Cranberry Crème Fraîche Bundt - I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 7 with Snapware Giveaway!

Cranberry Crème Fraîche Bundt

I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 7 

It's Day 7 of I Like Big Bundts 2013 and I cannot lie, I'm happy to be almost half-way there! National Bundt Day is November 15th and I hope you'll bake a Bundt to celebrate the best food holiday ever.

Today, we have a special Bundt and a very special giveaway too! Fun times people. Fun times.

In 2010, cookbook author Christie Matheson emailed me about Bundt cakes, and I ended up in her book Cake Simple. (It was sooo cool - see the page here!) For Day 7 of my little Bundt celebration, I made a delicious bundt from the book that uses a favorite holiday leftover: cranberry sauce!

What's the best part of Thanksgiving? Of course, the leftovers! Snapware has a line of leak-proof food storage containers that are pretty awesome. The bowls are Pyrex with BPA-free leak-proof lids that are color coded and have a Write n' Erase space.

I'm really into noting the prep date of my food and sometimes throw a piece of blue painters tape on it. However, these lids make it so much easier and the writing washes off when you do the dishes!

Snapware gave me their Total Solution 8-piece Glass Food Storage set (two 4-cup medium squares, one 1-cup small round, one 4-cup medium round) for me to try out. They are easy to use, leak-proof (I held one upside down with cranberry sauce in it). I love that they are Pyrex because that makes microwaving easy as pie. And, let's get to your benefit, the cool thing is that they are giving one set to a reader!

** UPDATED: GIVEAWAY IS OVER. Congrats to Sara D who won! **

This cake is easy to make. It involves two layers of whole cranberry sauce and batter. I used a 10-cup Bavaria Bundt Pan (isn't it pretty?!)

Be sure to make a double batch of cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving - you have to have some on your turkey sandwiches, yogurt, and this cake! I'm including the recipe from the book that uses both brown and white sugar.

The cake is topped with a cranberry, almond extract, powdered sugar glaze. The cranberry juice provides a lovely pink color.

This is my first time baking with crème fraîche. Oh my goodness, where have you been all my life? This is just great stuff. It's so smooth.

The book has instructions to make your own crème fraîche, but I didn't have time to make it myself so I picked up this carton for $4.99 (next time, I should definitely make it myself as it will be less expensive).

Make some extra cranberry sauce and go to town with this Cranberry Crème Fraîche Bundt!

I Like Big Bundts 2013 (so far)
Day 6: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day 5: Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt
Day 4: Moosewood's Fresh Apple Spice Bundt Cake
Day 3: Butterscotch Bundt Cake
Day 2: Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake Bundt
Day 1: Orange Marmalade Jubilee Bundt

Cranberry Crème Fraîche Bundt

Recipe adapted from Cake Simple: Recipes for Bundt-Style Cakes from Classic Dark Chocolate to Luscious Lemon Basil

Find the book in your library or on Amazon!

Cake:
1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter, room temp
2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (300 grams) sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (240 ml) crème fraîche (the book has a recipe for homemade crème fraîche, but I didn't have time to make it and purchased it)
2 cups whole berry cranberry sauce (fresh or canned)
1/2 cup (45 grams) chopped toasted almonds (I omitted the almonds)

Directions for cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 10-cup Bundt pan (This is a smaller cake so the 10-cup Bundt pan is fine to use. I used the Bavaria Bundt) with Pam with Flour, Baker's Joy or by greasing and flouring the pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until combined. Set aside.
3. In a standing mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Add vanilla and mix to combine.
4. On low speed, alternately add the flour mixture (3 increments) with the creme fraiche (2 increments) , beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
5. Pour half the batter into the pan. Swirl half the cranberry sauce on top. Add the rest of the batter on top, then the rest of the cranberry sauce (I used about 1 1/2 cups of cranberry sauce instead of 2 cups). Sprinkle the almonds on top (I omitted the almonds in my Bundt).
6. Bake for 50-60 minutes until a skewer comes out clean and the cake springs back when touched.
7. Let the cake cool in the pan on a cake rack for 15 minutes, then invert onto rack to cool completely.
8. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake. Enjoy!

