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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Bundt Cakes: Part 1



Another wedding successfully pulled off (over a month ago) means a whole slew of recipes to post!

When my sister, Laurie, got married in June 2009, we did cupcakes, mini-quiches (catered), veggies, dip, and hummus at her wedding.  My mom went absolutely crazy and made something like 45 different kinds of cupcakes (which only about half got devoured at the reception, so we ended up eating the other half for Sunday desserts and snacks over the next few months).  I posted the six kinds of cupcakes that I made for the wedding, which you can find here.  As for the cupcakes that my mom made, I will have to hound her for her list and recipes because we really should put the cupcake successes on our blog.  It turned out beautifully.

When my brother, Clayton, got married the following year, my mom was understandably a little burned out baking-wise after 45 different kinds of cupcakes.  Since my brother's lovely wife hailed from Idaho, we had another reception to put together.  We opted for some fantastic cheesecake (purchased at Costco) and we made some fantastic homemade sauces (caramel, chocolate, and raspberry) to top the cheesecake.  That day was kind of a blur since I had a little guy to run after the whole time and I was three months pregnant with my second little guy.  So, I honestly don't know what else we served in addition to the cheesecake.  But we'll need to do a post of those fantastic sauce recipes sometime soon.

My brother, Sean, got married last month.  His wonderful wife comes from Logan, Utah which is quite a drive away...so they did a reception in Salt Lake and an open house in Logan.  That meant that my mom had another reception to put together.  This time, she opted for bundt cakes.  And whoo boy, did we make some great cakes!  Oh, and to be 100% correct, we used bundt pans and tube pans for the cakes (depending on what the recipe called for).  And we didn't go quite as crazy as we had with the cupcakes.  Though we still made quite a few...

The trick is that cake freezes really well.  The following recipe note is included in all of the following recipes and it pertains to pretty much any cake recipe you can come up with: Store this cake, wrapped in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, or in a cake saver, at room temperature for up to 1 week, or freeze it, wrapped in foil, for up to 6 months.  Thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

So, we made the cakes about a month or so in advance, thawed them the day before, and frosted them prior to the reception.  I wasn't able to get pictures of all of the cakes...but trust me, they all looked absolutely scrumptious!  I only wish that I had gotten to taste them all (but I tasted more than what was probably good for me health-wise!).

All of the cakes from this post were found in The Cake Doctor's Chocolate cake book.  Cake recipes that are 100% from scratch are so hit and miss.  They can be fantastic...or they can be crumbly, stick to the pan, be dry, take longer to cook than the recipe calls for, etc.  But I have NEVER had a problem with a cake recipe that started with a cake mix.  It tastes just as fantastic as a recipe from scratch, but it's a lot more reliable.

So, get ready for multiple posts of delicious bundt cake madness!



Quick Tunnel of Fudge Cake

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 1/2 cups milk
1 package (3.4 ounces) chocolate fudge pudding and pie filling mix (not instant)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter

Cake:

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) devil's food cake mix with pudding
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups finely chopped walnuts, optional
Martha's Chocolate Icing (recipe below), optional (we served ours without icing)

Directions:

Place the milk in a medium-size sauce-pan and whisk in the pudding mix.  Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil, 4-5 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate chips and butter.  Stir until the pudding is smooth and thickened and the chocolate has melted.  Set the pan aside.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly mist a 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour.  Shake out the excess flour.  Set the pan aside.

Place the cake mix, oil, sour cream, water, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.  Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again, if needed.  The batter should look thick and well combined.  Fold in the walnuts, making sure they are well distributed throughout the batter.

Reserve 2 cups of the batter.  Pour the remaining batter into the prepared pan.  Spoon the pudding filling in a ring on top of the batter, making sure it does not touch the sides of the pan.  Spoon the reserved batter over the filling, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula.  Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and is just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, 45-50 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.  Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack to cool completely, 20 minutes more.

Meanwhile, prepare Martha's Chocolate Icing.

Place the cake on a serving platter and pour the warm icing over it.  Let the cake rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Slice and serve.

Recipe Note: You can also top this cake with your favorite chocolate glaze or dust it with powdered sugar.  Or simply serve it as is.

Store this cake, wrapped in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, or in a cake saver, at room temperature for up to 1 week, or freeze it, wrapped in foil, for up to 6 months.  Thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0

Martha's Chocolate Icing

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Place the sugar, butter, and milk in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat.  Stir until the mixture comes to a boil, 3-4 minutes.  Still stirring, let the mixture boil until the sugar dissolves, 1 minute.  Remove the pan from the heat.

Stir in the chocolate chips, and continue to stir until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate has melted.

Spread the icing over the cooled cake or cupcakes of your choice.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0



Chocolate Orange Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain butter recipe fudge cake mix
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
Fresh Orange Drizzle (recipe below)

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Lightly mist a 10-inc tube pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour.  Set the pan aside.

