Preparing homemade cakes is an endeavor that families can enjoy together. Baking is a popular holiday tradition in many families, and few cake styles are as recognized as the Bundt cake.
The Bundt® pan was created in 1950 by H. David Dahliquist, the founder of the Minneapolis-based Nordic Ware kitchen products manufacturer. The shape was inspired by a traditional European cake known as kugelhopf. The design creates a hole in the center of the cake, which enables a heavy, dense cake to be baked without risk of the center being undone.
Many cakes lend themselves well to the Bundt form, including this “Orange Spice Cake With Berries” from “Classic Stars Desserts” (Chronicle Books) by Emily Luchetti.
Orange Spice Cake With Berries
Cake
Butter for the pan
3 tablespoons fine dried bread crumbs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Grated zest of 2 oranges
3/4 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
8 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
11/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
Glaze
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
11/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 pint raspberries (about 2 cups)
1 pint blueberries (about 2 cups)
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a 10-inch Bundt pan and dust with the bread crumbs, tapping out the excess.
Sift together the flour, white pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, baking soda, and baking powder onto a piece of parchment paper or into a bowl. Add the salt and set aside. In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the milk, lemon juice, orange zest, and ginger and set aside.
Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reduce the speed to low and add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture in two additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing well after each addition. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake the cake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Invert a platter on top of the pan and then invert the plate and pan together. Lift off the pan.
To make the glaze: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, orange juice, and lemon juice over low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Brush the glaze on the cake. It will seem like a lot of glaze, but the cake will absorb it. Let the cake cool to room temperature. Slice the cake and serve with raspberries, blueberries and cream, if desired. Serves 10.
(Experiment with other berries for the holiday season, such as sugar-dusted cranberries.)
