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Cinnamon Hazelnut Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Glaze

Cinnamon Hazelnut Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Glaze has such amazing flavor. It’s such a pretty cake and wonderfully simple to make, too!

Cinnamon Hazelnut Bundt Cake topped with a brown butter glaze and displayed on a pewter cake stand

Cinnamon Hazelnut Bundt Cake

One of my favorite recipes in my cookbook is a cookie that features cinnamon and hazelnut. It’s such a simple flavor combination, but it’s one that works really, really well.

I thought to revisit that tasty pair in cake form with this Cinnamon Hazelnut Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Glaze. As much as I love to bake Bundt cakes, I took that route to deliciousness and ended up with this beauty. And I have to say that it is so, so good. In fact, it’s now officially on my list of favorite cakes.

Topping off this cake is one of my favorite glazes. I borrowed it from the recipe for Brown Butter Pound Cake from the archives. It combines brown butter (which I love) with cream cheese (and you know I adore that!) for a sweet, flavorful glaze that pairs so wonderfully with the flavors of this cake.

overhead view of slices of Cinnamon Hazelnut Bundt Cake on pewter plates

To put it simply, I love everything about this cake. The sweet, nutty flavor is just fantastic. It’s soft yet dense, giving it a significant feel. Plus, it’s simple to make and pretty to boot!

What You’ll Need

This beautiful cake is made mostly with basic baking ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:

For the cake:

  • All-purpose flour
  • Cinnamon: Use your favorite ground cinnamon, as the flavor will be strongly featured in this cake.
  • Salt
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda
  • Butter: I always bake with unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
  • Sugar
  • Brown Sugar: Light or dark brown sugar will work for this cake.
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla extract: Feel free to substitute another extract if you like.
  • Milk: Whole milk works best, but I’ve also made this cake with 2%.
  • Hazelnuts: Toasting the hazelnuts will give them a bolder, richer flavor. Toast them for about 15 minutes at 350°F. If your hazelnuts have the skins on them, rub them with a damp towel after toasting to remove the skins. Alternatively, you can purchase blanched hazelnuts.

For the glaze:

  • Butter
  • Cream cheese: Full fat cream cheese works best. Be sure to bring it to room temperature for a smooth glaze.
  • Confectioners’ sugar: Sift the sugar to avoid lumps in the glaze.
  • Milk
  • More hazelnuts: Use these to garnish the finished cake.

How to Make Cinnamon Hazelnut Bundt Cake

This amazing cake is a variation of my go-to yellow Bundt cake. A couple of tweaks plus some cinnamon and hazelnuts, and here we are! As is the case with that yellow version, this cake mixes quickly and easily. You’ll need a few mixing bowls, a hand or stand mixer, a heavy saucepan (or skillet), and a 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan.

To make the cake:

Prepare for baking. Heat the oven to 350°F. Use your preferred method to grease the Bundt pan generously so that every nook and cranny is covered. I like to use a cooking spray with flour, like Baker’s Joy or Pam Baking.

Combine the dry ingredients. I like to use a whisk to mix the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

Mix the wet ingredients. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to cream the butter and sugars. Next, beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then mix in the vanilla.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and then add the flour mixture in three portions, alternating with two portions of the milk. Mix just until combined or a few streaks of flour remain. Stir in the hazelnuts.

Bake the cake. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and use a spatula to spread it evenly. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool the cake. Place the pan on a wire rack and let it cool for 20 minutes. Then flip the cake onto a serving plate or a wire rack to continue cooling.

To make the glaze:

Brown the butter. Place the butter in a saucepan or a skillet over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and then continue cooking (stirring occasionally) until it begins to foam. You’ll see brown specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan, and you’ll start to smell a nutty aroma. Turn off the heat and transfer the butter to a mixing bowl to let it cool completely.

Make the glaze. Once the butter has cooled and solidified, add the cream cheese and beat until fluffy. Then beat in the confectioners’ sugar. Gradually beat in the milk until the glaze is thick but pourable.