Cranberry Glaze:
1 cup (93 grams) powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 Tablespoon cranberry juice

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. To get the cranberry juice, remove 1 Tablespoon of juice while making the whole berry cranberry sauce - about 10 minutes into the simmering of the sauce. If you use canned sauce, remove some from the can. If glaze is too thick, thin with water or milk.

Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce:
12 ounces  fresh cranberries
3/4 cup water
2/3 cup (147 grams) brown sugar
1/3 cup (70 grams) white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the all the sauce ingredients. Cook for 15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Let cool completely before using it in the cake.



Disclosure: World Kitchen LLC gave me a Snapware Total Solution Storage Set and a gift card to reimburse the cost of ingredients. The opinions and ideas expressed are my own. World Kitchen LLC is providing this prize for one reader who will be selected at random and contacted by email. Giveaway ends November 13, 2013 at 12am PST. Giveaway is only open to residents of the United States.

Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt - I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 6

Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt

I Like Big Bundts 2013, Day 6

Hello! It's Day 6 of I Like Big Bundts 2013...my little effort to remind you of the greatest food holiday around: National Bundt Day on November 15th! Oh, crazy food holidays and the crazy people who celebrate them (me!). I'm a huge fan of the Bundt cake and have been making lots of bundts over the years. This year, I'm doing 15 days of Bundts leading up to National Bundt Day and I hope you grab your Bundt pan and bake along!

Today's recipe is a slight twist on a classic. Along with hundreds of other delightful food bloggers, I baked my way through Dorie Greenspan's incredible book, Baking: From My Home to Yours in an online group called Tuesdays with Dorie. My pick for the group was Dorie's Classic Banana Bundt Cake. It got great reviews from everyone and I make it all the time.

This year, I thought I would bring it back and add some chocolate chips to it! Oh, I thought I was so clever. However, this morning, as I'm writing this post at 4:30 am, I realize that I already made this in 2011!! After making over 100 bundts, I guess I forgot I was already clever in 2011 and not so clever in 2013. But that doesn't stop this cake from being AWESOME.

Banana. Chocolate. Together. Forever.

This cake has everything good and delicious. Ripe, ripe bananas, butter, sour cream (or yogurt if you wish) and chocolate chips. It fills the Bundt pan so be sure to use the 12-cup classic Bundt.

You can eat this plain or with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. If you are crazy for chocolate, you can drizzle some chocolate ganache on top.

I just love this recipe! Dorie Greenspan is a genius. Whenever I made a Dorie recipe, I feel old and nostalgic for Tuesdays with Dorie. The group, started by Laurie Woodward, happened just at the start of the food blogging explosion and we were a small but tight community - before search engine optimization, advertising, conferences and branding were commonplace. We just wanted to learn or improve our baking and share what we made with each other. I owe so much to Dorie - I made friends (some that I've met in real life), developed my baking skills, and had a great time.

If you don't have several of Dorie Greenspan's books on your bookshelf, tell Santa. Everything she writes is delicious and you should make everything...including this Banana Bundt!

See you tomorrow for another Bundt! - mary the food librarian

P.S. Remember, if you bake on National Bundt Day, I'm doing a round up on my blog. I'll post photo and link submission info on Friday! (You don't have to have a blog to enter.)

I Like Big Bundts 2013 (so far)
Day 5: Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt
Day 4: Moosewood's Fresh Apple Spice Bundt Cake
Day 3: Butterscotch Bundt Cake
Day 2: Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake Bundt
Day 1: Orange Marmalade Jubilee Bundt

Recipe: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Adapted from Classic Banana Bundt Cake
Page 190, Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
Find it in your library or buy it on Amazon!

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
About 4 very ripe bananas, mashed (you should have 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups)
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 cup semi-sweet pr bittersweet chocolate chips

Oven: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pan: 12-cup Bundt pan. Spray with Pam with Flour or Baker's Joy, or butter and flour pan generously.

