Brown Sugar Bundt - Day #14 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

Brown Sugar Bundt

I Like Big Bundts - Day #14

Happy Sunday! It's Day #14 of I Like Big Bundts, my 30 bundts in 30 days marathon of Bundts! This morning, I'm running in a 5K in Los Angeles!

The submission info can be found here! Just submit by November 24, 2011 and I'll send you a button for baking along with me!

This recipe appears on page 19 of Cake Simple by Christie Matheson. A bit about I Like Big Bundts is on page 82-83 of the book and Christie printed my favorite Fuyu Persimmon Bundt recipe. If you enjoy bundts, you should get this cookbook filled with Bundt recipes!!!

The cake is really simple to put together and I'm sure you have all the ingredients sitting in your kitchen right now. So, go ahead, get up and make it! I'll wait. And take a photo and send it me for the round-up of I Like Big Bundts!

This cake is DELICIOUS. Totally soft and lovely. You should definitely make this lovely, lovely bundt.


I made this in the Nordic Ware/Williams Sonoma Heritage Bundt pan. It's one of my favorites. You can get it online through Williams Sonoma, in the store (although it says it is "online only", I've seen it in every WS I've visited), and on Amazon. (Dude, do you have Amazon Prime? $80 a year for 2-day shipping with no minimum purchase? I love it...sometimes too much, but it's fab.)

Have a great Sunday and we'll see you again tomorrow! Happy Pre-Halloween! - mary the food librarian

Recap of I Like Big Bundts 3:
Day #1: Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake
Day #2: Lemon Bliss Bundt
Day #3: Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Day #4: Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Day #5: Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt
Day #6: Maida Heatter's Budapest Coffee Cake Bundt
Day #7: Dark Chocolate Bundt
Day #8: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day #9: Apple Spice Bundt
Day #10: Pumpkin Spice Bundt
Day #11: Doll Bundt Cake
Day #12: Light Chocolate Bundt with Coffee Glaze
Day #13: Spiced Cranberry Bundt

Recipe: Click here for printable recipe
Adapted from Cake Simple by Christie Matheson

Bundt Pan: Nordic Ware Heritage Bundt Pan

Spiced Cranberry Bundt Cake - Day #13 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

Spiced Cranberry Bundt

I Like Big Bundts - Day #13

Happy Saturday! It's Day #13 of I Like Big Bundts...my crazy marathon of 30 Bundts in 30 days! I hope you celebrate National Bundt Day on November 15th!

Today's Bundt is really special! It's Dorie Greenspan's Spiced Cranberry Bundt. I made it with Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet when I visited her earlier this month in Connecticut (see my BlogMary post here). It's fitting that we made a Dorie Greenspan recipe because Dorie, without knowing it, brought Mary and I together!

In 2008, Mary and I were both in the online group Tuesdays with Dorie...baking our way through Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook. Mary wrote me an email starting with "I'm in Tuesdays with Dorie too..." asking for Los Angeles restaurant recommendations...and a friendship was born. Thanks Dorie for not only your delicious recipes and wonderful cookbooks, but for helping two people named Mary meet!

The submission info can be found here! Just submit by November 24, 2011 and I'll send you a button for baking along with me!


We made our cake by pulverizing some slivered almonds for the almond flour, and toasted some almonds for the batter. East Coast Mary had a bag of cranberries in the freezer (something I must do this year) so we had frozen cranberries and dried cranberries. This bundt has a delicious combo of spices: Chinese five-spice powder, ground ginger and ground cinnamon.



Recap of I Like Big Bundts 3:
Day #1: Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake
Day #2: Lemon Bliss Bundt
Day #3: Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Day #4: Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Day #5: Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt
Day #6: Maida Heatter's Budapest Coffee Cake Bundt
Day #7: Dark Chocolate Bundt
Day #8: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day #9: Apple Spice Bundt
Day #10: Pumpkin Spice Bundt
Day #11: Doll Bundt Cake
Day #12: Light Chocolate Bundt with Coffee Glaze

Recipe: Click here for recipe on Bon Appetite site

Bundt Pan: Traditional 12-cup Bundt Pan

Pumpkin Spice Bundt - Day #10 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

Pumpkin Spice Bundt

I Like Big Bundts - Day #10

Whoo Hoo! 1/3 done! It's Day #10 of my third I Like Big Bundts celebration! We are only 20 days away from National Bundt Day on November 15th.

You probably see lots of pumpkin (fresh and canned) in the stores now...so why not make a pumpkin bundt?! This one is very soft and has a nice fall spice collection.

This recipe is from the beautiful book, The Art & Soul of Baking by Sur la Table and Cindy Mushet. The original recipe makes a round cake with Maple Cream Cheese frosting...but isn't a Bundt just better?! :) I glazed it with a powdered sugar, milk and vanilla mixture of goodness.

Man, I can eat pumpkin food every day. In Los Angeles, we don't really have "fall" weather or changing leaves (palm trees don't change colors) so we need to use foods as seasonal indicators. I think kids know the seasons when Starbucks Pumpkin Lattes are available.

