Impress Your Guests With a Stuffing Bundt Cake

Thanksgiving stuffing is not generally known as a glamorous side dish. Its mushy, various shades of brown lumps don’t really inspire much in the way of a table-scape—and yet, few dishes get the same warm welcome at the table. Though perfectly fine served in a casserole dish, it doesn’t hurt to try a little glow-up for this special occasion. Allow me to present stuffing: reimagined. For a lovely, edible centerpiece, make a stuffing bundt cake.

It’s cake in form, not function

A stuffing cake is not sweet. It’s actually just stuffing how you normally make it, but dressed up for the evening. So much of the Thanksgiving feast is scooped and heaped on a plate—mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, every casserole ever—so I wanted to add some structure to yet another scooped side dish. Stuffing is the best candidate for shaping because, deep down in its heart, it wants to be molded. Surely I’m not the only one who’s noticed that the stuffing stays in the shape of the spoon that scooped it. 

All I did was pack regular stuffing into a beautiful molded bundt pan—with the addition of a few helpful binders—and the cake held a fluted bundt shape. It’s similar to this incredible risotto cake. The hole in the center provides the perfect opportunity to add some flourish. I put a small, wide container in the center and filled it with herbs and various edible items. Not only is this pretty, but a sprig or nibble can be plucked from the bunch and dropped on a plate if desired. 

What makes this stuffing work

As I mentioned, there are a few helpful binders. I use just a touch of shredded cheese and egg to help hold the mixture together—otherwise the stuffing can break apart. If you’re serving vegan or dairy-free stuffing, you can absolutely use vegan replacements that are available in the grocery store. Also, you technically don’t need them. You could simply make the stuffing a bit wetter with extra broth so the bread mixture packs more tightly in the pan. Just note that too much liquid can make it heavy. I recommend, if possible, getting some variety of cheese or egg in there to keep it fluffy.  

The wonderful thing about this “recipe” is that you can stick to the same type of stuffing you already love. The flavors are simply accented with a bit of umami from the parmesan, and if that’s not your favorite then you can opt for a different cheese, like cheddar, low-moisture mozzarella, swiss, or muenster. My favorite part is that the fluted edges of the bundt pan mean a more crunchy exterior. Everyone gets a little crunch on each slice. As always with this type of pan, make sure you generously butter and bread-crumb it so it doesn’t stick on the way out. 

Buttering and bread-crumbing the pan provides crunch and ensures the cake comes out without tearing.
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

But you don’t have to use a bundt pan—this mixture will hold any shape. Pack the stuffing into a loaf pan, an angel food tube pan, or a regular round cake pan to cut into wedges. You could also opt for pre-portioned mini cakes and pack the stuffing into a muffin pan; or heck, try a madeleine pan for little stuffing “cookies.”  Regardless of what you choose, make sure you butter and bread crumb the pan first.

Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe (for molding)

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons fine bread crumbs

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 6 cups stuffing recipe, prepared

• ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

• 2 eggs

• Pinch salt

• Butter for the pan

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter a bundt pan. Lightly toss the flour with the bread crumbs and dump it in the buttered pan. Rotate and tap the pan to coat it well with the dry mixture. Any excess bread crumb mixture can be mixed into the stuffing. 

2. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, salt, and parmesan cheese. Pour the egg mixture into the prepared stuffing and mix it thoroughly. 

3. Dollop the stuffing into the prepared bundt pan, as evenly distributed as possible. Wipe the back of a spoon with a bit of oil and pack the stuffing down into the pan. Re-oil the spoon if needed. Bake the cake for about 35 minutes, or until the edges begin to dry and brown and pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool for a few minutes and use a spoon to loosen the edges from the pan if needed. Turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool before serving. 

Note that large bundt cakes can be used for double batches or half batches because of the nature of their design. Feel free to double the recipe for a taller bundt cake.