1. Dry ingredients: Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together.

2. Cream: Working with a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, then add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each egg goes in. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the bananas.

3. Combine dry & wet: On low speed, add 1/2 the dry ingredients, then all the sour cream, followed by the rest of the flour. Don't worry if the batter curdles. Fold in the chocolate chips.

4. Bundt Pan: Pour into prepared bundt pan. Rap pan on the counter to debubble and smooth the top.

5. Bake: Place pan in the oven (never put a Bundt pan on a tray - air needs to circulate through the hole in the center of the Bundt pan). Bake until a skewer inserted comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, about 65 to 75 minutes. Check the cake after about 30 minutes - if it is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with a foil tent. Remove and let cool on rack for 10 minutes before inverting onto rack. Cool to room temp.

6. Dorie says "If you've got the time, wrap the cooled cake in plastic and allow it to sit on the counter overnight before serving - it's better the next day."

Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt from The Lemonade Cookbook - I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 5

Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt

I Like Big Bundts - Day 5

Welcome to Day 5 of I Like Big Bundts 2013! I'm counting down to National Bundt Day on November 15th and I hope you join me in baking and sharing a bundt with your friends, family and co-workers. Nothing like bringing a Bundt to breakfast, snack or dessert time!

Salads at Lemonade in Downtown Los Angeles, from 2010

Today's Bundt comes from the brand new and highly anticipated The Lemonade Cookbook by Alan Jackson. Lemonade is a great casual dining restaurant or "modern cafeteria" in Southern California and I love it! Read about my first visit on this post from October 2010.

Alan Jackson also brought So Cal The Farm of Beverly Hills restaurants and is the son of LA radio host Michael Jackson (who knew?!) He describes the food as "Southern California comfort food" - that's a perfect term! Lemonade has a bunch of great salads, braised meats, sandwiches, soups, and desserts. Of course, there are also a slew of yummy lemonades to pick from including Cucumber Mint Lemonade (my favorite) and Ginger Peach Lemonade (second favorite!)

I'll be making some other desserts and savories soon - including the to-die-for Cauliflower, Golden Raisin, Almond and Curry Vinaigrette salad. That is soooo good, and I can't wait to make it at home.

I think this cookbook would be a great holiday gift - to those in Los Angeles, and well as those who want a taste of Los Angeles. And Lemonade is now in Terminal 5 (Delta) so if you are at LAX in my fair city, grab a bite (I just had some breakfast before my flight to Seattle last month!)

Lemonade's Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt is filled with poppy seeds, lemon zest and topped with a lemon glaze!

The Bundt uses 1/2 cup (yes, half a cup or 8 Tablespoons) of poppy seeds. It's filled with poppy seeds! Lots of other recipes call for 2 or 4 Tablespoons, but this has 1/2 cup. That's a full spice jar of poppy seeds. If you want to stretch your poppy seeds (my jar of organic poppy seeds was $6.25), you can get by with 1/4 cup or 4 Tablespoons of poppy seeds too. The recipe uses cake flour so the crumb is soft and tender.

The lemon juice and powdered sugar glaze is really important. The cake itself only has the lemon zest, so you need the glaze to give it more lemon flavor. I used organic lemons from Trader Joe's.

I get lots of questions about how to prepare the Bundt pan so that the cake comes come easily. First, I have had disasters in the kitchen too - with half the cake stuck in the pan...so you are not alone! I use Pam with Flour spray (It is labeled BAKING and there is a picture of a BUNDT cake on the bottle). This is different than regular Pam - it has flour in it so it takes the place of greasing and flouring a pan. You can also carefully rub soft or melted butter all over the pan (be sure to hit all the curves) and sprinkle flour in the pan, knocking it around to cover and then dumping the excess flour. Finally, you might also try melting butter and then adding flour to the melted butter to create a slurry. Apply this to the pan with a pastry brush. Unless the recipe tells me different, I usually let the pan sit for 15 minutes on a cake rack before inverting it for completely cool.

