable Wendy and sound fabulous. I love how you adapted the recipes!
The Monday Box
Thanks, Chris! I had fun eating my way through the trial runs!