Isn't this a pretty Bundt pan? It's one of my favorites - Bavarian Nordic Ware Pan. Just be sure to spray it very very well with Pam with Flour, or make sure you grease and flour the pan thoroughly.

Yes, you guessed it, come back tomorrow for yet another Bundt!  - mary the food librarian

Recap of I Like Big Bundts 3:
Day #1: Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake
Day #2: Lemon Bliss Bundt
Day #3: Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Day #4: Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Day #5: Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt
Day #6: Maida Heatter's Budapest Coffee Cake Bundt
Day #7: Dark Chocolate Bundt
Day #8: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day #9: Apple Spice Bundt

Recipe: Click here for printable recipe

Bundt Pan:  Bavarian Nordic Ware Pan

Apple Spice Bundt - Day #9 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

Apple Spice Bundt

I Like Big Bundts - Day #9

An apple a day. Or at least an Apple Bundt a Day.

It's Day #9 of my I Like Big Bundts extravaganza - 30 days of bundts leading up to National Bundt Day! Thanks for following along. I love, love hearing that you are planning to make a bundt for National Bundt Day (November 15th). What are you planning on making? Remember, I'm doing a round-up and sending you a special something if you bake along with me.

As you know, I bring in my baked goods to the library and that has established a lot of goodwill! :) I'm very lucky to work with a great group of people.

The other day, I was writing my To Do list: Apples, buttermilk, Brita filter, Dog toy. 

Then, magically, my co-worker Ruth Ann came up to me with a 3-pound bag of apples from Oak Glen (near Los Angeles). Amazing!

I immediately went back to my list and wrote "George Clooney."

Sadly, he hasn't popped by the library yet. But the apples were put to good use.

This is a Martha Stewart recipe. I've made it before and it is a great Bundt. Definitely something to keep in your recipe book. It is made with veg oil and no butter so the cake is dairy-free (dairy in the caramel sauce).

A caramel sauce is poured over the top. I didn't let it go very long because last time I made this, I let it go too long and ended up with a crazy tough caramel that would have ripped out fillings. So, the sauce should be somewhere in-between. Martha's website also has a video of Dorothy Mae Brown making the cake on her show. She's a sweetie.


I'm keeping "George Clooney" on my list...just in case...

Recap of I Like Big Bundts 3:
Day #1: Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake
Day #2: Lemon Bliss Bundt
Day #3: Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Day #4: Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Day #5: Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt
Day #6: Maida Heatter's Budapest Coffee Cake Bundt
Day #7: Dark Chocolate Bundt
Day #8: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt

Recipe: Click here for Martha Stewart recipe

Bundt Pan: Traditional 12-cup Bundt Pan

Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt - Day #8 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt

I Like Big Bundts - Day #8

We all have great intentions. Like exercising everyday. Putting away the dishes as soon as they're dry. Making your bed. And eating all the bananas you bought.

This cake may not help with the exercise bit, but it will take care of those bananas!

Whoo hoo! We are on Day #8 of my marathon bundt making adventure because I Like Big Bundts! November 15th is National Bundt Day and I hope you make a bundt to celebrate!

This bundt is based on Dorie Greenspan's awesome Banana Bundt in her book, Baking: From my Home to Yours. That was my pick for Tuesdays with Dorie and it was well loved by the bakers! I promise you'll love it. I added one cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips to the recipe for an even more delicious treat.

This bundt can be eaten plain or with just a touch of powdered sugar. With bananas, sour cream and butter or yogurt? It is so moist!

Happy Monday! If you have some bananas sitting around, be sure to make this deliciousness.

Recap of I Like Big Bundts 3:
Day #1: Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake
Day #2: Lemon Bliss Bundt
Day #3: Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Day #4: Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Day #5: Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt
Day #6: Maida Heatter's Budapest Coffee Cake Bundt
Day #7: Dark Chocolate Bundt

Recipe: Click here for printable recipe

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours (page 190) (Find it in your library here or on Amazon - really, everyone should have this book and it makes a great holiday gift!)

Bundt Pan: Traditional 12-cup Bundt Pan

Food Librarian Bundt Favorites

Bakers are pulling out their bundt pans to get ready for November 15th National Bundt Day! Kimi asked me on twitter for my favorite bundts. I said, "That's like picking my favorite child!" I love them all, but the following are the ones I make repeatedly or have received great reviews from eaters and bakers.

Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt 

My go-to Bundt. Completely simple to make with ingredients you probably have on hand. Don't even need a KitchenAid mixer - just a big bowl and whisk.

Buttermilk Butternut Squash Bundt with Spiced Vanilla Icing

Shredded butternut squash makes this cake delicious! You can count it as a vegetable ;)

Pumpkin Spice Bundt with Buttermilk Icing
This cake got great reviews from those who made it and enjoyed it. Everyone needs a pumpkin bundt in their recipe box.

Fuyu Persimmon Bundt
This one got me in the book, Cake Simple! Fuyu persimmons are at the farmer's market now (at least in California) and this cake is a favorite.

