SANDRA’S HUMMINGBIRD BUNDT CAKE

A delightful and easy cake to prepare and is super flavorful...

Servings: 12

Prep: 30 Mins.
Bake: 1Hr and 5 to 15 Mins.
 
INGREDIENTS:
 
CAKE:
 
WET
1-1/2 cups canola oil
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 mashed ripe bananas
1 (8-oz can) crushed pineapple with its juice (do not drain)
 
DRY
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp ground ginger
1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1 tsp double-acting baking powder (or regular)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
 
ADDITIONS
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
 
METHOD:
 
Preheat oven to 325F (not 350F).
 
Generously spray a bundt pan with baking spray (or use oil and then flour the pan).
 
In a large mixing bowl, use a whisk to combine all the wet ingredients. Place all the dry ingredients in a sieve and sift over wet ingredients in large bowl; use a wooden spoon to just to combine (do not over mix).  Fold in the additions.
 
Pour cake batter into the bundt pan. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour and 5 to 15 minutes (turning half way for even baking), just until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (Do not overbake or the cake will be dry).
 
Remove hot cake from oven and place upright in bundt pan on a baking rack to cool for 30 minutes.  Invert pan to remove cake, and place on baking rack to fully cool.
 
Meanwhile, prepare the frosting shown below.
 
BUTTER CREAM FROSTING:
 
8 TB salted butter, at room temp
8 TB cream cheese, at room temp
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tsp vanilla extract
 
METHOD:
 
Place all frosting ingredients in a medium-size bowl. Use a hand mixer to combine, then continue beating until smooth and fluffy for about 3 minutes. Cover and set aside at room temperature until cake has fully cooled, then frost. ~ Enjoy!

SANDRA'S STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB BUNDT CAKE with BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

A cake you will probably want to prepare 'yearly' when
rhubarb and strawberries
 are in season
that your family is bound to love... 

Prep: 25 Mins.
Bake: 65 to 70 Mins.

Yields: (1) Bundt Cake| 12-16 Servings

INGREDIENTS

Wet:
3 large eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
2 cups granulated sugar
*2 (5.3-oz. containers) Chobani Peach 99% Greek yogurt - (Costco) = neutral flavor
3 teaspoons vanilla extract

Dry (Sifted through a sieve atop wet ingredients):
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon double-acting baking powder, or regular
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Fold-in:
1 cup finely diced fresh rhubarb
1-1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries (Alaska Wild, or domestic)

------

Buttercream Frosting:
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup room temp. cream cheese
1/4 cup room temp. salted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons 2% milk (more or less to your desired consistency)

METHOD

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (not 350 degrees or else the loaves will become too dry).  Prepare bundt pan by spraying it generously with baking spray; set aside.

In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add eggs and canola oil and beat on medium speed until light and foamy.  Add sugar, yogurt and vanilla extract; mix on medium speed until fully incorporated.

Place a sieve over wet ingredients in bowl, add all dry ingredients and sift over top of wet ingredients. Mix batter on low speed to begin incorporating dry ingredients, then on medium just until moistened (Try not to over-mix).

Using a large spatula, fold in "fold-in" ingredients above, just until combined while scraping edges and bottom of bowl.

Spoon batter evenly into prepared bundt pan, tap pan on a hard surface to release air bubbles and shake to it even out.

Bake for 65 to 70 minutes, just until a toothpick inserted in center of bundt cake comes out clean.

Remove bundt cake to a baking rack upright in pan and let cool for 10 minutes.  Turn out bundt cake from pan to rack so cake is dome-side up; cover with a clean kitchen towel, then allow cake to cool completely.

-----

Meanwhile, prepare frosting:

In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer. Place all the frosting ingredients into the bowl and start hand mixer on low speed, then increase to medium when ingredients are starting to incorporate. Turn mixer to high to fluff the frosting. Cover frosting with plastic wrap until ready to frost cake. Frost cake once it's fully cooled, and enjoy!

SANDRA'S FINEST BANANA BUNDT CAKE EVER

What a fabulous dessert that's awesome the day it's baked,
and even more scrumptious the following day...

Servings: 12

Prep: 20 Mins.

Bake: 45-55 Mins.