Finish the cake. Top the cooled cake with the glaze. Sprinkle additional chopped hazelnuts over the top.

slice of Cinnamon Hazelnut Bundt Cake on a pewter plate

Tips for Success

  • Measure accurately. Use a kitchen scale to measure by weight if possible. Otherwise, use the spoon and sweep method to measure the dry ingredients and sugars.
  • Use a light-colored, metal Bundt pan. This type of pan will give you the best results. A 10-cup pan will work, but use a 12-cup pan if you’re concerned about potential spills.
  • Grease the pan generously. Be sure to get every bit of the pan covered, especially in an intricately designed pan. You can grease and flour the pan, or use a cooking spray with flour.
  • Don’t over-brown the butter. Keep a close eye on it as you start to see browned bits, as those can go from browned to burned pretty quickly.
  • Don’t skip the cooling times. Factor in plenty of time to allow the cake and the browned butter to cool as directed.
  • Scale the glaze if you like. I’m kind of a sucker for plenty of glaze on a Bundt cake. If you’d like a little less, then feel free to use the ingredient quantities in the pound cake recipe.
  • For more tips, see my Tips for Baking Bundt Cakes.

How to Store Leftovers

This Cinnamon Hazelnut Bundt Cake will keep tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Set the cake out at room temperature for about 2 hours before serving.

For longer storage, wrap the cake tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. For best results, freeze the cake without the glaze.

Find more cake recipes in the Recipe Index.

Cinnamon Hazelnut Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Glaze

Yield 12 to 16 servings
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Cinnamon Hazelnut Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Glaze is a sweet, nutty cake with amazing flavor. A perfect end for a special dinner!

Cinnamon Hazelnut Bundt Cake topped with a brown butter glaze and displayed on a pewter cake stand

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon*
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (200g) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (237ml) milk
  • 3/4 cup (86g) chopped hazelnuts, toasted (plus more for garnish if you like)**

For the glaze:

  • 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter
  • 4 ounces (113g) cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup (36g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
  • 1/4 to 1/3 (59 to 79ml) cup warm milk
  • chopped toasted hazelnuts, for garnish

Instructions

To make the cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan***.
  2. Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
  3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
  4. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture in three portions, alternating with two portions of milk. Mix just until combined. Stir in the hazelnuts.
  5. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  6. Cool the cake in the pan for 20 minutes. Then, flip the cake onto a serving plate to continue cooling.

To make the glaze:

  1. Place the butter in a medium saucepan or skillet. Cook over medium heat until the butter melts and begins to foam.
  2. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until brown specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan and the butter has a nutty aroma.
  3. Transfer the butter (including the browned bits) to a mixing bowl. Set aside until the butter has solidified (about an hour).
  4. Add the cream cheese to the cooled brown butter. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, and mix thoroughly.
  5. Add about 1/4 cup of milk, and mix well. Add more milk, a small amount at a time, until the glaze is thick but pourable.
  6. Top the cooled cake with the glaze. Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts on top of the glaze if desired.

Notes

*I most often use Vietnamese cinnamon, which has a stronger flavor than other kinds. If you're using a less bold cinnamon, you may want to increase the cinnamon to suit your tastes.

**For more flavor, toast the hazelnuts for about 15 minutes at 350°F. Remember to let them cool before adding them to the cake.

***The cake pictured here was made in a 10-cup Bundt pan.

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    4 Comments on “Cinnamon Hazelnut Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Glaze”

  1. This came out perfectly with a 12-cup bundt pan. I did use one less yolk to give it more volume. It’s rich but not overly heavy. Prefect. I replaced a half of butter with greek yogurt, and used 2/3 of the sugar than called for, as I prefer cakes to be lightly sweet. It still has plenty of sweetness to it. For the glaze, I replaced a half of butter with high quality coconut oil. Fantastic.

  2. Ooh I have a real love affair with Bundt cakes. Cake decorating is not a strong point of mine, so baking a cake in a beautiful tin and then adding glaze is perfect. I love the combination of hazelnuts and cinnamon in this cake and will definitely trying it. Pinned!

  3. Have you made this with other types of nuts? Just curious.

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