Dec 15, 2021 Rich with orange zest, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, the flavour in this moist cake is undeniably Christmas. Scatter some sugared cranberries on top and decorate with some sugared rosemary (see note in the sugared cranberry link) for a beautiful, snow-dusted wintery cake-scape.
5 Tips for Perfecting the Bundt Cake:
1. For greasing: what to use and what NOT to use.
For easy removal of a bundt, I find greasing with a solid fat to be best.
Shortening has been standard for bakers, but it’s sketchy, no? I tried coconut oil and it works beautifully.
Avoid using butter, which contains sticky lecithin and milk solids plus 20% water, which can impede cake removal. Cooking spray likewise can actually gum up the non-stick coating on your bundt over time.
2. For flouring: here’s what to use instead of all-purpose flour.
You could use regular all-purpose, but it isn’t the best choice for cake removal, plus it gets gummy and leaves a white residue on cakes. Almond flour works beautifully and actually creates more of a barrier between the batter and the walls of the cake pan, like sand vs. a starch paste.It browns up nicely with the cake for an invisible finish. The cake pan above was with flour, you can see some gummy residue. The cake below used almond flour, removed more cleanly and has no floury paste. Granted, you’d have to look closely to tell (but for the benefit of easier removal, if you have almond flour on hand, try that instead!)
3. For choosing the right mould: what to look for, what to avoid.
A simpler cake mould makes a big difference. The intricate ones are more difficult to remove cake from in one piece. Opt for bigger, rounded curves vs. tight corners and details. This one is easy, this one can be a nightmare.
4. For removing the cake from the pan: use steam as a tool.
First, allow your cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes after removing it from the oven. This permits the cake bottom to steam a bit, and release itself move easily. Then run a soft spatula between the cake grooves and the pan (don’t risk scratching the nonstick with a knife!) before confidently flipping the cake onto a wire rack. If it doesn’t release easily, wrap the bottom of the cake in a hot, damp towel for a few more minutes to enhance the steaming effect and try again.
5. For getting perfect icing drips on a bundt:
My trick is to practice! Place an overturned small bowl inside a larger bowl. Pretend the small bowl is a bundt cake and practice your icing pour. You want it to be pourable consistency, but thick enough to hold its drips and not just to run and pool. You can adjust your icing consistency as needed by adding water a tiny splash at a time, or more powdered sugar. Scrape your practice icing back into the bowl to use on the real cake. No waste here!
