Nothing but bundt cakes...

Kathy hosted us this month for a night on bundt cakes!  To say it was all delicious would be an understatement!  First I'll share some tips on making the perfect bundt cake and then I'll share the recipes...

1.  Make sure all 'cold' ingredients (i.e. eggs, butter, buttermilk) are at room temperature before            starting.  This helps the batter to blend together smoother and easier.

2.  Always beat the butter/sugar mixture well before adding other ingredients--like 2-3 minutes well.  This helps to expand existing air pockets making your cake lighter in texture.

3.  Add eggs one at a time and beat well in between additions.

4.  Grease your pan WELL--(you know, so it will actually come out in one piece!) This can be done in one of two ways--first, you can use butter or shortening and rub it in with a paper towel.  Be sure to get every corner!  And make sure the butter is smooth, so there's no big pockets that will create an uneven surface on the top of your cake.  After you do that you can sprinkle flour over the butter (shake to cover pan and tap out excess)--you can use cinnamon for a spice cake or cocoa for a chocolate cake.  OR, you can simply spray the pan with a cooking spray with flour in it--like Bakers Joy.   We actually tried both methods and they both worked great!

5.  Don't bump your pans while they are cooking--it will make them 'fall' and try not to open the oven door too many times...

6.  And last but not least, let your bundt cake cool for 10 minutes when you take it out of the oven before you flip it upside down.  Something about sugars crystallizing or something like that..but trust me, it works!  If you happen to miss that 10 minute window, you can set the bottom of the pan in hot water to loosen it back up again.

I think that's it...have I missed something?

rubbing the butter in

a sprinkle of cinnamon for our spice cake

and flour to top it off!

 

We started the night making Brook's 'Grandma Veda's Fresh Apple Cake'  here's the recipe for that:

4 cups diced apples (or shredded--3 large granny smith apples)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup nuts (walnuts or pecans)
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
can add nutmeg or cloves if desired

Mix apples and sugar well.  Add oil, eggs, nuts and vanilla.  Mix together flour, salt, soda and cinnamon.  Add to mixture.  Pour into greased and floured bundt pan.  Bake at 350 for an hour.

Grandma's Butter Cream Frosting:

1/4 stick butter
3 T. cream
2 c. powdered sugar
dash salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. lemon extract flavoring
1/8 tsp. almond extract flavoring

Add powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.  Drizzle over cake.  Can add walnut halves on top.

Vanilla Cream Sauce (optional)

1 c. sugar
 1/2 c. butter
 1/2 c. whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla

Boil under medium heat 3 minutes in a heavy saucepan.  Serve warm--can be made and then reheated.

our batter

waiting for those 10 minutes before we flip it!

look how perfect it came out!

Camille's chocolate kahlua (i don't even know how to spell that...) recipe to come!!

Lindsay's Sour Cream Pound Cake

Recipe for Sour Cream Pound Cake:

3 c. sugar

1 c. butter, softened

6 eggs, seperated

1t. vanilla

1 t. lemon extract

2 t. butter flavoring

3 c. flour

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. baking soda

1 c. sour cream

Frosting (recipe to follow)

With electric mixer, combine sugar, butter, egg yolks, vanilla, lemon extract and butter flavoring.  Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then beat on high for 2 minutes.  

Sift together flour, salt and baking soda.  Add flour mixture to batter alternately with sour cream. 

In separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.  Fold egg whites into batter.  

Pour batter into a greased and floured tube pan.  

Bake 350 for 1 hour.  Cool 10 minutes, remove from pan.  Frost cake when cool.

Frosting:

16 oz. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 c. butter

1/4 c. cream

1 t. vanilla

1 t. lemon extract

1 t. butter flavor

With electric mixer, combine ingredients.  Beat on low speed, then beat on high for 10 minutes or until frosting is light and very fluffy.

Double-Ginger Sour Cream Bundt Cake

Recipe for Double-Ginger Sour Cream Bundt Cake:

softened butter (for brushing pan)

1/2 c. raw sugar

2 1/4 c. all purpose flour

4 t. ground ginger

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 c. sugar

4 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

2 t. vanilla extract

1 c. sour cream

1 c. crystallized chopped ginger

For Cake:

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 F.  Brush softened butter generously all over inside of 12-cup bundt pan.  Sprinkle raw sugar ovver butter in pan, tilting pan to coat completely.

Whisk flour, ground ginger, baking powder, andsalt in medium bowl.  Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter in large bowl until smooth.  Add 2 cups sugar; beat on medium-high speed until blended, aobut 2 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, beataing well after each addition.  Beat in 1 egg yolk and vanilla, stopping to scrape down bowl as needed.  Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with sour cream in 2 additions, beating on low speed just until blended after each addition.  Mix in crustallized ginger.  Spread batter in pan, being careful not to dislodge raw sugar.

Bake cake until top is light brown and tester inserted near center comes out with a few small crumbs attached, about 55 minutes.  Transfer to rack; cool in pan 10 minutes.  Gently tap bottom edge of pan on work surface while rotating pan until cake loosens.  Place rack atop pan and invert cake onto rack; remove pan.  Cool completely.

Williams-Sonoma Sour Cream-Chocolate Bundt Cake

Recipe for Williams Sonoma Sour Cream-Chocolate Bundt Cake:

To melt the bittersweet chocolate for this Bundt® cake, chop it finely with a serrated knife. Then place the chocolate in the top pan of a double boiler and warm the chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth and creamy. Set aside to cool slightly.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 16 Tbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

For the glaze:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 Tbs. chocolate liqueur
• Confectioners' sugar for dusting
• Whipped cream for serving

Directions:

Have all the ingredients at room temperature.

Position a rack in the center of an oven and preheat to 325°F. Grease and flour a decorative 10-cup Bundt® pan.

To make the cake, over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; repeat until well blended. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 30 to 45 seconds. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the granulated sugar, beating until blended. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue beating, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl, until the mixture is light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating each addition until incorporated before adding more, until the mixture is thick and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes; stop mixer occasionally and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla.

Reduce the speed to low and fold in the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream and beginning and ending with the flour, until just blended and no lumps of flour remain. Then gently fold in the chocolate.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading the batter so the sides are about 1 inch higher than the center. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack and cool the cake upright in the pan for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the granulated sugar and water and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate liqueur.

Set the rack over a sheet of waxed paper, invert the pan onto the rack and lift off the pan. Generously brush the warm cake with the glaze. Let the cake cool to room temperature, then dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving. Top slices with a dollop of whipped cream.

Serves 16.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.