INGREDIENTS:

1st Wet:

3 (medium) ripe bananas, mashed

1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice

2nd Wet:

1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice

1-1/2 cup 2% milk

Beat:

2/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

3rd Wet:

3 large eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dry (sift)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon table salt

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt pan with baking spray; set aside.

In a small bowl, add the bananas with 1 TB lemon juice, and mash until combined; set aside.

In a 2-cup-glass-measuring-cup, add 1-1/2 cup milk and then 1 TB lemon juice (let activate for 5 minutes).

Meanwhile, in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with both sugars for 3 minutes.  Add the beaten eggs and vanilla extract; mix to combine for 2 more minutes.

Stop mixer, and place a sieve over wet ingredients in mixing bowl. Add all the dry ingredients to sieve and sift over wet ingredients.

Restart mixer very slow and gently pulsing mix in, while pouring, the milk/lemon juice mixture. Add the banana/lemon juice mixture and then mix gently just until combined.

Use a spatula to scrape sides and bottom of bowl, folding to combine cake batter a few times by hand. Pour cake batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan.  Tap pan to remove air bubbles.

Bake for 45-55 minutes, turning bundt pant half way through baking, just until a toothpick inserted in center of bundt ring comes out clean (do not over bake or cake will become dry).

Let cake cool in bundt pan for 5 minutes on baking rack, then flip using baking rack and let rest on rack then dust while hot with powdered sugar (I place tin foil underneath baking rack to ease with clean up).  Let cake cool completely on baking rack before transferring to a covered cake pedestal/plate.

Serve with whipped cream, if desired. ~ Enjoy!

SANDRA'S 3-BANANA BUNDT CAKE from SCRATCH

Unbelievable how quick and easy this flavor-packed cake
is to prepare, yet so rewarding in under an hour...

Servings: 10 to 12

Prep: 10 Mins.

Bake: 45 to 50 Mins.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup (1 cube) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

½ cup dark brown sugar, slightly packed

3 large eggs

1-1/2 cups (3 medium) ripe bananas, mashed

1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder (or regular)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch of table salt

ICING:

1 (small 4 oz. pkg.) cream cheese, at room temperature

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted through a sieve

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-2 teaspoons water (approximate, to your desired consistency)

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt pan with Bakers Joy; set aside.

In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, bananas and vanilla, and mix until creamy. Sift through a sieve over bowl the flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; gently mix on low into creamed mixture just until blended. 

Transfer mixture to prepared bundt pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in bundt pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack, then drape with a clean kitchen towel to cool. 

Meanwhile, for the icing in a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Sift, then add the confectioners' sugar.  Add vanilla and a little bit of water in increments, and beat until smooth, just until desired icing consistency is reached. 

Spread the icing on bundt cake and let it set for 2 hours before covering. ~ Enjoy!

SANDRA’S ULTIMATE APPLE ZUCCHINI CINNAMON SWIRL CAKE

One of my favorite creations...

Servings: (14-16)
Prep: 15 Mins. |
Bake: 50 to 55 Mins.

Posted by Sandra

INGREDIENTS

***Bundt Cake:
--Granulated sugar, for dusting sprayed bundt pan
1 (12 oz.) zucchini, shredded (1 large, or 2 medium)
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Sinfully moist and spicy

1 teaspoon ground cardamom (I used 20 whole green cardamom pods, cracked with seeds removed, and ground in a spice grinder)
1-1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed, and divided
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder (or regular)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium red apple (I used Fuji), cored, unpeeled, and shredded
1 cup sour cream

Wet, dry, and swirl ingredients

4 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup safflower oil
2 large whole vanilla beans, split, and seeds removed (save scraped beans in an airtight jar to flavor sugar to be used later on in baking recipes, tea, and so on, if desired.)

***Icing:
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temp
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons milk

Cooling in bundt pan 
for 10 minutes

METHOD

Shred zucchini into colander, and set aside. In small bowl, combine walnuts, cinnamon, and ¼-cup packed dark brown sugar; mix, and set aside. Spray a 10” bundt pan with nonstick butter cooking spray, and lightly dust with white sugar, including around inner tube, and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl, sifted flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.

