Mince Pie Bundt Cake
My Mince Pie Bundt Cake, is an easy & quick to make, golden Madeira cake, baked in a bundt tin. Layered with a mincemeat filling, this alternative to mince pies, makes a simple but tasty cake for the seasonal celebrations. Let me show you how:
Mince Pie Bundt Cake
**Click to jump to section
What Is A Mince Pie Bundt Cake?
This Mince Pie Bundt Cake, is a Madeira-cake style cake base, (but using brown sugar), layered into a bundt tin, with mincemeat filling in-between. Simply finished off with a decoration of flaked almonds & some edible silver spray for an easy but festive feel.
Why Make A Mincemeat Bundt?
- Easy beginner recipe
- Simple decoration
- Easy to share, gift & transport
- Step-by-Step Instructions & video
- Alternative to Mince Pies or Christmas Pudding
Ingredients & Alternatives
This mincemeat filled bundt cake is made up of the following ingredients:
- Butter*
- Light & Brown Sugar*
- Eggs*
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Spices*
- Ground Almonds*
- Milk
- Mincemeat Filling*
For Decoration:
- Flaked Almonds*
- Edible Silver Spray*
- Simple sugar syrup or melted butter^
*see notes below for more information
Butter
Unless otherwise stated, butter used in any sweet or savoury baking, should be unsalted butter. Salted butter has a higher water content and the amount can vary from brand to brand. And this can sometimes have an effect on the bake.
Most recipes will not have been developed or tested, using salted butter, so should keep this in mind if your bake doesn’t turn out as expected.
TIP – cube butter small, to soften quicker – see photo.
Sugar
Classic Madeira Cake is made using Caster Sugar (Extra/Super Fine Sugar), but for this bundt, I wanted warmer and more caramelized tones for the cake. So a 50/50 combination of light brown & dark brown soft sugars, worked great. An alternative to one of the brown sugars would be unrefined coconut sugar.
Eggs
Most UK recipes use medium to large sized eggs and this equates to about large to extra large size in US eggs. **Also be sure to have the eggs at room temperature before using.
Spices
I wanted typical Christmas & Autumn time spices in this cake, so went for classic British spices – Mixed Spice (closest US spice being Pumpkin Spice), and ground cinnamon.
Mincemeat Filling
Mincemeat is what is used to fill British classi Christmas bake – Mince Pies. Not made with any meat, this is a sweet syrupy mixture full of dried fruits and suet pieces. I am vegetarian, so go for ones with vegetable suet. I used from a large jar of Lidl brand Belbake – Classic Mincemeat for recipe testing. But many supermarkets do their own, some with alcohol & some with extra flavours.
You can even make your own mincemeat, using the left over alcohol from making a traditional British Christmas cake. Check out Delia Smith’s Mincemeat Recipe.
Ground Almonds
An alternative to British ground almonds, is fine almond meal or almond flour. Alternatively you can grind your own from whole almonds, including the skin, by bashing before processing. See video for a consistency reference.
Flaked Almonds
The cake is simply decorated, with flaked almonds (almond flakes) on the top, held in place with a simple sugar syrup or some melted butter.
Alternatives would be sugared fresh cranberries, walnut halves, pecans, whole blanched almonds, or even glace cherries (candied cherries).
Silver Spray
I used Betty Winters brand of Edible Silver Spray, from B&M store. Other colours could be used, but a good alternative would be lustre dust brushed on.
You only want a light spraying or two, to give a pearlescent glow to the curves of the bundt cake, and some Christmas sparkle.
Equipment
Full list of equipment listed in the Recipe Card.
Bundt Tin/Pan – I used a Wiltshire 9″ (22.5cm) bundt tin, 3.5″/9cm deep, (in their lovely rose gold/pink bakeware range), that I was testing out. (**These & more of the range are available on Amazon, but TK Maxx also sells them sometimes & less expensive too.)
