Bundt® Cake Heaven: Two Great Options

Right after labor day I like to do a little baking. I used to send along slices of the cakes below in my daughter's lunch box but now that she is all grown up I still keep the tradition going with baking a home style Bundt® cake for friends who drop by. A cup of tea and slice of cake couldn't be a better way to end the afternoon or evening for that matter

As a French-trained chef, I never gave Bundt® cakes much attention. I would spend hours making fruit tarts with pastry cream and flaky pastry dough, chocolate European-style tortes, and praline soufflés. When I began my food-writing career, I was asked to develop a Bundt® cake story for a food magazine. From then on I had such fun coming up with creative renditions that they became my standby cake. The Glazed Lemon Sour Cream cake is the one that my daughter insists on for her birthday every year.

Well over a half a century ago the Bundt® pan was invented. There is some controversy over whether it was first introduced in the early 1900’s, as indicated in the Settlement Cookbook, or in the 1950’s by the president of Nordic cookware. Whoever invented this pan made a wonderful contribution to American baking.

The Bundt® pan is based on an Austrian kugelhopf design, featuring a hole in the center that allows for even baking. Bundt® cakes became very popular after the Tunnel of Fudge Bundt® Cake won second place in the 1966 Pillsbury Bake Off. With that accolade, the Bundt® cake became a regular fixture for home cooks who wanted to excel in the kitchen without spending an entire day there.

Since then, scores of different Bundt® cake pans like Fleur de Lis, castles, cathedrals, hearts, roses and even a fairy tale cottage shapes have become available. You can find one suited for just about any occasion. They all have in common a fluted bottom and sides that present a distinctive design when inverted.

This quick-to-prepare cake falls squarely within the Seriously Simple cooking philosophy. It is easy to put together and amazingly versatile. I find these tasty cakes bake up with a moist texture which is an added plus. Their shape is different from that of other cakes so they stand out in a crowd. A fine dusting of powdered sugar or a simple glaze drizzled on in a lacy pattern is all that is needed to finish the cake - no need for intricate butter creams or other time consuming frostings.

The Glazed Lemon Sour Cream Cake version is finished with a lemon glaze poured on while the cake is still warm yielding an extraordinarily pungent lemony moistness. Many recipes call for lemon juice in the cake, which seems to cause problems with texture. I finally experimented with lemon extract in the cake and fresh lemon juice for the glaze with an outstanding result, bursting with flavor.

The Mixed Berry Bundt® cake is great for an easy dessert or served in wedges for an early morning breakfast or midday brunch. Juicy berries add sweet fruit flavor to the simple butter cake batter. Make sure to pick berries that are not overripe or they won’t hold up well when baked.


Clever Cook Tips: These cakes are already easy to make, here are a few tips that will enhance to your experience even further:

• Use a lightweight nonstick Bundt pan for even cooking. If you use a heavyweight dark pan make sure to reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees for even cooking and a moist result.
• Use a baker’s spray which contains both oil and flour. There are a number of brands available in the baking section of your market. This will help in releasing the cake after baking.
• Fill the pan about 3/4 full to avoid overflow.
• Cool the cake for at least 30 minute and then gently shake the pan from side to side listening for thumping. This indicates that the cake is loose and ready to invert. Carefully loosen the cake with a flexible knife( plastic or rubber) around the center tube and sides if sticking persists.
• Invert on a cooling rack; continue to cool. Dust with powdered sugar using a sifter or drizzle your favorite glaze on top.


Try either one (or both) of these cakes out and let me know what you think.



Glazed Lemon Sour Cream Cake

Serves 8 to 10

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 tablespoon minced lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon extract
1 cup sour cream

Glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup strained fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely chopped lemon zest

1. Grease and flour a 9-inch lightweight bundt pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sift the flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed or in a food processor fitted with the metal blade, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, zest and lemon extract and mix for 2 more minutes.

3. Reduce the mixer to the lowest speed, add half the flour mixture, and mix until well combined. Add half the sour cream, mixing constantly, and then add the rest of the flour and sour cream, ending with the sour cream.

4. Pour the mixture into the prepared bundt pan and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then invert onto a cake rack.

5. Make the glaze: Using a wire strainer, sift the powdered sugar into a small nonaluminum bowl. Add the juice and lemon zest and whisk to break up any lumps.

6. Place the cake and the rack on a wax paper-lined rimmed baking sheet. Using a long skewer, poke holes in the cake almost going through the bottom at 1-inch intervals. Slowly pour the glaze over the cake, making sure that it’s absorbed as you pour. Let the cake come to room temperature. This can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and kept at room temperature, tightly covered. The cake can also be tightly wrapped and frozen in aluminum foil up to 2 months.


Mixed Berry Bundt Cake


Serves 8 to 10

5 eggs
1 + 2/3 cups sugar
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into pieces
2 tablespoons Kirsch or other fruit liqueur
21/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
1 1/2 cups blueberries or blackberries
Powdered sugar, for the garnish

1. Grease and flour a 9" bundt pan. Preheat oven to 325F.

2. In large mixing bowl, blend eggs and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add pieces of butter and Kirsch or fruit liqueur and blend with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add all but 2 tablespoons of the flour (reserving the 2 tablespoons to coat the berries), baking powder and salt and mix until well incorporated, with no lumps.

3. In separate bowl, toss the berries with the remaining 2 tablespoons flour coating them evenly. Gently fold into cake mixture.

4. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

5. Cool 30 minutes in the pan. Invert cake onto a cake rack and cool thoroughly. Dust with powdered sugar. Place on a platter and serve. This can be made a day ahead, covered well and left at room temperature.