Mace Spiced Mini Bundt Cakes

These Mace Spiced Mini Bundt Cakes are warmly spiced with orange and mace (a floral, delicate cousin of nutmeg) for a subtle but intriguing fall flavor. Suited to pairing with tea, gifting during the holidays, or as part of your next dessert table.

Mini bundt cake with icing on an orange surface.

Okay, who's guilty of buying mace for one recipe (probably something pumpkin flavored) and now it's sitting there, taking up space in your spice cabinet? Me too!

But we're here to change that. We're on a mission to give mace the attention it deserves- because honestly, it's good and totally underappreciated.

In these delicate little Bundt cakes, mace brings a warm, floral spice that pairs beautifully with bright citrusy notes from fresh orange. A sweet orange glaze finishes them off, but honestly, they're as good without it.

Key ingredients

These Bundt cakes are made with the usual staples, such as flour, leaveners, sugar, butter, and eggs. We highlighted some of the ingredients below that make these mini Bundts stand out.

Ground mace in a clear jar and blade mace on a brown surface.

Mace A beautifully scented fall-like spice. Basically, if mace sent in a DNA test, its Ancestry.com results would come back 100% related to nutmeg- literally! Mace is the lacy, bright red outer covering of the nutmeg seed, and while they share the same roots (pun intended), mace is more delicate and slightly sweeter than nutmeg. For this recipe, we will use ground mace (shown above is also blade mace, which can be ground fresh).
Cinnamon and clove Because mace can taste bitter at times, we balanced the spice with a little cinnamon and a pinch of ground cloves.
Buttermilk Many of our baked goods use buttermilk in the batter. We find its richness and slight acidity create another level of moisture that you can't get from plain milk.
Orange Because of the slight floral notes of mace, orange is the solid complement to help bring out its unique flavor.

Full ingredient list can be found in the recipe card below.

Step-by-step instructions

Making these mini bundt cakes is similar to other cake recipes. make sure you grease the heck out of that Bundt pan. You want all the nooks and crannies of the design to shine through.

A four image collage showing instructions for mixing cake batter.

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Step 2. Cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Step 3. Add the egg, vanilla, and orange zest and beat until combined. Step 4. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk, and ending with the dry ingredients. Don't overmix.

A four image collage showing how to fill mini bundt pans with batter.

Step 5. Grease and flour your bundt pan. Step 6. Pour the batter into the greased wells (about ½ - ⅔ full). Step 7. Place in the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Step 8. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting the cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely. When cooled, drizzle with the glaze (if using) or dust with powdered sugar.

*These are abbreviated instructions. The full list of directions can be found in the recipe card below.

Expert tips

Use a kitchen scale for the most accurate measurements.
Creaming the butter and sugar is essential to creating a fluffy interior.
Don't be tempted to fill your bundt pans all the way (they will rise significantly). Fill the cavities about ½-⅔ full.
All bundt pans will vary slightly in size. Check your pan measurements. If you are unsure of your pan size, pour water in each cavity to measure the size of each.

Swaps

We adore these pretty mace desserts as they are, but there are a few things you can change to make them your own.

Poppy seeds Add a tablespoon of poppy seeds to the batter for a classic combo and a little crunch.
Lemon Use lemon instead of orange for an equally citrusy punch.
Chocolate chips Toss some chocolate chips into the batter for a little indulgence.
Ginger Add some grated fresh ginger or ground ginger to the batter for a pop.

A mini glazed bundt cake on a small white cake pedestal.

Storage and prep

You can make these mini Bundts 24 hours ahead of time, and glaze them the next day (is using).

Store cooled cakes in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to three days. For longer storage, you can store them in the fridge for 5 days.

Close-up of mini bundt cakes on an orange surface.

Serving suggestions

Want to turn these mace cakes into a show-stopper? Try some of these ideas.

Offer as part of a dessert board with other single-serve desserts (cookies, donuts, etc.). They would be suited to an intimate Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or winter holiday brunch. Maybe even leave one out for Santa?
Garnish cooled cakes with powdered sugar and orange zest or peel.
Host an afternoon tea party and serve with lavender or chai tea.
Serve with a classic brunch cocktail fresh lemonade or a homemade bubbly beverage.

A bundt cake sliced open showing the texture of the cake.

Kitchen questions

What does mace taste like?

Mace is a warm spice, similar to nutmeg, with a slightly sweeter, floral flavor profile. It pairs well with other warm spices such as cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and allspice.

What can we substitute for the mace?

These cakes are all about the mace, so we highly recommend trying the recipe as written. However, you can substitute nutmeg or a combination of fall spices like cinnamon, ginger, or cloves.

We don't have a mini bundt pan. What else can we bake these in?

No Bundt. No problem. You can either use a small loaf pan (8 by 4-inch) and increase the bake time to 40-45 minutes, or an 8-inch round (or square) cake pan and increase the bake time to 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.To make a full-size bundt cake, double the recipe and use a standard-size Bundt pan (10-12 cups).

Warm and cozy, suited to cooler weather.