Yield: 1 butterfly pea powder marbled bundt // Total Time: 2 hr. // Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links.

What is butterfly pea powder?!

If you haven’t heard of butterfly pea powder, don’t worry, I only recently discovered it as well! It is made from the butterfly pea plant which has beautiful blue flowers on it. It’s most often used to make herbal teas and fun colored drinks and is believed to be good for you thanks to the anthocyanins in the plant. The best part about butterfly pea powder is that it can easily change colors! If you add something acidic such as lemon juice to a drink with butterfly pea powder, the color will turn from a deep blue to a rich purple. You can also add hibiscus flower petals to the drink to turn it into a vibrant pink. Overall butterfly pea powder is a great way to get vibrant, naturally-dyed colors in your bakes and drinks! I will warn that it has a very strong smell that might seem a little off-putting, but I promise you can not taste it in this recipe. We simply use it to make a naturally dyed vanilla marbled bundt.

Why you’ll love this butterfly pea powder marbled bundt cake

1. It’s super light and fluffy.

2. It’s unique.

3.

Recipe tips

Weigh your ingredients

• Weighing your ingredients is important for getting the recipe perfect and getting consistent results. I do provide cup measurements but please note that I test all my recipes in grams and can not guarantee that your bake will turn out like mine. This kitchen scale is super cheap and a great starter scale!

Room temperature ingredients

• It is important for the ingredients to be at room temperature so that they properly incorporate with each other and you don’t end up with a curdled, uneven batter. Take out the eggs, butter, and buttermilk at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hr 30 min. before starting the recipe. Here’s how to get room temperature ingredients FAST if you’re in a time crunch or forgot to take the ingredients out (like I often do):
  • Egg: place the egg in a bowl and run hot water over it for 1 continuous minute, or let it sit in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.
  • Butter: slice the butter into 1 tbsp. slices and place them flat on a plate. Microwave in 5-second intervals until the butter is soft to the touch, but not melting.
  • Buttermilk: microwave in 5-second intervals until it is no longer cold, but is not warm (room temp!)

Mix the dough carefully

• When adding in the flour, only fold the mixture just until no flour streaks remain. Overmixing the dough leads to more gluten formation, which can make the cake tough and chewy instead of soft and fluffy. When it comes to alternating the dry ingredients with the wet in this bundt, I like to do it by hand. Doing so means I have more control over the mixing, and that the ingredients don’t fly everywhere!

Keep an eye on the cake while it bakes

• Things like to go from under-baked to over-baked super quickly so it is important to keep a close eye on them. Start checking at 40 minutes with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out wet, check again in 5 minutes and so on, until the toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs

Ingredients and substitutions

All purpose flour: gives the cake structure.

Baking powder: for helping the cake rise.

Salt: for balancing and bringing out the sweetness of the cake.

Unsalted butter: for tenderizing the cake and giving it that classic buttery taste. You can substitute in salted butter, just be sure to reduce the added salt from 3/4 tsp. to 1/4 tsp.

Vegetable oil: for tenderizing the cake. You can substitute in any neutral oil, such as canola, in place of the vegetable oil.

Granulated sugar: for sweetening the cake and keeping it moist. The sugar also helps aerate the butter to give this cake it’s rise.

Eggs: for moisture, structure, and binding the batter together.

Vanilla: I use and love this vanilla extract. We will use some vanilla in the bundt, and some in the glaze.

Buttermilk: for tenderizing the cake and adding moisture. I highly recommend using buttermilk but I know it can be hard or annoying to purchase, especially if you don’t plan on using it for anything else. It won’t be completely the same, but you can make a homemade buttermilk substitute. For this recipe, simply combine 20g of lemon juice or vinegar with 320g of whole milk and use as normal.

Butterfly pea powder: the star of the show and what gives the cake and the frosting it’s beautiful blue hue. This is the butterfly pea powder that I use.

Powdered sugar: the base of the glaze. I use regular powdered sugar but if you would like a smoother, melt-in-your-mouth taste, use organic powdered sugar!

Milk: for thinning out the glaze and for dissolving the butterfly pea powder. Use your favorite milk here!

How to store butterfly pea powder marbled bundt

The cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature after being glazed.

How to prevent the bundt from getting stuck to the pan

I use and absolutely love this pan and have never had a problem with the cake sticking. To make sure your cake doesn’t stick, generously butter it, making sure to get all of the crevices. An easy way to do this is to melt 1-2 tbsp. of butter and use a pastry brush to brush the inside of the bundt. Then, generously pour some flour into the pan and shake it around so that it completely coats the inside. Tap out any excess flour and then you’re good to go!

Can I make this in a different sized pan?

Yes of course! This batter makes enough to fit in a 12 cup capacity bundt. This means it can also fit dispersed between two 8″ round pans, or a 13 x 9″ pan. Just be sure to keep an eye on it as it bakes, because it may take more or less time depending on the thickness!

Why do you measure in grams?

My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale, and here’s an article about why I use a kitchen scale, and why you should too!

A note on oven temperature

Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature. For example, I always have to set my oven to 330°F if I want it to bake at 350°F. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.

Tools and ingredients

12 cup capacity bundt pan: I have never had a bundt not come out perfectly from this pan, I love it!

Dried rose petals: I just think these complimented the rich blue super well. I use these dried rose petals.

Butterfly Pea Powder: I love this brand’s products and of course their butterfly pea powder was nothing short of perfect! Here is the link.

Vanilla: I love using Rodelle vanilla extract. Not only is it a great quality product, but it’s on the lower end of the price that vanilla can be! This is the one I use.

For a full list of tools, equipment and ingredients that I use and love, you can check out this page here.

Did you make this butterfly pea powder marbled bundt?

If you made this butterfly pea powder marbled bundt I would love to see it and know your thoughts! Please leave a comment and review down below, and tag me on Instagram @freshbeanbakery. If you have any questions about the recipe I will gladly do my best to answer them in the comments below!