Blueberry-Buttermilk Bundt - Day #15 - I Like Big Bundts

Day 15 of I Like Big Bundts: 30 Days of Bundt Cakes

Blueberry-Buttermilk Bundt

Happy Halloween!
For Halloween, my Bundt cake dressed up as Hello Kitty ;)

Are you dressing up today? Me? I'm a...librarian! I'm working at the library and then going home to see how many little monsters, princesses and Kate Gosselin reverse mullet wigs come by.

Logo design: JustJenn of JustJennDesigns

I'm making 30 Bundts in 30 Days to inspire you to make a Bundt for National Bundt Day on November 15th!

I really like blueberries. I can eat them straight from the container, in a jam or even dried. Oh, them antioxidant-rich little Smurfy fruit are quite lovely.

I just can't make them into a muffin (for some reason, that is a huge black hole of baking for me).

So, when there is blueberry cake, I'm all there. And when it's a Bundt? You know I'm in the kitchen.

I used frozen Trader Joe's Wild Blueberries. I love the wild blueberries because they are smaller than the regular blueberries.

Fresh orange zest adds a nice touch to this pound cakey Bundt.

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!

Oh my goodness. We are halfway done! Whoo hoo. Come back tomorrow for Day #16 of I Like Big Bundts...all leading up to November 15th and National Bundt Cake Day!
- mary the food librarian

Recipe:
Blueberry-Buttermilk Bundt Cake
from Epicurious (Bon Appétit, April 2004)

I Like Big Bundts recap:
The Food Librarian confesses: I Like Big Bundts
Day 1: Pumpkin Spice Bundt with Buttermilk Icing
Day 2: Chocolate-Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Mocha Icing
Day 3: Pumpkin-Apple Spiced Bundt
Day 4: Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt
Day 5: Chocolate Zucchini Bundt
Day 6: Cardamom Vanilla Bundt
Day 7: Monkey Bread in a Bundt
Day 8: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day 9: Coconut Bundt
Day 10: Sweet Potato Bundt
Day 11: Mom's Apple Cake Bundt
Day 12: Meyer Lemon Bundt
Day 13: Candy Corn Jello Bundt
Day 14: Spiced Cranberry Bundt

Spiced Cranberry Bundt Cake - Day #14 - I Like Big Bundts

Day 14 of I Like Big Bundts: 30 Days of Bundt Cakes

Spicy Cranberry Bundt from Dorie Greenspan

Thanks to my friend JustJenn of JustJennDesigns for making the logo!
I'm posting 30 Bundts in 30 days. I'm crazy. Duly noted.

I'm in a baking group called Tuesdays with Dorie. A group of 400+ bloggers are going through Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From my Home to Yours one recipe per week. Dorie has a few Bundt cakes in the book, and when it was my turn to pick a TWD recipe, of course I selected the Classic Banana Bundt Cake!

This Spiced Cranberry Bundt is a Dorie Greenspan recipe that doesn't appear in her book. This one was in Bon Appetit last year (November 2008). I hope you enjoy this autumn Bundt.

This recipe calls for Chinese Five-Spice Powder. This involved a trip to Penzeys Spices! Chinese Five-Spice has anise so this cake has a slight anise flavor. Anise isn't usually my favorite, but in this cake it was pretty mellow and there are other spices in the mix.

Greek yogurt, dried and fresh cranberries and chopped almonds make this an interesting and yummy Bundt.

An easy peasy glaze of fresh orange juice and powdered sugar tops this lovely fall Bundt.

Huge shout out to bakers Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet, Clivia of Bubie's Little Baker, and Wendy of Pink Stripes for making Bundts! Mary is my Mad Men buddy, Clivia makes this an International Project because she's Canadian, and Wendy is a twitter pal (and BlogHerFood buddy!) You three ladies rock!

Tomorrow is the half-way point of this 30 day adventure! Remember, November 15th is National Bundt Day! Come back tomorrow for another Bundt! Have a great weekend!
- mary the food librarian

Recipe:
Spiced Cranberry Bundt
from Epicurious (Bon Appetit, November 2008)
Dorie Greenspan's blog writes about it (with photos)