Place the cake mix, cream cheese, orange juice, oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and orange zest in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.  Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed.  The batter should look well combined.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula.  Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and is just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, 60-65 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 25 minutes.  Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack, then invert it onto another rack so the cake is large side up.  Allow to cool for 25 minutes more.

Meanwhile, prepare the Fresh Orange Drizzle.

Spoon the glaze over the cooled cake, letting it drizzle down the sides and center of the cake.  Let the cake rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Slide the cake onto a serving platter.  Slice and serve.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0



Chocolate Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain butter recipe fudge cake mix
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Lightly mist a 10-inch tube pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour.  Shake out the excess flour.  Set the pan aside.

Place the cake mix, cream cheese, water, oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.  Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed.  the batter should look well combined.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula.  Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and is just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, 58-62 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.  Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack, then invert it onto another rack so that it is large side up.  Allow to cool for 20 minutes more.

Slice the cake onto a serving platter.  Slice and serve.


Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0



Above: White Chocolate Pound Cake with Fresh Orange Drizzle

Fresh Orange Drizzle

Ingredients:

1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1-2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange zest, or 1/4 teaspoon orange extract

Directions:

Place the confectioners' sugar in a small mixing bowl and whisk in enough orange juice to make the glaze smooth and spoonable.  Fold in the zest or extract.

Spoon the glaze over the cooled cake of your choice, letting it drizzle down the sides and into the center of the cake.  Let the cake rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0



Milk Chocolate Cherry Pound Cake

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain Swiss chocolate or devil's food cake mix
1 package (3.9 ounces) chocolate instant pudding mix
3/4 cup water
2/3 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
Milk Chocolate Glaze (recipe below)

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Lightly mist a 10-inch tube pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour. S hake out the excess flour.  Set the pan aside.

Place the cake mix, pudding mix, water, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.  Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed.  The batter will be very thick.  Fold in the chocolate chips and cherries, making sure they are well distributed throughout the batter.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula.  Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and is just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, 55-60 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.  Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack, then invert it onto another rack so the cake is large side up.  Allow to cool for 20 minutes more.

Meanwhile, prepare the Milk Chocolate Glaze.

Place the cake on a serving platter and pour the warm glaze over it.  Let the cake rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Slice and serve.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0

Milk Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients:

4 bars (1.55 ounces each) milk chocolate
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup whole milk or heavy (whipping) cream

Directions:

Break up the milk chocolate bars into 1-inch pieces, then place them in a medium-size glass bowl.  Microwave them at medium power for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, stirring until smooth.  Or melt the chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth, 2-2 1/2 minutes.  Stir in the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and milk.  Mix the frosting until it is smooth.

Spoon this glaze over the cake of your choice.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0

Easy Hershey Bar Swirl Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) yellow cake mix with pudding
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1 large Hershey's milk chocolate bar (7 ounces)
1/2 cup chocolate syrup

Easy Milk Chocolate Glaze:

1 large Hershey's milk chocolate bar (7 ounces)
2 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly mist a 12-cup bundt pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour.  Shake out the excess flour.  Set the pan aside.

Place the cake mix, water, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.  Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed.  The batter should look thick and well combined.

Measure out 2 cups of the batter and place it in a medium-size mixing bowl.  Stir in the corn syrup and pecans.  Set the bowl aside.

Break the chocolate bar into pieces, and place those pieces in a small microwave-safe bowl along with the chocolate syrup.  Microwave the chocolate at high power for 1 minute and then stir until smooth; return the bowl to the microwave for a few seconds if needed.  Fold the melted chocolate into the remaining plain batter until well incorporated.

Pour the chocolate batter into the prepared, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula.  Spoon the pecan batter evenly over the top.  Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and is just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, 43-47 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.  Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack to cool completely, 20 minutes more.

To prepare the glaze, break the chocolate bar into pieces, and place those pieces and the shortening in a small microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave at high power for 1 minute, and then stir until the chocolate has melted; return the bowl to the microwave for a few more seconds if needed.  Stir in the vanilla.  Spoon the glaze over the cooled cake, allowing it to drip down the sides of the cake.  Let the cake rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Slide the cake onto a serving platter.  Slice and serve.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0

Chocolate Banana Pound Cake

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
2 ripe bananas
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain German chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup cinnamon chips
Chocolate Cinnamon Glaze (recipe below)

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly mist a 12-cup bundt pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour.  Shake out the excess flour.  Set the pan aside.

Peel the bananas and place them in a large mixing bowl.  With the electric mixer on low speed, blend them until mashed.  Add the cake mix, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla to the bananas.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.  Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed.  The batter should look thick and well combined.  Fold in the cinnamon chips, making sure they are well distributed throughout the batter.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula.  Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and is just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, 38-40 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.  Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack to cool completely, 20 minutes more.