The bundt tin worked great with homemade lining paste (cake goop) to grease, making the cake just pop out & all in one piece! Easy to make, ready to grab from the fridge whenever needed in baking or cooking, less expensive than cake release spray or butter & flour, Lining Paste is a must-have for bundts!
Recipe Yield
Makes one 9″ (22.5cm) by 3.5″/9cm deep standard sized bundt cake with a yield of 12 slices.
Serving
Serve a slice of the mincemeat bundt with some homemade salted caramel sauce & cream! A great combination and warm the cake a little, for a lighter version of a Christmas pudding.
Other Mincemeat Recipes
Use the mincemeat in traditional recipe such as mince pies – but how about mini mince pies? Use the mincemeat in Speedy Mince Pie Swirls, with no need to make pastry, or use as a filling for Christmas Mincemeat Slices.
Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Begin by making sure your unsalted butter is softened. **Tip – cube butter in small pieces when measuring it out, to come to room temperature quicker (see Photo 1). If you forget to leave it out, you can try this How To Soften Butter In 12 Minutes Hack that I reviewed.
2. Add the softened butter & the light & dark brown sugar to a mixing bowl, before ‘creaming together’ with a hand-mixer or stand-mixer. This simply means beating till the mixture is smooth and a little paler in colour. See Photo 1 & the video for reference.
3. Crack in, one egg at a time, and beat till combined. Repeat with the rest of the eggs till all are added.
4. Pre-heat your oven to: 180c/160c Fan Oven/350f/Gas Mark 4. **I used my large open-front air fryer for this in tests & did not need to pre-heat.
5. With a sieve suspended over the mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder and spices, mixing together while you push through the sieve. **TIP – lift the sieve up off the bowl, as high as possible, to allow it to incorporate more air into the batter. (See Photo 2).
6. Add in the Ground Almonds (Fine almond meal or almond flour) – no need to sieve this.
7. Briefly mix the ingredients by hand before using the electric mixer, and beat only until everything is combined & no dry patches remain. **Do not over mix. (See Photo 3 below). Leave to the side.
8. Well grease the bundt tin/bundt pan before adding any cake batter. I prefer to do this when waiting for the oven to heat up & not at the beginning.
I highly recommend using Homemade Lining Paste (Cake Goop), especially so for bundts. For this darker cake, I decanted 2 tbsp of the paste into a small dish & added 1/4 tsp cocoa powder. Mixed till combined & this beige paste is also ideal for chocolate cakes. Then just brush on 2 generous layers, in upward strokes.
Alternatively, well grease with cake release spray or use butter & flour.
9. Spoon in about a 1/3 of the cake batter into the greased bundt tin. Level & smooth the batter before adding half of the mincemeat filling & spreading out in an even layer. (See Photo 3)
10. Next, spoon over another 1/3 of the cake batter, before adding a 2nd layer of mincemeat.
11. Finally, top with the remaining 1/3 of cake batter, smoothing & levelling off best you can. (See Photo 4).
12. Give the bundt tin a few taps on the worktop/counter, before popping into the centre of your oven (or large air fryer) to bake.
13. Bake for about 50-60 minutes till risen, a deep golden shade, starting to come away from the sides of the tin & a cocktail stick should come out clean of crumbs (and no cake batter). ***Cover the top with foil after 30 minutes of baking. (See Photo 4).
14. Leave on top of a cooling rack for 30 minutes before turning out.
15. After 30 minutes of cooling, place a large plate, serving platter or cake stand on top of the cake. Hold everything together & turn the tin over.
16. Tap the bundt tin a few times and lift the tin to release from the cake. Using lining paste, it should just pop out once turned over & be fine (see Photo 5).
17. Leave the mince pie bundt cake to cool completely before decorating if wished. You can use a simple sugar syrup (equal parts water to sugar, dissolved on the hob, mixed till dissolved & left to cool before using). Or even a little melted butter, brushed onto the top area of the cake, before placing the flaked almonds on top.