I Like Big Bundts recap:
The Food Librarian confesses: I Like Big Bundts
Day 1: Pumpkin Spice Bundt with Buttermilk Icing
Day 2: Chocolate-Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Mocha Icing
Day 3: Pumpkin-Apple Spiced Bundt
Day 4: Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt
Day 5: Chocolate Zucchini Bundt
Day 6: Cardamom Vanilla Bundt
Day 7: Monkey Bread in a Bundt
Day 8: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day 9: Coconut Bundt
Day 10: Sweet Potato Bundt
Day 11: Mom's Apple Cake Bundt
Day 12: Meyer Lemon Bundt
Day 13: Candy Corn Jello Bundt

Candy Corn Jello Bundt - Day #13 - I Like Big Bundts

Day 13 of I Like Big Bundts: 30 Days of Bundt Cakes
Candy Corn Jello Bundt

Thanks to my friend JustJenn of JustJennDesigns for making the logo! I was driving home last night and heard Sir Mix-a-Lot on the radio! Of course, no endorsement is implied...but I really think he'd like a Big Bundt!

Every so often, I check Google Analytics and find that some of my Jello posts still get hits. The Broken Glass Jello and Laker Nation style Stained Glass Jello are most popular. So, I thought I would try to hit a few themes with this creation....Candy Corn Jello Bundt. It's Halloween! It's everyone's favorite Jello! It's Bundt shaped!

A huge shout-out to my co-worker. Everyone at the library knows of my love of the Bundt and Jello. I've been going to Salvation Army, Goodwill and other thrift stores looking for vintage Jello molds. One day, after a particularly disappointing weekend (I got sick and had to cancel my trip to San Francisco), I found a beautiful green Tupperwave Jello mold in a bundt shape on my chair. I almost cried. My co-worker was cleaning out her kitchen and gave me her seldom used Jello form! How awesome!

Don't you love how the mold makes these look like little Candy Corns?! How perfect is that?!

If you want, you can also make the orange and yellow layers opaque by tweaking my Easter Jello recipe and adding condensed milk to the layers.

Sure, technically, this Jello mold isn't a "Bundt CAKE", but I hope you let me slide on this one! This mold has a hole in the center...my definition of a Bundt style creation! :)

Candy Corn Jello Bundt

Since there are all different shaped molds, there isn't a real recipe...I'll just tell you what I did. The recipe needs to be adjusted to fit your Jello mold. Mine holds about 5 or 5 1/2 cups of liquid.

The top layer is a sweetened condensed milk mixture. I sprinkled two packages of Knox gelatin onto 1/2 cup cold water. Let that sit for 5 minutes and the gelatin will bloom. Meanwhile, boil 1 cup of water. Combine the gelatin mixture with the 1 cup boiling water and stir until completely dissolved. Then pour in 1 can (14 oz) of sweetened condensed milk (do not use evaporated milk). Stir completely and pour as much as you need into the mold. I think I used about 2/3 of the mixture and tossed the rest. Yes, probably not very efficient, but I was winging it!

After at least 4 hours in the refrig...longer is probably better, I placed 1 large box (6 ounces) of orange Jello in a glass measuring cup. I added enough boiling water to equal 2 cups of mixture. I stirred until dissolved, let it cool a bit, and poured most of it on top of the white mixture.

After another round in the refrig, I did the same with a large box of lemon Jello and placed it in the mold.

I'm almost half-way. Whew! Come back tomorrow for Day #14 of my 30 Days of Bundt...all leading up to National Bundt Day on November 15th. You have it on your calendar, right?!??!
- mary the food librarian

Recipe ideas from the Food Librarian's Jello past:
Broken Glass Jello
Laker Nation style Stained Glass Jello
Easter Jello
Layered Jello

I Like Big Bundts recap:
The Food Librarian confesses: I Like Big Bundts
Day 1: Pumpkin Spice Bundt with Buttermilk Icing
Day 2: Chocolate-Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Mocha Icing
Day 3: Pumpkin-Apple Spiced Bundt
Day 4: Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt
Day 5: Chocolate Zucchini Bundt
Day 6: Cardamom Vanilla Bundt
Day 7: Monkey Bread in a Bundt
Day 8: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day 9: Coconut Bundt
Day 10: Sweet Potato Bundt
Day 11: Mom's Apple Cake Bundt
Day 12: Meyer Lemon Bundt

Meyer Lemon Bundt - Day #12 - I Like Big Bundts

Day 12 of I Like Big Bundts: 30 Days of Bundt Cakes

Oh, the Meyer lemon. A treat from the Citrus Gods. My parents have a tree but all the lemons are gone now. I found a bunch at my local Farmer's Market and scooped them up faster than a trick-or-treater meets full-size Snickers Bar!