Removed from bundt 
pan to fully cool

Shred unpeeled apple, and set aside.

In medium bowl, with a hand mixer, beat sour cream, beaten eggs, safflower oil, vanilla bean seeds, and 1-1/4 cup packed brown sugar, until smooth. Stir in with a wooden spoon the shredded zucchini, apple, and raisins until blended, and then add to the large bowl of flour mixture; blending just until moistened.

Pour half of batter into prepared bundt pan; sprinkle evenly with all the walnut mixture, and top with remaining batter; tap pan on counter to release air bubbles. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Release edges of cake with a paring knife, including around edge of inner tube, and remove cake from pan to completely cool on wire rack.

While cake is cooling, sift confectioners’ sugar, and add remaining icing ingredients in medium mixing bowl, and beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Adjust for spreading consistency, if necessary, by adding more milk, or more sifted confectioners' sugar. Drizzle and gently spread icing on cake. – Enjoy!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Tip:  I provided links to the whole green cardamom pods and vanilla beans where I purchased them via mail order from the locally owned Red Onion Organic Spice and Tea Company.

SANDRA'S SUCCULENT APPLE BUNDT CAKE

You'll be making this cake often 
during the summer
and fall apple season...

Servings: (12)
Prep: 20 mins. |
Bake1 hr. 30 mins.

Posted by Sandra

INGREDIENTS

***Cake
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups canola oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon of freshly grated orange zest
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine-grained kosher salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups apples, peeled and finely chopped (about 3 medium apples)
1 cup shredded coconut (I prefer to slightly brown mine in a dry skillet beforehand)
1 cup raisins

***Sauce
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray the bundt pan with baking oil, and set aside.

In a large bowl, with a hand mixer combine the sugar, eggs, oil, orange juice, flour, baking soda, kosher salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract; and mix until combined. With a wooden spoon, fold in apples, coconut, and raisins into batter. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Adding the sauce 
so it absorbs into cake...

Meanwhile, just before the cake is done, begin making the sauce by melting the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar, buttermilk, and baking soda, and bring to boiling point while stirring constantly, and then boil for 1 minute, and remove from heat. With a long skewer, poke holes into the hot cake, and then pour 1/2 the sauce over it - to help the sauce absorb into the cake use a pastry brush until sauce disappears.  Pour the remaining 1/2 of sauce over cake and continue letting it absorb using a pastry brush until sauce is fully incorporated.  Let cake stand in bundt pan for 1 hour, and then remove the cake by flipping it onto a rack to finish cooling. - Enjoy!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Tip: I like to serve this wonderful cake with french vanilla ice cream and/or whipped cream.  You can also make this cake using alternate dried fruits, mixed nuts, and so on.

SANDRA'S CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE with CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM SPRINKLED with PISTACHIOS

A chocoholics dream dessert...

Servings (12)
Prep: 15 mins. |
Cook 50 mins.

Posted by Sandra

INGREDIENTS:

***Cake
· 2 cups granulated sugar
· 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
· 3/4 cup unsweetened chocolate powder (I prefer Hershey’s)
· 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
· 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 2 large eggs
· 1 cup milk
· 1/2 cup vegetable oil
· 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
· 1 cup boiling water

***Chocolate Buttercream: (Yields about 2 cups)
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar
- 2/3 cup unsweetened chocolate powder (Again, I prefer Hershey’s)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 to 4 tablespoons of milk

***Garnish
- ¼ cup pistachios, chopped

METHOD:

--Bundt Cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. Stir together sugar, flour, chocolate powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. In a small bowl whisk the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, then add to dry ingredients in large bowl. Beat mixture on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in bundt pan for 15 minutes, and then remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

--Chocolate Buttercream: Meanwhile, begin making the buttercream. Sift the confectioners’ sugar and chocolate powder through the cleaned sieve into a large bowl (do not skip this step as it makes for a creamier frosting). With a hand mixer, begin by adding the butter and mix with sugar on low speed until well blended, and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes. Add vanilla extract, and milk, and then continue to beat on medium speed for 2 more minutes, adding additional cream a bit at a time if needed for your desired consistency (see photograph). Frost your cooled bundt cake, and sprinkle top with pistachios. - Enjoy!