18. Finally, spray some edible silver spray around the cake, for festive sparkle! (See Photo 5 & below)
Serving & Storing
1. The cake can be served now or later, by cutting into slices, (will yield 12), and serving as is, or with some homemade salted caramel sauce & cream!
2. You can also warm the cake slice ever so slightly in the microwave for 10 -20 seconds depending on your machine. Warming the cake makes a lighter version of a Christmas pudding.
3. Store the bundt cake under a cake dome at room temperature for about 3 days. Or store in a metal cake or cookie tin for 4 – 7 days.
4. This mincemeat filled bundt cake can also be frozen if wrapped whole or individually, in paper, then some cling film/plastic wrap & then either in a labelled food bag or air tight container. Place at the back of the freezer, and will be fine for up to 3 months1. **Note, freezing the whole cake, rather than slices, will retain more of the cake’s moisture.
5. Defrost the cake/slices by placing in the fridge the night before, with just the inner wrapping. It can be defrosted same day as required, by leaving out at room temperature, but a slower defrost is best for the integrity of the cake’s structure & taste.
Other Mincemeat & Seasonal Recipes
See the photos below of some other recipes using mincemeat. Just click the photo to jump to recipe.
Recipe Card
Easy Mincemeat Bundt Cake
Equipment
- Scales or measuring cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Hand/stand mixer
- Sieve
- Spatula or Spoon
- 9" (22½cm) Bundt Tin (see notes for details)
- Lining Paste/Cake Goop (homemade lining paste, cake release or butter & flour)
- Spoon
- Wooden Cocktail stick
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
For The Cake Batter:
- 225 grams Unsalted Butter (8 oz, 1 cup, cubed & softened)
- 113 grams Light Brown Sugar (4 oz, ½ cup + 1 tbsp)
- 113 grams Dark Brown Sugar (4 oz, ½ cup + 1 tbsp)
- 5 Medium Eggs (Large US eggs, room temperature)
- 225 grams Plain Flour (8 oz, 1¾ cup, All Purpose Flour*)
- 3½ tsp Baking Powder
- 2 tsp Mixed Spice (US equivalent Pumpkin Spice*)
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 65 grams Ground Almonds (2⅓ oz, ⅔ cup Fine Almond Meal or Almond Flour)
- 2 tbsp Milk (30ml, 1 fl oz, any kind)
- 315 grams Mincemeat (11 oz, 1⅓ cup, see notes*)
For Decoration:
- Simple Sugar Syrup (Thinned Jam, Melted Butter etc, see notes*)
- 10 grams Flaked Almonds (⅓ oz, ⅛ cup approx., optional, or other nuts or cherries)
- Edible Silver Spray (I used Betty Winters brand)
Instructions
Prepare Cake Batter:
- Cube the butter into small pieces for quicker softening & ensure eggs are also at room temperature before starting.
- Add the softened 225 grams Unsalted Butter, with 113 grams Light Brown Sugar & 113 grams Dark Brown Sugar to a mixing bowl & ‘cream together’, till smooth & lighter in colour. Then add in the 5 Medium Eggs, 1 egg at a time, mixing in-between each addition.
- Pre-heat oven to: 180c/160c Fan Oven/350f/Gas Mark 4. **I used a large open-front air fryer for this in tests with no pre-heating.
- Sieve the 225 grams Plain Flour , 3½ tsp Baking Powder, 2 tsp Mixed Spice & 1 tsp Cinnamon over the wet mixture. Add the 65 grams Ground Almonds & briefly mix by hand. Move onto using an electric mixer, adding the 2 tbsp Milk & mix just until combined & no dry areas remain -do not overmix. Leave to the side.
Prepare The Bundt Tin/Pan:
- Well grease the bundt tin/bundt pan with homemade lining paste (cake goop), cake release spray or butter & flour. Lining paste is recommended – make a darker paste by decanting 2 tbsp of paste & mixing with ¼ tsp cocoa powder. Brush on 2 generous layers, in upward strokes – no need to grease at the start, do while waiting for the oven to come to temperature.