The book, Birthday Cakes: Recipes and Memories from Celebrated Bakers is a great collection of birthday cakes from bakers such as Flo Braker, Julia Child, Alice Waters, and this Meyer Lemon Pound Cake from Stephanie Greenleigh.

Logo design: JustJenn of JustJennDesigns

It's Day 12 of my I'm-never-doing-this-again 30 Days of Bundts extravaganza! :) National Bundt Day is November 15th and I hope you make a Bundt!

I used my Nordic Ware Chrysanthemum Bundt pan...it's really a pretty one! (Although I hold my breathe hoping it will come out of the pan!!) After baking, you poke holes in the cake to allow a Meyer Lemon Syrup to soak into the cake.

Sorry for the quality of the photos. I was in such a hurry I took them in the library! This cake relies on the Lemon Syrup for the lemon flavor. The batter only has lemon zest. I think I might add some lemon juice to the batter next time.

Here are some facts of life:
1. Meyer Lemons rock.
2. Bundts rock.
Enough said.

Meyer Lemon Bundt
Adapted from Stephanie Greenleigh's Meyer Lemon Pound Cake in Birthday Cakes: Recipes and Memories from Celebrated Bakers

2 c cake flour
1/2 t cream of tartar
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 c sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
1 t vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest

Syrup:
1/2 c fresh Meyer lemon juice
1/2 c steeped herbal lemon tea (I didn't have this and added 1/4 c water instead)
1 c sugar

Stephanie Greenleigh suggests using a 6-cup Bundt (smaller Bundt). I used my Chrysanthemum Bundt pan.

Here is what I did:

1. Sift together flour, cream of tartar, soda, salt in a bowl and set aside.
2. Using a Dorie Greenspan technique, rub the lemon zest and sugar until slightly damn. Cream together butter and sugar with the paddle attachment. Beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla.
3. On low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients. Don't overbeat.
4. Bake for 40-50 minutes at 325 degrees, until a wooden skewer comes out clean.

Syrup: Bring the syrup ingredients to boil and cook until the syrup thickens. Stephanie says 5 minutes or so, but mine went for 10 minutes. Let cool.

After the cake is baked, let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Pierce the top of the cake to let the syrup get absorbed. Stephanie suggests pouring the syrup on the top and down the sides. I didn't trust that the cake would come out with "wet sides" (sometimes these intricate Bundts are difficult to get out of the pan), so I pour the syrup on the top of the Bundt pan (which will eventually be the bottom of the Bundt cake) and allowed the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. I unmold the cake onto a wire rack and use a brush to pour the syrup on sides of the warm cake. Let the cake cool completely.

You could use regular lemons as well...but Meyer lemons are so delicious try to use them!

This recipe is in Stephanie Greenleigh's book Baked from the Heart as well.

Come back tomorrow for another Bundt! - mary the food librarian

Original Recipe:
Meyer Lemon Pound Cake
from: Birthday Cakes: Recipes and Memories from Celebrated Bakers by Kathryn Kleinman (2004, Chronicle Boooks)
Meyer Lemon Pound Cake, page 79

Find it in your library through WorldCat
Purchase here on Amazon

I Like Big Bundts recap:
The Food Librarian confesses: I Like Big Bundts
Day 1: Pumpkin Spice Bundt with Buttermilk Icing
Day 2: Chocolate-Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Mocha Icing
Day 3: Pumpkin-Apple Spiced Bundt
Day 4: Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt
Day 5: Chocolate Zucchini Bundt
Day 6: Cardamom Vanilla Bundt
Day 7: Monkey Bread in a Bundt
Day 8: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day 9: Coconut Bundt
Day 10: Sweet Potato Bundt
Day 11: Mom's Apple Cake Bundt

Mom's Apple Cake Bundt - Day #11 - I Like Big Bundts

Day 11 of I Like Big Bundts: 30 Days of Bundt Cakes
My Mom's Apple Cake Bundt

My mom doesn't...um.
Let me start over.
I love my mom.
Let's get the affirmation out first!

My mom doesn't bake. I don't remember her baking much of anything growing up. Except Banquet Frozen Fried Chicken - oh dear, my brother and I thought that was such a hot damn TREAT. I can't even imagine how much saturated fat that has...but I digress.

I thought it would fitting to do a "I remember this as a kid" Bundt entry. You know, rev up the nostalgia (or figure out where this Bundt obsession came from).

