Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Bundt Cakes, Take 1 (and 2)

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Another week, another foray into baking. So, my baking projects have been going to work with both Bill and me, so I try to think of two similar items that we will be enough for both of us to take. He feeds his whole office, I feed a small group of team and groupmates and friends. And, once again, I wanted at least one item to not have chocolate.

I decided Bundt Cakes would be fun, and I have two Bundt pans, so I thought that would be perfect. I didn't want anything too complicated, so I ended up with basic recipes from my stand-by Betty Crocker cookbook. I think both were successes.

Devil's Food Chocolate Bundt Cake
This is just a basic chocolate cake that I just cooked in a Bundt pan.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 2/3 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter or stick margarine, softened
2/3 c. baking cocoa
1 1/4 c. water
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 large eggs
Fudge Frosting or White Mountain Frosting, if desired (obviously did not use)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of rectangular pan, 13 x 9 x 2 inches, 2 round pans, 9 x 1 1/2 inches, or 3 round pans, 8 x 1 1/2 inches, with shortening; lightly flour.

P8270542 2. Beat all ingredients except Fudge Frosting with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan(s).

3. Bake rectangular 40 to 45 minutes, rounds 30 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool rectangular pan on wire rack. Cool rounds 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

4. Frost rectangle or fill round layers and frost with Fudge Frosting.

Sissy's Variations:
Obviously, the big one here was using a Bundt pan. Since the recipe didn't give any specifications for a Bundt pan, I sort of winged it based on other Bundt recipes. It baked about 45 minutes.

P8270545The other major thing I did was add more chocolate. I used about 1/2 cup each of milk, dark, and white chocolate chips. Can you say chocolate overload? But it was sooo good.

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Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Ingredients:
Brown Sugar Filling (below)
3 c. all-purpose or whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsps. baking powder
1 1/2 tsps. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter or stick margarine, softened
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 large eggs
1 1/2 c. sour cream
Vanilla Glaze (below)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of angel food cake pan (tube pan), 10 x 4, 12-cup bundt cake pan or 2 loaf pans, 9 x 5 x 3 inches, with shortening.

2. Make Brown Sugar Filling, set aside. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. Beat sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat about one-fourth of the flour mixture and sour cream at a time alternately into sugar mixture on low speed until blended.

P82705474. For angel food or bundt cake pan, spread one-third of the batter (about 2 c.) in pan, then sprinkle with one-third of the filling; repeat twice. For loaf pans, spread one-fourth of the batter (about 1 1/2 c.) in each pan, then sprinkle each with one-fourth of the filling; repeat once.

5. Bake angel food or bundt cake pan about 1 hour, loaf pans about 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. cool 10 minutes in pan(s) on wire rack. Remove from pan(s) to wire rack. Cool 20 minutes. Drizzle with Vanilla Cake. Serve warm or cool.

P8270546 Brown Sugar Filling

1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. finely chopped nuts
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Mix all ingredients.

Vanilla Glaze

1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
2 to 3 tsp. milk

Mix all ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle.

Sissy's Variations:
The only thing I did different was leave out the chopped nuts.

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