Brown Sugar and Chocolate Chip Bundt with Maple-Espresso Glaze
Brown sugar makes cakes moist and this one sure is! The maple espresso glaze is a perfect topping.

Classic Banana Bundt
Always a winner. This recipe from Dorie Greenspan is delicious... and look for a twist on it tomorrow!

Orange-Ricotta Pound Cake Bundt with Marmalade Glaze
This cake has a terrific crumb and subtle taste. Love it!

For a listing of more bundts, see the I Like Big Bundts page and my Recipes page!

Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake - Day #7 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake

I Like Big Bundts - Day #7

Good Morning! It's Day #7 of my crazy I Like Big Bundts 3 celebration of the awesome Bundt cake. I hope you will make a Bundt on National Bundt Day - November 15th! Can you believe how fast the year is going? Halloween, Bundt Day, then Thanksgiving! :)

30 days.
30 bundts.
What? I'm only a week in? Stick with me and see if I make it!

For this bundt, I  headed to the library's 641 section and leafed through some cookbooks. Do you use your library to browse cookbooks? I hope so!  Classic Southern Desserts: All-Time Favorite Recipes for Cakes, Cookies, Pies, Puddings, Cobblers, Ice Cream & More from the Editors of Southern Living Magazine has a Dark Chocolate Bundt recipe. Can't go wrong with more chocolate bundts, right?

This bundt calls for a 16 ounce can of chocolate syrup. I searched and searched for a can of Hershey's but couldn't find it in the 10 stores I visited (this bundt marathon is hard work!). I ended up using Trader Joe's Midnight Moo chocolate syrup. I wasn't sure if the 16 ounce can was by weight or volume...and I only had 8 ounces (volume, 1 cup) that weighed 11 ounces. Anyway, it was all I had and it worked out okay. The book was published in 2010 by the editors of Southern Living - is canned chocolate syrup more abundant in the South (along with White Lily Flour)?

Just a dash of powered sugar was enough for this cake.

The crumb is tight. The combo of the chocolate syrup and melted chocolate make a heavier cake - no one is going to confuse this with a chiffon cake! Although the title is "Dark Chocolate" is uses semi-sweet chocolate and whatever is in the chocolate syrup. It isn't "dark" like bittersweet chocolate, but does have a rich chocolate taste. Perfect for an afternoon coffee break.

Recap of I Like Big Bundts 3:
Day #1: Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake
Day #2: Lemon Bliss Bundt
Day #3: Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Day #4: Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Day #5: Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt
Day #6: Maida Heatter's Budapest Coffee Cake Bundt

Recipe: Click here for printable recipe

Adapted from: Classic Southern Desserts: All-Time Favorite Recipes for Cakes, Cookies, Pies, Puddings, Cobblers, Ice Cream & More from the Editors of Southern Living Magazine



Bundt Pan: Traditional 12-cup Bundt Pan

Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake - Day #1 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake

Day #1 - I Like Big Bundts 2011

Where has the time gone?! I'm back for another marathon of Bundts! Because I cannot lie, I Like Big Bundts!

For those who are new to the blog or just visiting, I love the Bundt cake. I like cake but don't care for frosting (too sweet for me). The bundt? It's perfection with just a light dusting of powdered sugar or a light glaze. A couple years ago, I thought I would celebrate National Bundt Day on November 15th by making 30 different bundt cakes prior to an awesome holiday. I mentioned this to my totally sharp friend, JustJenn and she said, "I Like Big Bundts!"

I hope this year is fun for you, and I hope you mark November 15th on your calendar! Last year, if you made a Bundt for National Bundt Day, I mailed out a JustJenn designed button proclaming that you too like Big Bundts. This year, I have something special planned for those who bake along! (submission info coming next week)

Dust off your Bundt pan and let's get going! And hey, a TUBE pan isn't a Bundt pan. I feel Bundts need to be inverted and have some sort of sexy curves! Tube pans are just so boring compared to the Bundt! Here is a look at my collection of Bundt pans!

It's Day #1 of I Like Big Bundts: 30 days of bundt cakes! I hope you stick around, and I hope you find a recipe to try on National Bundt Day (November 15th).

I saw this cake on Jami's Night Baking blog. Have you been to her blog? It is stunning. Jami makes the most creative birthday cakes and cupcakes. Check out this SoCal themed (complete with surfboard) cake and these cute Penguin cookies. If you don't have Night Baking on your reader, add it now!

Come back tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.... for another Bundt!
- mary the food librarian


Recipe: Click here for printable version

Bundt Pan: Traditional 12-cup Bundt Pan
Recipe adapted from the Los Angeles Times Food Section Culinary SOS. Culinary SOS is great - readers ask (well, most of the time they beg) for a recipe from a local restaurant or bakery. In 2008, someone asked for the Buttercake Bakery's recipe. If you are in So Cal, visit the Buttercake Bakery in West LA or West Hollywood. (I used Night Baking's weight measurements and have included them on the recipe. Thanks Jami!)