- Add ⅓ of the cake batter to the prepared bundt, levelling off before adding in ½ of the 315 grams Mincemeat . Add another ⅓ of batter, followed by 2nd ½ of mincemeat, before adding the final layer of cake batter. Smooth & tap on the worktop/counter a few times before popping in the oven.
Baking The Cake:
- Bake in the centre of the oven, for about 50-60 minutes, until risen, deep golden colour, coming away from the sides of the tin & a cocktail stick comes out clean. **TIP – after 30 minutes, cover the top with foil & continue baking.
- Leave to cool on a cooling rack for 30 minutes. Then use a plate, platter or cake stand on top of the cake, hold everything together & turn over before releasing the cake. With lining paste it should pop out. Leave to cool for at least 30 minutes.
Decoration:
- Use a simple sugar syrup, or melted butter & brush on the top of the cake, before adding the 10 grams Flaked Almonds. Then add some Edible Silver Spray to finish off the cake.
Serving & Storing:
- The cake can be served now or later, sliced & served alone or with some salted caramel sauce & cream. Or serve slightly warmed in the microwave for 10-20 seconds for a lighter Christmas pudding feel.
- Store the cake at room temperature under a cake dome for about 3 days, or in a cake or cookie tin for 4 – 7 days.
- The cake can be frozen whole or in slices (whole best for flavour & texture). Wrap in paper, then cling film/plastic wrap & then in an airtight container of labelled food bag for up to 3 months1.
- Thaw the cake overnight in the fridge or as a last minute, out at room temperature for a few hours with the food bag or container removed. Slower defrosting is recommended for better cake structure & taste.
Video
Notes
Mincemeat – same as mince pie filling, you can make your own using Delia Smith’s Mincemeat Recipe.
Decoration – optional, but applying a little simple sugar syrup, thinned jam or melted butter, will keep the flaked almonds (almond flakes), or any other nuts you prefer, in place. Edible silver spray is optional.
Bundt Tin/Pan – a 21cm/9″ Wiltshire rose gold bundt tin (3.5″/9cm deep) was used.
Greasing The Bundt – homemade lining paste (cake goop) highly recommended, especially for bundt cakes. Learn how to make your own lining paste for baking & cooking.
Recipe Yield – makes 12 slices.
Other mincemeat recipes – try quick mince pie swirls, or mini mince pies.
Other Christmas Recipes – lots of sweet & savoury bakes & no-bake recipes on the Christmas recipes page. Or how about this easy but delicious Butterscotch glazed pumpkin gingerbread bundt cake (baked in an air fryer)?
Nutritional Information – I am not a qualified nutritionist, and all values are approximate & based on using all ingredients as listed above. 1 serving is considered 1 slice, from a yield of 12 slices. Cut more or less slices & these values will change. All values calculated using MyFitnessPal.com.
Try Mini Mince Pies, or Speedy Mince Pie Swirls (above).
Subscribe For More Recipes
Want more great recipes, tips, baking information and newsletters? Then please consider subscribing by adding your email address below. Be sure to check for a confirmation email & respond back, so you can follow me & receive your free emails. Your personal information will not be shared with a third party.
Join My Facebook Group
Why not also join my – Facebook group Easy Online Baking Lessons, dedicated to this baking lessons website, as well as providing one-on-one support with myself & my team? Be sure to answer all security questions when requesting to join.
Follow me on social media:
Happy Learning & Baking!
Caro x
Mince Pie Bundt Cake
Search For Something You Fancy!
Caroline’s Easy Baking Lessons
- Freezing Madeira Cake information from website FreezeIt.co.UK-freezing-Madeira-cake ↩︎
What a great recipe. The addition of mincemeat to madeira cake makes a nice change. The instructions are so easy to follow. Thanks for another excellent recipe
Thanks so much, so pleased you enjoyed the cake and recipe.