Since I can remember this cake is on our Christmas table, or already on the table just before Christmas. My mother bakes Bundt every year, and not only one; at least 12, to give away to people she knows, and one to keep herself during Christmas days. It’s tradition in her family, as Granny always did the same (when she was younger). A Bundt cake is a cake that is baked in a Bundt pan, shaping it into a distinctive ring (turban-like) shape. The taste can be described as a rich, luxury cake, filled with biggareaux (confit fruit) and raisins. Furthermore there is the fresh taste of lemon, the rich taste of real butter and an always welcome smell and taste of vanilla. I like to eat Bundt Cake for breakfast or with a cup of coffee around 10 o’clock. It’s my most favourite cake I can think of and it’s a pity we only make it with Christmas (and sometimes Easter).
Ingredients
For 1 big and 1 small Bundt cake*
250 gram unsalted butter, room temperature
200 gram sugar
500 gram sieved cake flour
200 ml milk
pinch of salt
4 eggs
30 gram vanilla sugar
6 teaspoons lemon essence
15 gram baking powder
120 gram white sultanas (raisins)
100 gram Bigarreaux (confit fruit), cut in small pieces
a cube extra butter to grease the baking tins
some bread crumbs or extra flour to dust the baking tins (after greasing with the butter)
a table spoon extra flour to add to the sultanas and Bigarreaux
*as Bundt cake is quite some work, it’s a good idea – if you have more baking tins – to make two at once. This recipe is perfect for a big and a small one, together in the oven.
Method
Preheat the oven to 160º Celsius. Make sure all ingredients are on room temperature.
Grease the baking tins and dust with bread crumbs or some extra flour. Cut the Bigarreaux (confit fruit) and add to the sultanas. Mix with a tablespoon of flour, to avoid them to all clumping to one place (or sinking to the bottom).
In a big bowl, mix the butter together with the sugar, pinch of salt and vanilla sugar until a soft creamy mass. Add an egg at a time, mix in, and add the lemon aroma too, until completely dissolved into the batter.
Now you can add the flour, a bit at the time, and the milk, at bit at the time, until it starts to form a good substance without too many lumps. Also add the baking powder together with the flour. Then gently stir in the sultanas and the Bigarreaux, make sure it’s equally spread over the batter.
Fill up the Bundt tins halfway with the batter, not more! The baking powder in the batter will make sure the cake will rise.
Place the big and the small tin in the preheated oven for about 70-75 minutes. Don’t open the oven door during the baking process.
Take a skewer or knitting pin and prick carefully in the biggest cake. When it comes out clean and dry it’s ready! If not, give it another 5 to 10 minutes.
Take out the baking tins and allow to cool for 10 minutes. The Bundt cake is now upside down, so you have to turn it around. Loosen the sides carefully with your fingers. Take a plate and place it on top of the baking mould. Turn around in once, place on the service and then take off the Bundt tin. Allow the cake to cool down completely now.
Serve your Bundt Cake on a nice Christmas plate or cake platform, and leave on the table (or in the kitchen) under a bell jar. Dust royal with icing sugar and cut in thick slices. Serve with (unsalted) farm butter. Eat if for breakfast, lunch, as coffee-cake, or anything in between. Don’t call calories and only start with your diet somewhere in January.
Bon Appétit! (and scroll down for more mouthwatering photos)
Special thanks to mom for the help with baking and setting the Christmas table.
*Note: All image are mine, made with a Canon EOS M3 camera.