Meanwhile, prepare the Chocolate Cinnamon Glaze.  Spoon the glaze over the cooled cake.  Let the cake rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Place the cake on a serving platter, slice, and serve.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0

Chocolate Cinnamon Glaze

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
5 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 cup cinnamon chips
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Place the sugar, butter, and milk in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat.  Stir until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil, 3-4 minutes.  Still stirring, let the mixture boil for 1 minute.  Remove the pan from the heat.

Stir in the cocoa powder, cinnamon chips, and vanilla until the cinnamon chips are melted and the glaze is smooth.  stir, and let the glaze cool for a few minutes, until it thickens slightly.

Spoon this glaze over the cake or cupcakes of your choice.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0

Milky Way Swirl Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
2 1/2 Milky Way bars (2.05 ounces each), sliced
2 tablespoons plus 1 cup water
1 package (18.25 ounces) yellow cake mix with pudding
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Glaze:

2 1/2 Milky Way bars (2.05 ounces each), sliced
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons water

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Lightly mist a 12-cup bundt pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour.  Shake out the excess flour.  Set the pan aside.

Place the Milky Way bars and 2 tablespoons water in a medium-size saucepan over medium-low heat.  Heat, stirring, until the candy bars melt and the mixture is smooth, 3-4 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.

Place the cake mix, 1 cup water, melted butter, and eggs in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.  Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed.  The batter should look thick and well combined.

Measure out 2/3 cup of the batter and pour it into the cooled candy bar mixture.  Add the flour and stir until the mixture is smooth.  Pour the plain cake batter into the prepared pan.  Spoon the Milky Way mixture in a ring on top of the batter, making sure not to touch the sides of the pan.  With a dinner knife, swirl through the batter to create a marbled effect.  Do not scrape the bottom of the pan.  Smooth out the top with the rubber spatula.  Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and is just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, 45-50 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.  Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack to cool completely, 20 minutes more.

For the glaze, rinse out the saucepan and wipe it dry.  Place the Milky Way bars in the saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the butter and water.  Cook, stirring, until smooth, 3-4 minutes.  Let the glaze cool for 10 minutes.

Slide the cake onto a serving platter.  Spoon the glaze over the cake so that it drips down the sides.  Let the cake rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0



White Chocolate Pound Cake

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
2 large oranges
Carton orange juice as needed
6 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain white cake mix
2/3 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
Fresh Orange Drizzle (recipe found above with the Chocolate Orange Cream Cheese Pound Cake recipe, however we used the White Chocolate Glaze recipe found below)

Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly mist a 10-inch tube pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour.  Shake out the excess flour.  Set the pan aside.

Zest the oranges, and measure out 2 teaspoons grated zest for the cake batter.  (If you have extra, save it for making the Fresh Orange Drizzle.)  Juice the oranges.  You will need 1/2 cup juice; add carton orange juice as needed to make up the 1/2 cup.  Set the juice aside.  (If you have more than 1/2 cup juice, save it for making the Fresh Orange Drizzle).

Melt the white chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, 3-4 minutes.  Or microwave the white chocolate in a small glass bowl on high power for 1 minute, then stir with a small rubber spatula until smooth.  Let it cool slightly.

Place the cake mix, ricotta, oil, eggs, egg whites, almond extract, reserved 1/2 cup orange juice, reserved 2 teaspoons orange zest, and the white chocolate in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.  Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed.  The batter should look thick and well combined.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula.  Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and is just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, 38-42 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.  Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack, then invert it onto another rack so the cake is large side up.  Allow to cool for 20 minutes more.

Meanwhile, prepare the Fresh Orange Drizzle.

Spoon the drizzle over the cake so that it runs down the sides of the cake.  Let the cake rest for 10 minutes.

Slide the cake onto a serving platter.  Slice and serve.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0

Notes: The picture has the cake labeled as White Chocolate Almond instead of White Chocolate Pound Cake because it has almond flavoring in it and we wanted the almond to be labeled because of my son's tree nut allergy.


Above: We made a groom's cake for my brother and used the White Chocolate Pound Cake recipe.

White Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients:

1/4 cup milk
5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

Place the milk, butter, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil, 2-3 minutes.  Continue boiling and stirring until the butter is melted, 1 minute more.  Remove the pan from the heat, add the white chocolate chips, and stir until they are melted.

Allow this glaze to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then spoon it over the cake of your choice.

Source: Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor book, ISBN: 0-7611-2271-0

1 comment:

  1. This was by far an easy way to do a wedding. I figure that I spent about $200 on bundt cake ingredients and ice cream and sauces. I spent all Memorial weekend making cakes and all went well except for the smoke alarm going off in the middle of the night because of the one scratch cake that overflowed.

    They froze well and were so easy to frost. Totally would do this one again.

    And it is too bad that I'm not more organized. I very much doubt that you will ever see those cupcake recipes because I have no idea where they are or what I made. :(

    ReplyDelete