About This Vietnamese Coffee Swirled Sweetened Condensed Milk Bundt Cake Recipe
To achieve the perfect balance of flavor and texture, this unique and delicious bundt cake recipe relies on a precise but efficient technique:
Instead of preparing two separate batters, the recipe starts with a single sweetened condensed milk base. I then poured out a third of the cake batter and added espresso powder and brewed espresso to it. This is a method I often use when developing recipes to guarantee even baking and a consistent crumb (see: 3 Flavor Neapolitan Cookies Made With 1 Dough).
Looking for more unique and delicious bundt cake recipes? Check out Hummingbird High‘s bundt cake recipe collection! In particular, people can’t get enough of this Tom Cruise Coconut Bundt Cake (Copycat Doan’s Bakery Recipe).
Finally, let’s talk about the cake’s beautiful, signature coffee swirl. Most marbled cakes instruct you to swirl the two batters together; however, I find that doing so can create muddled streaks. So my recipe instructs you to take turns layering the sweetened condensed milk and coffee batters. Doing so creates bold, clean, and picturesque coffee swirls throughout the cake!
My Ingredient Recommendations
Thankfully, you don’t need too many specialty ingredients to make this Vietnamese coffee swirled bundt cake. However, I do recommend sourcing specific brands to make your cake taste as authentic as this Vietnamese Egg Coffee recipe (one of my favorite drink recipes on Hummingbird High btw):
- Nonstick Baking Spray: I like Bak-Klene ZT All Purpose Release Spray. Avoid using a baking spray made with butter, coconut oil, or shortening. While recipe testing, I found that these sprays don’t release bundt cakes as easily!
- Sweetened Condensed Milk. If you want your cookies to taste as much like authentic Vietnamese coffee, use an Asian brand of sweetened condensed milk! I’m especially partial to Longevity Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk. I also used this brand to make these Swirled Thai Tea Cookies with Condensed Milk!
- Espresso Powder. To make the Vietnamese coffee swirl in my bundt cake, I used this King Arthur Baking Company Espresso Powder. Serious bakers use espresso powder in chocolate desserts to enhance the chocolaty flavor (like I did in these Stella Parks Brownie Recipe).
Note that espresso powder is processed differently from ground espresso (or coffee) beans; it dissolves a lot quicker than even finely ground beans. In a pinch, however, you can use VERY finely ground coffee or espresso beans—preferably robusta beans if you want an authentic Vietnamese coffee flavor. You can also try a Vietnamese instant coffee powder! - Brewed Coffee or Espresso. If you have an espresso machine, I recommend pulling a double shot of espresso—you’ll end up using it all for both the batter and the glaze. You can also dissolve some of the espresso powder in hot water to make the brewed coffee needed for the bundt cake and glaze.
If you’re feeling lazy though, I have a hack. Buy a bottle of cold brew coffee, pour out a tablespoon for this cake, and drink the rest! If you go this route, I recommend Stumptown Cold Brew Coffee for a very strong coffee flavor.
Reference Photos (Use This To Help Make Your Cake!)
Making The Sweetened Condensed Milk and Coffee Batters
How To Make The Vietnamese Coffee Bundt Cake’s Signature Swirls
Turning Out The Bundt Cake
My Best Tips To Help You Make The Recipe Perfectly
- In my opinion, the easiest way to assemble the cake is to set the cake pan on a digital kitchen scale and weigh out the layers. I even included the exact weight you need for even layers in the recipe! But if you’re not as “Type A” as I am or if you don’t have a digital kitchen scale, you can just eyeball it. Your cake will still turn out beautifully!
- If your cake didn’t release as cleanly as you hoped, don’t worry—it happens to the best of us! Before you bake your next bundt, head over to my guide on How to Grease a Bundt Cake Pan to Prevent Sticking. I walk through the exact methods I use to guarantee a clean release every single time!