There are many, many poppy seeds in this recipe. Did I tell you the story of me failing a drug test because of poppy seeds? Really, it happened (not just a Seinfeld Elaine myth). About 10 years ago, I had two pieces of whole wheat bread with nuts and seeds - including lots of poppy seeds - for breakfast and then another two pieces for a sandwich at lunch before taking the test. Imagine my surprise when they called to tell me I tested positive for opiates! We went through my diet, realized what happened, and I took it again in a couple days! She did say that the test they used was ultra-sensitive, and it was 10 years ago so technology may have changed...but just wanted to give you a little warning!

Have you dusted off your Bundt pan? Find it this weekend so you'll be ready for National Bundt Day on November 15th! See you tomorrow for another Bundt! - mary the food librarian

I Like Big Bundts 2013 (so far)
Day 4: Moosewood's Fresh Apple Spice Bundt Cake
Day 3: Butterscotch Bundt Cake
Day 2: Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake Bundt
Day 1: Orange Marmalade Jubilee Bundt

Recipe: Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt from The Lemonade Cookbook (page 209)
Find it on Amazon or in your local library!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of The Lemonade Cookbook from the publisher, St. Martin's Press (retail value: $30.00). All opinions and reviews are my own.

Bundt:
3 cups cake flour (I used 12 ounces)
1/2 cup poppy seeds (I used a jar of organic poppy seeds. I feel you can use less poppy seeds too)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
2 cups (400 grams) sugar
4 large eggs, room temp
3 Tablespoons lemon zest (from 3-4 lemons, try to use organic lemons)
1 cup milk or buttermilk (I used buttermilk)

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons, depending on size)

My directions (slightly altered from the book's directions):
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 12-cup Bundt pan with Pam with Flour or by greasing and flouring it.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Add the poppy seeds and whisk the mix together.
3. In a small bowl, measure the sugar. Add lemon zest, and rub zest and sugar together with your fingers.
3. In a bowl of a standing mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar/zest together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl.
5. On slow speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and the milk to the creamed butter and sugar mixtures in 2 additions. Beat for 1 minute after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the cake's structure. Mix until the batter is smooth.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth surface. Tap pan a few times to release air bubbles. Bake in oven for 60 to 90 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean and the cake springs back when touched.
7. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes and then invert onto wire rack until completely cool.
8. Mix the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth. Add more juice or powdered sugar to get a thick, but pourable glaze. Pour glaze over cooled cake and let dry 30 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!

Moosewood's Fresh Apple Spice Bundt Cake - I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 4

Moosewood's Fresh Apple Spice Bundt Cake

Day 4 of I Like Big Bundts

Welcome to Day #4 of I Like Big Bundts 2013! Days and days of daily Bundts as we countdown to National Bundt Day on November 15, 2013. I truly love big Bundts. Cake is delicious, and frosting is not. Thus, the Bundt is awesome.

Today's bundt is from the Moosewood cookbook Moosewood Restaurant Favorites: The 250 Most-Requested, Naturally Delicious Recipes from One of America's Best-Loved Restaurants - if it made the cut into the top recipes of a 40 year old restaurant, then you know it's a keeper. I remember using the Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen in my undergrad years (the vegetarian years). I've never been to New York's Moosewood Restaurant, and hope to one day experience all their yummy delights.

This recipe is called "Sara's Fresh Apple Spice Cake" in the book (page 333). She brought it to her interview at Moosewood in 1973 and got the job.

The recipe doesn't call for a particular variety of apple so I found some Gala Apples on sale and picked them up. I peeled them, but you don't have to if you want more of a rustic touch.

You can serve this with a dusting of powdered sugar...or just plain. If you want to go crazy, you can serve it with some whipped cream or ice cream too.

Ah, fall. Days might be getting dark while you are still at work, but you get to eat lots of cinnamon spice and apples. So it's not all that bad.