But I couldn't find anything in the memory bank. I don't think our family owned a Bundt pan. The only things I remember my mom making were: Okinawan dango (donuts), Finger Jello, Libby's Pumpkin Pie with frozen pie crust, and Apple Cake.

So, cue the sappy family history music, bring out the black and white photos, and image the Food Librarian's Mom making apple cake....that I'm now adapting into a Bundt!

Thanks to my friend JustJenn of JustJennDesigns for making the logo!

Join me as I make 30 Bundts all leading up to National Bundt Day on November 15th! Spread the joy of Bundts!

Usually, my mom makes her apple cake in a 9 x 13 pan. I halved the recipe and baked it in this cute 6-cup Bundt. It is the middle-bear of the Goldilocks of Bundts. I also diced the apples instead of slicing them thin. This is what the 9 x 13 pan looks like - snack cake style.

This recipe is dairy-free! Whoo hoo! And tastes like FALL. For us in Los Angeles, you have to eat fall since our leaves don't change, and like today, it's hot!

Why do Bundts rock this world? The beautiful use of powdered sugar. So pretty, elegant and easy.

Beth of Exploring with Beth made Day #3 Pumpkin Apple Spice Bundt! Check it out here...she's a talented baker who is also making her own vanilla - how cool!

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

My Mom's Apple Cake Bundt
Since this is 6-cup Bundt, I halved the recipe. Click here for the full recipe (for a regular size Bundt or 9 x 13 pan)

1 egg
1/2 c + 2 Tablespoons veggie oil
1/2 c sugar
1 t vanilla

Sift or whisk together in a separate bowl:
1 c flour, dash of salt, 1 t cinnamon, 1/2 t baking soda

2 large green apples (I used granny smith apples)
1/2 c walnuts (optional)

1. Peel and dice the apples. For this Bundt, I diced them. When I make it in a 9 x 13 pan, I slice them.
2. You can mix this all by hand. No KitchenAid needed. And if you want to be like my mom, make it is a green Tupperware bowl.
3. Beat eggs with oil with a whisk until foamy. Then add sugar, vanilla, and sifted dry ingredients. Fold in apples and walnuts.
4. Um. I don't know how long I baked it. Oops. It was at 350 degrees and I started checking at 30 minutes. When a wooden skewer or toothpick comes out clean, it's done. The regular 9 x 13 version bakes for 45 minutes.

Recipe:
My Mom's Apple Cake for the 9 x 13 pan

I Like Big Bundts recap:
The Food Librarian confesses: I Like Big Bundts
Day 1: Pumpkin Spice Bundt with Buttermilk Icing
Day 2: Chocolate-Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Mocha Icing
Day 3: Pumpkin-Apple Spiced Bundt
Day 4: Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt
Day 5: Chocolate Zucchini Bundt
Day 6: Cardamom Vanilla Bundt
Day 7: Monkey Bread in a Bundt
Day 8: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day 9: Coconut Bundt
Day 10: Sweet Potato Bundt

Sweet Potato Bundt - Day #10 - I Like Big Bundts

Day 10 of I Like Big Bundts: 30 Days of Bundt Cakes
Sweet Potato Bundt

People have been asking where I'm getting all these Bundt recipes. Many are bookmarked from the web (yes, I always enter "BUNDT" in the search box of any food site), some are in a very unorganized drawer filled with copied recipes from cookbooks, and some I found by browsing cookbooks at a bunch of libraries.

This Sweet Potato Bundt is from Sweet Maria's Cake Kitchen: Classic and Casual Recipes for Cookies, Cakes, Pastry, and Other Favorites which I picked up at my local library. The book is sold used on Amazon, but you can find it on Sweet Maria's website. I'll definitely check out Maria Bruscino Sanchez's other books as well. Her recipes are easy and straightforward. This book doesn't have any photos...but luckily I pretty much know what a Bundt should look like by now! hee hee.

Logo design: JustJenn of JustJennDesigns

Welcome to Day 10 of I Like Big Bundts: 30 Days of Bundt Cakes. Oh my goodness. I'm 1/3 done with this adventure...baking 30 Bundts leading up one of the best days of the year: National Bundt Day on November 15th!!

I was attracted to this recipe because it uses a raw sweet potato. The Day #4 Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt by Paula Deen used cooked and mashed sweet potato, but for this one you grate it raw and use it like you would carrots in a carrot cake. It saves you the time of baking off the sweet potatoes (but that's not a chore to me...I loved baked sweet potatoes!)