- In my experience, making perfectly drippy bundt cake glaze that isn’t too thin or watery is REALLY hard! You need way less liquid than you think. I recommend adding the liquid needed for the glaze in small quantities—think ½ or 1 teaspoon at a time—until you get a very thick, paste like texture that feels like sludge when mixed. You might need more (but usually less) coffee than what I listed in the recipe.
Get the Recipe: Vietnamese Coffee Swirled Sweetened Condensed Milk Bundt Cake
Vietnamese Coffee Swirled Sweetened Condensed Milk Bundt Cake starts with a single sweetened condensed milk batter that’s divided to create a bold espresso swirl. Using one base batter ensures even baking and a tender, consistent crumb. The cake’s clean, distinct marbling comes from a careful layering technique rather than traditional swirling.
Ingredients
For The Vietnamese Coffee Swirled Sweetened Condensed Milk Bundt Cake
- 3 ¼ cups (14.65 ounces or 415 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ¼ cups (15.75 ounces or 447 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ cups (10 ounces or 283 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (.70 ounces or 20 grams) espresso powder
- 1 Tablespoon (.5 ounces or 14 grams) brewed coffee or espresso
For The Coffee Glaze
- 1 ½ cups (6 ounces or 170 grams) confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 1 ½ Tablespoons (.75 ounces or 21 grams) brewed coffee or espresso
Equipment
- a 10-inch bundt pan
- nonstick baking spray
Instructions
- First, make the bundt cake. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Mix the dry ingredients for the cake. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Cream the sugar and butter, then add the condensed milk, eggs, vanilla, and dry ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter. Beat on medium until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, 3 to 4 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary. Reduce the mixer to low and add the condensed milk all at once, mixing until just combined. Add the eggs one at a time, adding the next egg only after the previous one has been fully incorporated, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla.With the mixer still on low, add the dry ingredients a heaping spoonful at a time. Beat until just combined, then scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more, then beat on low for an additional 30 seconds.
- Make the coffee batter. Pour around 2 ¼ cups (17.65 ounces or 500 grams) of the batter into a medium bowl. Mix in the espresso powder and coffee for the batter until just combined.
- Prep and fill the bundt pan. Generously spray a 12-cup capacity bundt pan with nonstick baking spray.Pour about ⅓ (around 16.7 ounces or 474 grams) of the condensed milk batter into the prepared pan, using a spatula to scrape it into a thin layer. Pour about ½ (around 9.4 ounces or 267 grams) of the coffee batter on top of the condensed milk batter, using another spatula to scrape the coffee batter into a thin layer on top of the condensed milk batter, going all the way up to the edge of the pan. Be careful not to mix the two layers!Repeat the process, pouring another ⅓ of the condensed milk batter of the coffee batter, then top with the remaining ½ of coffee batter. Finish with the final ⅓ of condensed milk batter.
- Bake the bundt cake. Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out with a few crumbs attached. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- Cool the bundt cake. After 10 minutes, place a serving plate or second wire rack over the bundt cake and flip the cake to turn it out of its pan. Cool completely before frosting.
- Make the coffee glaze. Once the cake is cool, make the coffee glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and coffee for the glaze until smooth. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake and use an offset spatula to spread it into a thin layer on top of the cake. Let any excess glaze drip off and transfer to a wire rack to dry for 1 to 2 hours.
- Serve and store. Serve at room temperature. The assembled Vietnamese coffee bundt cake can be stored at room temperature, under a cake dome or a large bowl turned upside down, for up to 3 days. Press a sheet of plastic wrap against any cut surfaces to prevent the cake from drying out.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review in the form below. I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!
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Weeknight Baking:
Recipes to Fit your Schedule
Over the past several years of running Hummingbird High, I kept a crucial aspect of my life hidden from my readers: I had a full-time, extremely demanding job in the tech world. In my debut cookbook, Weeknight Baking, I finally reveal the secrets to baking delicious desserts on a tight schedule.