See you tomorrow for another Bundt for...I cannot lie, I Like Big Bundts! - mary

I Like Big Bundts 2013 (so far)
Day 3: Butterscotch Bundt Cake
Day 2: Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake Bundt
Day 1: Orange Marmalade Jubilee Bundt

Recipe: Moosewood's Fresh Apple Spice Bundt Cake

Adapted from Sara's Fresh Apple Spice Cake from the book: Moosewood Restaurant Favorites: The 250 Most-Requested, Naturally Delicious Recipes from One of America's Best-Loved Restaurants

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
2 cups (380 grams) lightly packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
3 cups (420 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour or 2 cups white and 1 cup whole wheat flour (I used all white flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons apple juice, milk, buttermilk or water (I used water)
3 cups chopped apples (I used Gala apples because they were on sale!)
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, or almonds) (I did not include nuts)
Powdered sugar (optional topping)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Prepare a Bundt pan by greasing and flouring it, or spraying it with Pam with Flour.

3. Using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, beat the oil and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

4. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. 

5. With the mixer on slow speed, add the dry ingredients and  apple juice or water and vanilla.

6. Fold in the chopped apples and nuts (optional). Batter will be thick. 

7. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 50-70 minutes (depending on your oven) until the cake is golden brown, pulling away from the sides, and a toothpick comes out clean. 

8. Let it on a wire rack for 15 minutes and then invert from pan and let cool completely. 

9. Sprinkle the top with sifted powdered sugar when the cake is cool (optional). Enjoy!

Butterscotch Bundt - I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 3

Butterscotch Bundt Cake

Day 2 of I Like Big Bundts 2013

When I'm in the baking aisle of the grocery store, I usually pick up chocolate chips...and pass over the Butterscotch Chips. But this time, I picked some up for this fun bundt!

The Nordic Ware company was founded by Henry David Dalquist in 1950 after he invented the Bundt pan in 1946. His wife Dorothy has authored several books on Bundts for Nordic Ware. My BFF Dulcey sent me "Bundt Entertaining" by Dorothy Dalquist. See this post from a couple years ago with the story about the book and our friendship. Disclaimer: When you go to this post, there will be a doll in a bundt. If you are like me and scared of dolls, you might want to keep one eye closed. Just warning you!

There is 3/4 cup of butterscotch chips in two layers. The use of brown sugar in the batter gives the pound cake a rich flavor.

After baking, a glaze of butter, brown sugar, milk, vanilla and powdered sugar is poured over the cooled cake. The glaze is very good and really adds to the cake. Please don't skip it.

Thanks so much for your kind comments on Twitter and Instagram about I Like Big Bundts...even though Bundts are all over the place now, it seems you still like my little baking challenge. I am touched that some of you think of crazy me whenever you see a Bundt cake! :) That's an honor.

I hope you'll celebrate National Bundt Day on November 15th! Like previous years, if you send me a picture of your Bundt made for this year's holiday, I'll post a round up of delicious Bundts. More info this week (or whenever I get it together - remember, this year's series is fraught with disorganization on my part!)

My co-worker said this was one of her favorites. My other co-worker grabbed a second slice and said, "I let everyone get a chance for first few hours, and then anything left over is fair game."

See you tomorrow for another Bundt as we head to National Bundt Day (November 15th)!!!! - mary

I Like Big Bundts 2013 (so far)
Day 2: Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake Bundt
Day 1: Orange Marmalade Jubilee Bundt

Recipe: Butterscotch Bundt
Adapted from Butterscotch Pound Cake in the book: Bundt Entertaining by Dorothy Dalquist & Nordic Ware

Bundt:
1 3/4 cup (350 grams) light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temp
4 eggs, room temp
3 1/3 cup (466 grams) flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk (I used whole milk), best at room temperature
3/4 cup (132 grams) butterscotch chips

Glaze:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup (50 grams) light brown sugar, packed
2 Tablespoons milk or half & half (I used whole milk)
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare 10 or 12-cup capacity Bundt pan by greasing & flouring the pan, or spraying with Pam with Flour.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt to combine.
3. Using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Blend in sour cream. Scrape down sides of bowl.
4. On slow speed, alternately add 1/3 of the flour mixture with 1/2 the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture until blended. Scrape down sides of bowl to combine.
5. Add 1/3 of the batter to the Bundt pan. Sprinkled half the butterscotch chips on top, avoiding the sides of the pan. Add half the remaining batter into the pan, spreading out to cover the first layer and chips. Add the remaining chips on top, followed by the rest of the batter. Smooth out the top.
6. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place on wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely before glazing.

