Prepare

Set an oven rack near the bottom of the oven and, if you have one, put a baking stone on top. Set the oven to 350°F (177°C or gas mark 4) to get it ready.

Prepare the bundt pan by spraying it with baking spray or greasing it with a pastry brush and then dusting it with flour.

Get the cake batter ready.

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with a beater attachment. Mix on low until everything is combined.

Add the butter, which should be soft and at room temperature, to the flour mixture and mix on medium-low until you can’t see any butter pieces. It should feel like sand.

In a medium bowl or measuring cup with a spout, combine the oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and buttermilk. Mix to blend.

Mix well as you add a third of the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Then add another third, mix well, and add the rest. Mix the batter for 30 to 60 seconds on medium speed to build its structure.

Pour the batter into the pan that has been set up. Tap the pan a few times on the counter to even it out and get rid of any big air bubbles.

Bake

It will take a while to bake the cake. You can start checking on it after about an hour, but it will probably be done in an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and 25 minutes. The top of the cake shouldn’t move around or shake, and it shouldn’t be very sticky. When you lightly touch it with your finger, it should spring back, and the temperature on the inside should be 205°F (96°C).

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, and then turn it upside down by putting an upside-down cooling rack on top of the pan and turning both of them over at the same time. Carefully lift and remove the pan from the cake.

Vanilla Syrup

While the cake is cooling, heat the sugar and water together in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves. After a few minutes, add the vanilla and stir.

Use a pastry brush to spread the syrup all over the warm cake, trying to get it into all the cracks if your bundt cake is very decorated.

Vanilla Icing

To make the icing, just whisk the powdered sugar until there are no lumps and add about half of the liquid (all of the vanilla extract plus some of the heavy cream or water).

Mix it all together and see how it looks. Add more liquid if it is too thick. You can add more powdered sugar if it looks too thin.

Spread the frosting on the cake. If you want the icing to look thick, you should do this when the cake is completely cool. If you want the icing to look more see-through, you can do this when the cake is still a little warm.

Store

This cake will keep well for about a week at room temperature.

To freeze, cut the bread into slices, wrap each one separately, and then put them in a container that keeps air out.