Bundt recipe
Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, February 15, 2005
There are many variations of the original 1966 Pillsbury Bake-Off recipe. It’s easy to understand why.
How puddinglike the center is depends on time and temperature, the proportion of sugar to flour and the protein content of that flour.
Pillsbury test kitchens created this version, which is widely available online, including on Nordic Ware’s Web site.
Tunnel of fudge cake
Cake:
31/2sticks (14 ounces) butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
13/4cups granulated sugar
6large eggs
2cups powdered sugar
21/4cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
3/4cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2cups (8 ounces) chopped walnuts
Glaze:
3/4cup powdered sugar
1/4cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2-3 tablespoons milk
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 12-cup Bundt pan. Dust with flour and shake out any excess.
For the cake: In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until combined. Using a spoon, stir in the flour, cocoa and nuts and mix until combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.
Bake for 56 to 58 minutes. (Because this cake has a soft center, an ordinary doneness test cannot be used. Accurate oven temperature and baking time are critical. The surface will have a thin crust but will not appear to be done.) Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 1 hour. Invert onto a serving plate and set aside to cool completely.
For the glaze: In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, cocoa and 1 1/2 tablespoons milk. Mix until well blended, adding some of the remaining milk, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, if necessary to achieve a spreadable consistency.
Spoon the glaze over the top of the cooled cake, allowing some to run down the sides.
Makes 14 servings. Per serving: 604 calories, 10 gm protein, 64 gm carbohydrates, 35 gm fat, 153 mg cholesterol, 16 gm saturated fat, 40 mg sodium, 1 gm dietary fiber.
Sour cream coffee cake
Streusel filling:
3tablespoons light brown sugar, firmly packed
1tablespoon granulated sugar
2/3cup walnut halves or pieces
3/4teaspoon ground cinnamon
Batter:
4large egg yolks
2/3cup sour cream
1 1/2teaspoons vanilla extract
2cups sifted cake flour, plus more for the pan
1cup granulated sugar
1/2teaspoon baking powder
1/2teaspoon baking soda
3/4teaspoon salt
12tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 12-cup Bundt pan. Dust with flour and shake out any excess.
For the streusel filling: In a food processor fit with the metal blade or in a blender, pulse the brown and granulated sugars, nuts and cinnamon until the nuts are coarsely chopped. Set aside.
For the batter: In a medium bowl, combine the yolks, about half of the sour cream and the vanilla.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and soda and the salt. Using an electric mixer fit with the paddle attachment, beat on low speed until blended, about 30 seconds. Add the butter and the remaining sour cream and mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 1 minute. The batter should be stiff. Scrape down the sides. Gradually add the egg mixture in 2 batches, beating for about 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients. Scrape down the sides again.
Reserve about a third of the batter. Scrape the remaining batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the surface. Sprinkle with the streusel filling. Drop the reserved batter in large blobs and spread it evenly.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the lightly browned cake springs back when pressed in the center.
Remove the pan from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Loosen the cake by jiggling it up and down until it moves slightly. Invert it onto a wire rack. Cool completely before wrapping it airtight or glazing.
Note: Cakes made with cake flour have a delicate, soft crumb. You may substitute a combination of all-purpose flour and cornstarch, but it will result in a slightly denser cake. Beranbaum recommends using cake flour, but suggests the following equation for substitutions: for every 1 cup of cake flour, substitute 3/4 cup bleached all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch.
Makes 10 servings. Per serving: 405 calories, 5 gm protein, 44 gm carbohydrates, 25 gm fat, 130 mg cholesterol, 12 gm saturated fat, 190 mg sodium, trace dietary fiber.
White pepper and ginger lemon cake
Finely grated zest of 2 large lemons
2tablespoons fresh lemon juice
11/2-ounce piece fresh ginger root (about 1-by-1/2-inch piece)
3cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
3/4teaspoon baking soda
3/4teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1/2teaspoon salt
2teaspoons ground white pepper (preferably freshly ground)
2sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
13/4cups granulated sugar
3large eggs
1cup buttermilk (may use low-fat or nonfat)
Lemon glaze (recipe follows)
Adjust the oven rack one-third up from the bottom of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan. Dust with flour and shake out any excess.
In a small cup combine the rind and juice. Grate (do not mince) the fresh ginger and add it to the lemon juice mixture. Set aside.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and powder, salt and pepper and set aside.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and beat for about 1 minute. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition.
Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with the buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Stir in the lemon and ginger mixture and blend just until combined.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top by briskly rotating the pan first in one direction, then the other (the batter should be rather heavy).
Bake for 70 to 80 minutes, until a cake tester inserted gently in the middle comes out clean and dry. (If you have used a 12-cup pan, the cake will not rise to the top of the pan – but that is all right.)
Let the cake stand in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Cover with a rack, turn the pan and rack over, remove the pan and place the cake on the rack over a large piece of aluminum foil to catch drippings of the glaze.
Glaze the cake while it is still warm. After the cake is removed from the pan but while it is still warm, stir the glaze to recombine. Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze over the warm cake, allowing some to drip into the hole. The cake will easily absorb all of the glaze. If some of the glaze drips onto the foil, pour the glaze back over the cake. Set aside until cool.
Using two wide metal spatulas, or using a flat-sided baking sheet as a spatula, transfer the cake to a serving plate. The cake is even better if it ages for a day or two covered with plastic wrap – the spicy hotness cools a bit as it ages.
Note: To grate ginger, peel it and use a ginger grater, a rasp or a fine-holed grater.
Makes 10 servings. Per serving: 504 calories, 7 gm protein, 75 gm carbohydrates, 21 gm fat, 114 mg cholesterol, 12 gm saturated fat, 290 mg sodium, 1 gm dietary fiber.
Lemon glaze
1/3cup lemon juice
1/2cup granulated sugar
In a bowl, combine the juice and sugar and let stand while the cake is baking.
Makes about 1/2 cup. Per serving (based on 10): 39 calories, trace protein, 10 gm carbohydrates, 0 gm fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 gm saturated fat, trace sodium, trace dietary fiber.