Glaze
In a medium saucepan, stir together the butter, brown sugar, milk (or half & half). Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Pour hot glaze over cake.

Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake Bundt - I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 2

Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake Bundt

Day 2 of I Like Big Bundts 2013

We're on Day 2 of this year's (light edition) of I Like Big Bundts - 15 days of Bundts leading up to National Bundt Day on November 15th! I hope you join me in celebrating the Bundt and bake something special for your family and friends on Nov 15th.

When offered a choice of desserts in a restaurant or bakery, many people go straight for the chocolate. Me? It's all about the lemon (next on the list are ginger, other fruits, mocha/coffee, and then chocolate).

Today, I'm showing the Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake from the classic book Luscious Lemon Desserts by former food editor for Gourmet, Lori Longbotham.

This is a nice big Bundt...just the way I know you like them ;) It's lovely with a cup of tea or coffee. You can also serve it with raspberries or other fruit.

Made with cake flour, this cake's texture is soft and refined. I think the cake is better the next day so the lemon flavors have time to develop (I kept a piece and had it the next day...research purposes, right?!)

It has lots of zest so be sure to have your microplane ready for action. If you aren't lucky enough to have a lemon tree in the backyard, then try to purchase organic lemons since you are using so much of the zest. There is zest in the cake as well as the glaze. In this close-up photo, you can see the pieces of zest clinging to the cake.

My parent's Meyer Lemon tree didn't have any lemons for me so I went to the Farmer's Market and purchased these Eureka Lemons.

Last night, I went to Target to buy a new shower curtain. I got that...and the new iPad Air (no, it wasn't an impulse purchase, I was going to the the iPad at the Apple Store but Target had it on sale for $20 off...and I was able to use my Target gift cards from last Christmas!) Anyway, if I'm not baking Bundts, I'll be playing with my new toy - it's way lighter than older iPads. And special thanks to my UCLA grad school friend Laura who sent me this fabulous mini Bundt from a doll house collection! So cute!

Ahhhhh lemon. You rock. 
Come back tomorrow for another Bundt!
I Like Big Bundts 2013 (so far)

Day 1: Orange Marmalade Jubilee Bundt

Recipe: Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake Bundt
Adapted from Luscious Lemon Desserts by Lori Longbotham, 2001 Chronicle Books

Bundt Cake:
3 1/2 cups (12 1/4 ounces) sifted cake flour (not self rising)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups (450 grams) sugar
6 large eggs, room temp
1 cup milk (I used 1% milk)
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze:
1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 300⁰F.  Butter and flour or spray with Pam with Flour a 10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together TWICE. I sift onto a piece of parchment paper so it is easy to pour into the bowl later.
3. Beat butter with an electric mixer and paddle attachment on medium until light and fluffy. Slowly add sugar to the butter, and beat until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes).
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well (30-60 seconds) after each addition.
5. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture alternately with the milk in batches, beginning and ending with the flour.
6. Stir in zest, lemon extract and vanilla.
7. Pour into Bundt pan and smooth top. Bake for 60-90 minutes (depending on your oven) until skewer comes out clean. **Check early because mine was almost done at 70 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes and then turn out onto cooling rack and glaze the warm cake.

Glaze:
1. While the Bundt is resting on the wire rack, make the lemon glaze.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. Let simmer for 5 minutes until it thickens a little and the sugar has dissolved.
3. Turn the cake onto the rack and brush hot syrup over the hot cake with a pastry brush. Let cake cool before cutting into pieces. Enjoy!

Find the book on Amazon, or find the book in your Library via WorldCat

I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Orange Marmalade Jubilee Bundt Cake

Orange Marmalade Jubilee Bundt Cake

I Like Big Bundts 2013 (the lite edition)

It's that special time of year.

