Breakfast Banana Bundt Cake #BundtBakers

Presenting a very simple banana bundt cake.

Mother's day in our house always makes me feel happy. I usually get a beautiful hand made card (the summer scrap booking class all those years ago is still paying off). I also get a bouquet of some very unique tulips made just for me (that would be the balloon shaping class). All this is presented at breakfast.

This is my second month baking with the bundt bakers. Last month I forgot to add baking soda to the batter. This month I made a mistake that was way worse. It almost ruined the cake. While I was running a spatula down the sides to loosen the cake I completely forgot about the center. I turned the cake over and the center stayed put. What did fall out on the plate was threatening to fall to pieces.

I was sure I was going to have to bake another cake for this post. Having nothing to lose I decided to try to salvage the cake. I quickly placed the bundt pan back on the fallen cake and turned it over to put the cake back in the pan. The cake was still pretty hot. I let it sit in the pan for about 20 minutes.

Then I ran my spatula around the hole in the middle and turned it out on a plate again. The cake came out in decent shape, only two pieces. The original plan was to dust the top with sugar but this cake needed something more. I searched for and found a completely opaque glaze to cover the not so pretty top. As you can tell from the pictures the cake has been in distress but it tasted so good it was all gone at breakfast the next morning. And in the process I found a recipe for a really tasty cream cheese glaze.

I sincerely hope I have an uneventful baking day next month when I bake the next bundt baker cake.

Recipe adapted from here and the glaze adapted from here.

You will need

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
2 very ripe bananas
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (I used fat free yogurt)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda

For the cream cheese glaze
2 ounces cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat variety)
Couple drops vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar (I powdered a little less than half a cup of regular sugar)
1 tbsp. milk

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a 6-inch bundt pan. In a mixing bowl beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat until the well combined and creamy. Add the vanilla extract and the egg and beat well. Mash the bananas and fold them into the bowl. Next fold in the sour cream or yogurt. Sift the flour and baking soda. Add it to the wet ingredients in the bowl. Mix well and transfer the batter to the pan. Smooth the top and bake for 55-60 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool for 10-20 minutes. Run a spatula around the edges as well as the hole in the center. Place a plate over the top of the pan and flip it over to transfer the cake on to the plate. Allow the cake to cool completely. In a separate bowl, mix the ingredients for the glaze and pour it over the top of the cooled cake.

Enjoy!

Colorful Spring Bundt Cake #BundtBakers

A super colorful spring bundt cake

I have always wanted to bake a multicolored cake. I got this recipe from the King Arthur website where it is called lemon bliss cake. I decided to skip the lemon and add a teaspoon of mint extract that I happened to have on hand. I am so glad I did! It gave the cake a fresh refreshing flavor.

I wanted to substitute the all purpose flour called for in the recipe with cake flour. Just before adding the cake flour to the batter I started having second thoughts. I went to the King Arthur website and asked to chat with an agent. Mary, the agent, promptly told me not to make the substitution as this cake needed the stronger all purpose flour. Wow! I was impressed. Thanks King Arthur Flour!

I enjoyed playing with the batter; dividing it, mixing in the colors and layering them in the pan.
The only thing I would change about this cake is the glaze. I should have dusted sugar on the top instead.

You will need
8 tbsp butter, melted
scant 1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp mint extract
liquid colors green and yellow

Preheat oven to 350 F. Using a combination of oil and flour grease the bundt pan. Ensure you get all the nooks and crannies.

Combine and cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat until fluffy. Sift the baking powder and flour together. Add a little of the flour mixture and milk alternating between the two until it is all gone. Continue beating the batter. I used a hand beater. Fold in the mint extract.

Divide the batter into 3 bowls. Fold in the green color into one of the bowls and the yellow color in another.

Layer the batter one color at a time in the prepared pan.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. A few minutes before the cake is done bring 2 cups of water to a boil in the microwave. Place a couple of hand towels in the sink and soak them with warm water. Just before removing the cake from the oven pour the heated water from the microwave over the towels. Now place the bundt pan on the hot towels for about 20 seconds. Working quickly loosen the sides of the cake. Invert the pan on a cooling rack and watch the cake release in one piece.

Apply glaze while the cake is hot or dust lightly with powdered sugar. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

Enjoy a slice of a very moist, mint flavored, colorful spring cake!

Enjoy!