Nutty Bundt Cake with Ground Nuts

This nutty Bundt cake brings almonds and hazelnuts into every slice. Both are ground, giving the cake a fine nutty texture and a rich aroma rather than big crunchy pieces. Vanilla sugar rounds out the flavor, and the ring shape makes a simple cake feel ready for company. Put the cups out while it cools.

Two ground nuts, one fragrant cake

Ground almonds and ground hazelnuts share the nut base. Flour is also part of the batter, so this is not a flourless cake. Butter, eggs, and milk join sugar, vanilla sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Milk brings moisture to this nut-rich batter.

A gentle mix with melted butter

This batter uses separate wet and dry mixtures. Let the melted butter cool slightly before combining it with eggs and milk: it should still be liquid but no longer piping hot. Distribute the ground nuts through the dry mixture, then fold the wet mixture into it just until combined. Fold by lifting batter from underneath rather than beating it hard; there is no butter-and-sugar creaming stage here.

Thoroughly grease the Bundt pan, reaching the grooves and center tube. The recipe uses 175°C / 350°F. Check a thick part of the cake with a skewer, keeping the tip away from the pan. It should come out clean, without wet batter; surface color alone cannot show you the center. Let the cake cool in its pan before unmolding, then finish cooling on a rack. Use oven mitts to handle the warm pan.

Save the tasting for the finished cake. Do not eat raw batter containing uncooked flour and eggs.

Serve the nuts with a little coffee

A slice of this cake goes well with espresso: the concentrated coffee gives you a bold sip between bites of the sweet nut crumb. Serve the cake plain or with its optional powdered sugar. If you want a milder cake for another occasion, the buttery Bundt cake uses a creamed butter-and-sugar base.

Make the mixing easier

• Break up nut clumps: Loosen compacted ground nuts before mixing so they spread more evenly through the dry ingredients.
• Reach the bowl bottom: Lift from underneath with a spatula to bring hidden dry pockets into the batter.
• Level the surface: Spread the batter evenly around the center tube rather than leaving a mound on one side.

Optional finishes to try

Keep the recipe’s optional powdered sugar, or choose a chocolate glaze as a separate variation for a richer finish. Apply it to the cooled cake. You can also try a little cinnamon as an optional flavor variation; keep the almond-and-hazelnut base rather than treating other nuts as an automatic equal swap.

Keep a slice for later

Let the cake cool completely before covering it for storage. If you want to freeze some, wrap plain slices securely in freezer-suitable packaging so you can take out what you need. Leave the optional powdered sugar or glaze until after thawing.

Frequently asked questions

Which nuts does this cake use?
Ground almonds and ground hazelnuts. They form a fine nut base; chopped mixed nuts would give a different texture.

Should I cream the butter with the sugar?
No. This recipe uses melted butter in the wet mixture, which is gently folded into the dry ingredients. Let the butter lose its excess heat before mixing it with the eggs and milk.

Why should I fold the batter only briefly?
Gentle, brief mixing helps keep the cake tender. Stop when the wet and dry mixtures are combined, checking the bottom of the bowl for dry pockets.

How do I know the center is baked?
Insert a skewer into a thick part without touching the pan. It should come out clean, with no wet batter attached.