Days are shorter.

Leaves change color and fall off trees in some parts of the country.
Pumpkin Spice Lattes are poured at Starbucks.

And you start thinking about Thanksgiving.

But for me, it's Bundt season.

Because I cannot lie, I Like Big Bundts!

National Bundt Day is November 15th (I don't know who made up this food holiday, but I thank them for it) and I like to celebrate. In 2009, 2010, and 2011, I posted 30 days of Bundts to get you in the mood. I had to take last year off, and this year I'm going to try to do a "light" version with 15 days of Bundts leading up to the awesome National Bundt Day on November 15, 2013.

So much has changed since my first I LIKE BIG BUNDTS celebration (as always, thanks to my good friend JustJenn for coming up with the name and all the great graphics - you can purchase notecards and buttons here)... Bundts are everywhere now! Back in the day (boy, do I sound old), I wanted to promote the bundt as the best cake substance on the planet. Now I see Bundts on blogs, books, and in the best bakeries. Bundt love is awesometown. While Bundt love is now widespread, I still want to share with you my life-long love affair with the Bundt as the perfect baked good - little or no frosting, lots of cake, and perfect to share with friends and co-workers.

Just so you know, I'm highly disorganized this year. I usually have a bunch of lists, recipes and cookbooks all ready to go. This year...frazzled is the best way to describe things. So, I hope I can pull it off, but you'll forgive me if life (and a huge work project) gets in the way, right? 

As in the past, if you'd like to celebrate National Bundt Day on November 15th with me, I ask that you send along a photo of your Bundt and I'll post a round-up of the delicious bundts. Logistics of submission will be posted soon. [Update: Submission info here!]

To start this off, I want to show off my new Jubilee Bundt Pan from Nordic Ware. My BFF Dulcey tweeted me when she visited the Nordic Ware factory store in Minnesota. I knew I had to buy it. Isn't it pretty? By the way, I don't work for Nordic Ware but do recommend their pans (some of my pans can be found in this post).

Orange Marmalade Jubilee Bundt Cake

This recipe is from the wrapper off the Jubilee Bundt pan! It's an orange pound cake with lots of zest and topped with a glaze of orange juice and orange marmalade.

I used the Dorie Greenspan technique of rubbing the zest and sugar together to bring out the zest's oils and flavor. I used 4 oranges for the cake and glaze (you'll need to zest a couple of the oranges, and squeeze out a total of 3/4 cup of orange juice for the cake & glaze - I needed 4 small-medium, not too juicy oranges to get that yield). It's easy to make. The Jubilee pan has a 10-cup capacity and the batter rises to the top, but didn't go over.

As always, bake your bundt directly on the oven rack and never place a cookie sheet under it (air should flow through the hole in the center).

When I bought the Jubilee Bundt Pan, I also purchased Nordic Ware's cool Cake Lifter. It's this massive spatula to lift your Bundts. How did I live this long without one!??!?! It's fantastic. In the summer months, you can use it to fan yourself too. :)

Look at that great pattern! It's very pretty, no?


Here's a close up of the pattern. It looks good at all angles. Besides the original Bundt pan (12-cup capacity), I like the Heritage Pan (10-cup capacity) too. But now I think the Jubilee Bundt Pan (10 cup) might be moving up on the Heritage!

The crumb was very pound-cakey...tight with little bright orange zest throughout.

Do you include Bundt cakes in your regular baking rotation? I hope so! Come back tomorrow for another Bundt! - mary

Recipe: Orange Marmalade Jubilee Bundt Cake
Adapted from the package of the Nordic Ware "Orange Jubilee Cake"

3 cups (420 grams) all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 (500 grams) cups sugar
Zest of 2 oranges, finely grated
4 large eggs
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice, strained with no pulp*

Glaze:
1/2 cup orange marmalade (I used Trader Joe's Seville Marmalade)
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice, strained with no pulp*

