Christmas Grinch Bundt Cake (Easy Holiday Recipe)
Indulge in the festive spirit with this delightful Grinch Bundt Cake, a vibrant green treat that’s perfect for holiday gatherings. Infused with warm spices and topped with creamy green cream cheese frosting, this fluffy cake is both beautiful and irresistibly delicious!
There’s just something extra fun about whipping up a festive dessert that instantly brings holiday cheer—and this Grinch-themed Bundt cake does exactly that!
With its bright green color, playful red heart, and irresistible holiday flavor, it’s the kind of treat that makes both kids and adults light up the moment it hits the table.
Whether you’re hosting a Christmas movie night, planning a holiday party, or simply love all things Grinch, this cake is guaranteed to become a new holiday season favorite.
This Grinch-themed Bundt cake makes a show-stopping dessert that’s surprisingly simple to make. So grab your mixing bowl, your favorite seasonal sprinkles, and your holiday spirit… because you’re about to bake a dessert even the Grinch himself couldn’t resist!
This easy-to-make cake is sure to be a hit, bringing joy and sweetness to your holiday celebration!
More Grinch-themed treats you’ll love:
- Grinch White Hot Chocolate
- Grinch Crinkle Cookies
- Pistachio Grinch Cupcakes
- Dr. Seuss Grinch Waffles
- Grinch Cake Pops
- Easy Grinch Fudge
- Festive Grinch Popcorn
- 3-Ingredient Grinch Punch Mocktail
- Grinch Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Ingredients Needed
Here are a few of the key ingredients you’ll need to make this easy cake recipe!
- Self-rising flour – don’t use all-purpose flour in this recipe because self-rising flour already contains salt and leavening ingredients.
- Spices – ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg
- Dairy – Unsalted butter and buttermilk
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Maple syrup (or honey)
- Green food coloring (to achieve the desired color)
- Cream cheese frosting – your favorite recipe or store-bought brand
- Red heart sprinkles (for decoration)
How To Make Grinch Bundt Cake
Follow these detailed instructions to make this fun Christmas cake. For full recipe details, please check out the handy recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Preheat the Oven – Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a Bundt pan.
- Mix Dry Ingredients – In a medium bowl, whisk together the self-rising flour, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined.
- Cream the Butter and Sugar – In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add Eggs and Wet Ingredients – Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then, mix in the buttermilk, maple syrup, and a few drops of green food coloring until you achieve your desired shade of green.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients – Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Pour into Bundt Pan – Pour the green batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula.
- Bake – Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Frost the Cake – While the cake is cooling, mix green food coloring into the frosting to dye it green. Once the cake has completely cooled, generously frost the top of the cake with cream cheese frosting.
- Decorate – Sprinkle red heart sprinkles on top for a festive touch.
- Serve – Slice the cake and enjoy your delightful Grinch Bundt Cake!
Grinch Bundt Cake Expert Tips
This Christmas Bundt cake is sure to steal more than the Grinch’s heart! Use these tips to make this special holiday dessert turn out perfectly every time.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, you can “make your own” by adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the amount of milk needed for the recipe. Let it sit for 5 minutes to “sour.”
- Self-rising flour already contains leavening agents and salt. Adding more will make the cake taste bad and could make it have a tough texture.
Variations To Try
Use homemade frosting – I used store-bought frosting on this Grinch Bundt cake to save time. However, you can definitely use your favorite homemade cream cheese frosting recipe instead!
Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or almond extract to the cake batter for amazing flavor.
Red Cake – You could use red food coloring to make a red cake and top it with green frosting. Or use a red velvet cake mix!
Need to save time? Instead of making the cake from scratch, use a white cake mix, yellow cake mix, or a pound cake mix and dye the batter green before baking.
Make It Gluten-Free
You can easily make this recipe gluten-free by substituting the flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour. I always have good results with King Arthur and Bob’s Red Mill brands.
Make It Dairy-Free
To make this festive Grinch Bundt cake dairy-free, you’ll need to use an unsalted plant-based butter.
Also, you’ll need to replace the buttermilk with a dairy-free version. Although you can find commercially made dairy-free buttermilk in stores, it’s probably easier just to make your own. Here’s how to make your own buttermilk:
- 1 cup unsweetened, plain dairy-free milk (soy milk works best for curdling)
- 1 tablespoon acid (fresh lemon juice, white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar)
- Combine the dairy-free milk and the acid in a measuring cup or bowl.
- Stir them together briefly.
- Let the mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes. It will curdle and thicken slightly, though the consistency may be thinner than traditional buttermilk depending on the type of milk used.
- Use the mixture immediately in your recipe as a 1:1 replacement for buttermilk.
NOTE: Soy milk will be the best for curdling, but almond and oat milk will also work. Coconut milk is my last choice because it’s the worst for curdling.
Make It Sugar-Free
Replace the sugar with a 1:1 sugar substitute such as xylitol, stevia, or monk fruit for a healthier option.
Grinch Bundt Cake Storage Info
If you have leftovers of this delicious cake, keep it fresh by storing it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Freezing instructions – you can make this cake ahead of time and freeze it for later. I recommend making the cake and freezing it before adding the frosting and red hearts.
Pin For Later!
Grinch Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the Oven – Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a bundt pan.
- Mix Dry Ingredients – In a medium bowl, whisk together the self-rising flour, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined.
- Cream the Butter and Sugar – In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add Eggs and Wet Ingredients – Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then, mix in the buttermilk, maple syrup, and a few drops of green food coloring until you achieve your desired shade of green.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients – Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Pour into Bundt Pan – Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Bake – Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Frost the Cake – Once the cake has completely cooled, generously frost the top of the bundt cake with the ready-made Betty Crocker cream cheese frosting.
- Decorate – Sprinkle red heart sprinkles on top for a festive touch.
- Serve – Slice the cake and enjoy your delightful Grinch Bundt Cake!
