Can I use clear vanilla?

Either plain or pure vanilla extract can be added to the icing. It keeps the icing white.

What can I use for pan prep?

I'd use either baking spray with flour or butter and flour to grease the pan. Be sure to coat the bottom and sides of the tube pans and section pans with baking spray. Using a pastry brush may help you coat all areas of the section pans.

Why did my cinnamon swirl sink?

If the cinnamon swirl falls or tears the cake, consider adding all-purpose flour to the swirl. Add 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour to the swirl filling before pouring it into the cake pan. Adding flour can help the swirl stay in place. Leave a small gap between the flour and the rim of the pan to allow the batters to combine. Pour the last half of cake batter over the swirl in the pan. Use a spatula to gently smooth the batter without combining it with the swirl filling. Watch out for clumps of brown sugar in the filling. A dark streak should appear when you cut into the cake.

Why did my Bundt cake stick?

Use a 10- to 12-cup metal Bundt pan. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing it from the pan. Do not let the cake cool more than 20 minutes in the pan, or the sugar crust will cause it to stick to the pan.

How should I store the iced cake?

Store the fully iced, cooled cake in a cake dome at room temperature for up to 3 days. Do not refrigerate the whole cake, as this will dry out the cake layers.

Can I freeze leftover cake?

Freeze slice without frosting. Store individual slices without frosting in a plastic bag in the freezer for up to 2 months. If you thaw a slice, let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour before eating it. You can also microwave a slice for 10 seconds.

Cinnamon Swirl Sour Cream Bundt Cake with Vanilla Icing

By Felix GrantOct 31, 2026

Servings

Level

Medium

Jump to recipe

This cinnamon-swirl sour cream Bundt cake recipe calls for full-fat sour cream to add color and flavor to the cake. Choose full-fat sour cream that has been left at room temperature for baking. I prefer dark cinnamon swirls down the center of the cake and white vanilla icing on the fluted top (I love the stripe).

Cinnamon Swirl Sour Cream Bundt Cake with Vanilla Icing

I bake in a 10- to 12-cup metal Bundt pan, thoroughly greasing the pan to coat its nooks and crannies with fat so the finished product won't have dry spots, and beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 4 to 5 minutes to increase batter volume and lighten the color. Cold milk or other dairy products may cause the batter to curdle.

One of the ingredients in the cinnamon mixture is flour, which holds the brown sugar in a horizontal stripe during baking. Pour cake batter over the cinnamon mixture, leaving a slight border of unbaked batter. Do not stir the filling into the batter and stop beating once the final flour streak disappears or the batter is stiff.

On the middle shelf, the cake is baked when the fluted edge is dark brown and a skewer poked into the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Remove the cake from the pan and cool it on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Decorate a completely cool cake by pouring icing from a whisk in thick streams.

Reasons to make this

The sliced cake has a close, moist crumb and would be suitable for serving with a cinnamon topping.
Packed brown sugar can add color to baked goods and make the middle line of striped cookies darker than when using white sugar.
Two tablespoons of ground cinnamon make it easier for you to spot the ribbon after slicing.
Heavy cream keeps the icing white and thick on the ridges, and the drips hold their shape.
A metal Bundt pan makes the deep color of the fluted crust that I want on this baked good.
One tablespoon of flour mixed with the filling helps keep sugar in the cake from causing layers to separate.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Grease a standard 10-to-12-cup metal Bundt pan with baking spray that contains flour, or brush it with melted butter and flour.

Whisk the light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour in a small bowl until no brown-sugar lumps remain.

Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until pale, fluffy, and expanded.

Reduce the mixer to medium-low and add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, letting each one disappear before adding the next.

Mix in 1 tablespoon vanilla extract until just combined.

Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Whisk 3 cups all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt in a separate medium bowl.

With the mixer on low, add one-third of the dry ingredients, then half of the sour cream.

Repeat the additions, ending with the final third of the dry ingredients.

Stop mixing as soon as the last streak of flour disappears.

Spoon half of the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and smooth it into an even layer with the back of a spoon.

Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the batter, leaving a tiny border around the edge.

Dollop the remaining batter over the cinnamon layer and gently smooth the top without disturbing the filling.

Bake on the middle rack for 55 to 65 minutes, until the fluted crust is deep golden-brown and a wooden skewer comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for exactly 15 minutes.

Invert the cake onto a wire rack and lift away the pan.

Cool the cake completely before icing.

Whisk the sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons heavy cream, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a medium bowl.

Add the remaining tablespoon of heavy cream if needed, until the icing is thick, glossy, opaque white, and falls from the whisk in thick ribbons.

Spoon the icing over the completely cool fluted cake and let it drip down the sides.

Place a slice on a white ceramic dessert plate, scatter baked cake crumbs around the base, and dust the plate lightly with fine brown cinnamon powder.

FAQ

You need 1 cup, or 240g, of at-room-temperature sour cream to mix into the batter. Cold sour cream can cause the creamed butter to curdle in the batter. Sour cream contributes to the dense texture of the cake.

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