*Depending on the size of your oranges, you may need 3-4 oranges to get this much juice. I needed 4 oranges total for this recipe.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare a 10 or 12-cup Bundt pan by spraying it with Pam with Flour, or brushing it with melted butter and dusting it with flour. I used the beautiful Jubilee Bundt pan by Nordic Ware.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
4. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and orange zest. Rub the zest and sugar together to infuse the flavor into the sugar - the sugar will be a little damp.
5. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter with sugar & zest until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
6. Add eggs one at a time, beating 30-60 seconds after each addition. Scrap down the bowl and beat until it is light and fluffy, another 3-4 minutes.
7. Combine the buttermilk and orange juice in a measuring cup.
8. On slow speed, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and alternate with the 1/2 the liquid. Start and end with the dry ingredients. Scrap down sides of the bowl.
9. Spoon batter into the Bundt pan. Bake for 60-70 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

Glaze: Combine marmalade and orange juice in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally until syrupy, about 3 minutes. Strain into a bowl, discarding the solids. Pour over or brush onto the cooled cake. Wait at least 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

 
Disclosure: No, I don't work for Nordic Ware - just a huge fan. However, if you buy things from the Amazon links, then I get a few cents as part of their affiliate program - thanks if you buy anything from the Amazon link!

Cream Scones with Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits

Cream Scones with Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits

You know when someone starts using email for the first time and writes everything in ALL CAPS, and you have to politely tell them that is the equivalent of screaming at their grandchild? (Happens all the time in the library)

Well, let me just tell you... MAKE THESE SCONES.

These are fantastic. The scone is a great base for all sorts of goodies. Currants, mini chocolate chips, or, in my case, milk chocolate toffee bits. The scone is tender, light and a perfect treat.

I really love you Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits. Seriously love you.

You can pretty much make these scones in your sleep. That's why I love scones. I throw them together, pop them in the oven, jump in the shower and am rewarded with piping hot deliciousness before 6 am. Win.

I make my scones square because it is easier to shape and cut (and they look better when you are making small scones). You can also form them into a circle and cut into wedges - another very pretty thing. I hardly ever cut them with cookie cutter rounds because then you need to gather up the scraps and shape them again (too much effort and the scrap-made ones are always a bit lesser than the first round scones).

Anyway, however you shape them, make them. By the way, I also brushed some cream on top and topped with raw sugar.

I usually make my scones all by hand (with a pastry cutter), but I used a food processor to cut in the butter...and man, does it make it fast and easy!

My co-worker IM'd me:  Hi Mary. I bet you could sell those scones for $100 dollars a piece. They are that delicious.

Cream Scones with Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen (Dream Cream Scones) who adapted from America's Test Kitchen Cookbook (they used dried cranberries and currants in their recipe)

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
5 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits
1 cup heavy cream (I use Trader Joe's heavy cream - it's not ultra-pasteurized)

1 or 2 Tablespoons of cream
Raw sugar or sanding sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. You can cut the butter into the flour by hand or in a food processor. By Hand: Place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl and whisk together to blend. Food Processor: Place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into food processor (steel blade) and pulse a few times to combine the ingredients.
3. By Hand: Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender, your fingers or knives until you have small pieces of butter in the mix. Food Processor: Place butter on top of flour mixture in food processor, and pulse in one second intervals, about 10 times until the butter is cut into small bits. Don't overpulse...you want texture. Transfer to a large bowl.
4. Stir in the the toffee bits into the flour mixture.
5. Stir in heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds. It won't all come together and that's okay...you will knead it for a bit in a second.
5. Transfer dough to lightly floured countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds.
6. Form dough into a square about 3/4 inch thick and cut into 16 or 25 scones. Or you can form into a round and cut into wedges.
7. With a pastry brush, brush each scone with some heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar in the raw or sanding sugar.
8. Place scones onto a baking sheet lined with parchment (for easier clean up, but if you don't have parchment, it can be ungreased) and bake in the oven until the bottoms are golden and the tops light brown, about 12-15 minutes, depending on size of the scones and your oven. Remove from oven and cool on rack.
9. Best eaten the day (or morning) they are made.