<library plug> I hope you check out the older books in the library...you might find some great gems! Especially things that are out of print or not available in your local bookstore. </library plug>

You can see the little pieces of sweet potato and walnuts. With fall spices, this cake smells great and is a nice tea cake.

See you back here tomorrow for...wait for it...another Bundt! - mary the food librarian

Sweet Potato Cake
Adapted from Sweet Maria's Cake Kitchen: Classic and Casual Recipes for Cookies, Cakes, Pastry, and Other Favorites by Maria Bruscino Sanchez

4 eggs
2 c sugar
1 ¼ c vegetable oil
1 t vanilla
3 c flour, 2 t baking soda, 2 t baking powder
2 t cinnamon, ½ t cloves, I added ½ t ground ginger
2 c grated, raw sweet potato or yam (for me, this was 1 medium sweet potato)
1 c walnuts, coarsely chopped

Sweet Maria recommends using a 10-inch tube pan. I used a 12 c Bundt pan.

Here is what I did:
1. Sift together flour, soda, powder, spices in a medium bowl.
2. Mix together eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla with the paddle attachment until well blended
3. On low speed, add the dry ingredients. Don’t overmix.
4. With a spatula, fold in the grated sweet potato and nuts. Don't overmix. Really. :)
5. Pour into greased Bundt pan and baked for 55 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes and then remove from pan. Let cool completely before pouring glaze over cake.

Sweet Maria suggests a Maple Glaze (1 ½ c powdered sugar and ½ c maple syrup). Somehow, I was all out of maple syrup so I just whisked together a powdered sugar and milk glaze.

Original Recipe:
Sweet Potato Cake
from: Sweet Maria's Cake Kitchen: Classic and Casual Recipes for Cookies, Cakes, Pastry, and Other Favorites by Maria Bruscino Sanchez (1998, St. Martin's Press)
Sweet Potato Cake, page 47; Maple Glaze, page 56

Find it in your library through WorldCat
Purchase here on the Sweet Maria website

I Like Big Bundts recap:
The Food Librarian confesses: I Like Big Bundts
Day 1: Pumpkin Spice Bundt with Buttermilk Icing
Day 2: Chocolate-Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Mocha Icing
Day 3: Pumpkin-Apple Spiced Bundt
Day 4: Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt
Day 5: Chocolate Zucchini Bundt
Day 6: Cardamom Vanilla Bundt
Day 7: Monkey Bread in a Bundt
Day 8: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day 9: Coconut Bundt

Coconut Bundt - Day #9 - I Like Big Bundts

Day 9 of I Like Big Bundts: 30 Days of Bundt Cakes
Coconut Bundt Cake with Powdered Sugar Glaze

Thanks to my friend JustJenn of JustJennDesigns for making the logo!

Have plans for November 15th? Well, that's National Bundt Day and you should make a Bundt to celebrate this awesome baking pan! To inspire you, I'm making 30 Bundts from now til then!

Today, it's all about you.
Not me.
You.
You, the one who likes strands of coconut. This cake is all for you.

Because I ain't getting near it.

As has been well documented, I hate shredded coconut. I can't tell the difference between that stuff and dental floss. However, I do love coconut flavored items, Thai curries with coconut, and lovely Thai desserts using coconut milk. But the strands? I'll pass.

So, here's to you. I heard from co-workers that this Coconut Bundt is good. So take it from them. If you are one of them who keeps shredded coconut providers in business, make this Coconut Bundt!

This Bundt uses cake flour, 6 eggs and no baking soda or powder. The eggs do the lifting for this Big Bundt. It has triple coconut: unsweetened coconut milk, coconut extract and, of course, shredded coconut.

See you back here tomorrow for another round of Bundt making! And please, do what you can to keep me inspired. Make a Bundt! :) Karin of This Wife Bakes told me about her Pumpkin Chocolate Bundt. Check out her interesting cream cheese chocolate frosting. Yum!

- mary the food librarian

Recipe:
Coconut Bundt Cake with Powdered-Sugar Glaze
from Epicurious (Bon Appétit, October 2000)

I Like Big Bundts recap:
The Food Librarian confesses: I Like Big Bundts
Day 1: Pumpkin Spice Bundt with Buttermilk Icing
Day 2: Chocolate-Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Mocha Icing
Day 3: Pumpkin-Apple Spiced Bundt
Day 4: Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt
Day 5: Chocolate Zucchini Bundt
Day 6: Cardamom Vanilla Bundt
Day 7: Monkey Bread in a Bundt
Day 8: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt