B’s Bundt Cakes

Oh do have some recipes for you….mouthwatering, sweet delights that are easy, peasy but will have your friends begging for more. I love my bundt pans because they are so versatile and they make a simple cake look simply spectacular. Also, I am NOT a fan of icing, so glazes make me a happy girl. Just give me a chance and I think that you will soon see things my way.

Just like the lasagna that I made last week, I opted to make my bundt cakes two ways at the same time. If you are going to make a mess you may as well blow up the damn kitchen and just get it over with!

Preparation is key. Completely grease and flour your pan. You don’t want to put a lot of effort into this and then have the whole the break apart coming out of the pan.

First we will make the Rum Cake and then the Kahlua Cake.

Rum Cake

2 handfuls of pecans, crushed

one 18.5 oz box yellow or butter cake mix

one 3.4 oz box of instant butterscotch pudding mix (vanilla is fine too)

4 eggs

1/2 cup of milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup Myers’s rum

Glaze

1/4 cup of butter

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup of rum

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Place two handfuls of pecans into a small plastic bag. Using a mallet, crush your pecans but don’t pulverize them.

You want nice chunks on the top of your cake.

Yeah, something like that. Now sprinkle them in the bottom of your bundt pan.

Next, place your dry ingredients into a large bowl.

Add your liquids and mix well after each addition.

Beat on high for another two minutes until smooth and creamy with a slight glossy appearance.

Now, using one hand to hold the bowl and the other to rotate the cake pan, slowly pour the batter into the pan. Rotate the pan while pouring to evenly distribute the batter and not disturb the grease and flour release agent. This will also help to prevent any air pockets.

Here is the filled pan ready to head for the oven.

In realtime, I placed this pan in the oven and then constructed the next cake. But for the sake of clarity and continuity I will follow this cake through to the end.

Bake for one hour. Remove from oven and admire your work.

Now using a bamboo skewer poke holes in the cake. Don’t hold back….more holes mean more glazey goodness.

Now in a small saucepan melt your butter.

While stirring, gradually add in the sugar.

Now pour in your rum

Bring the mixture to a boil and continue to stir for the next two minutes.

Now begin to spoon the glaze onto the cake. Go slow and don’t pour. You want it to have a chance to soak in the goodness. Use about half of the glaze on the bottom. 

Since I was sharing these cakes for Thanksgiving and I didn’t want to have to worry about getting my plates back, I used foil covered cardboard for my serving plate. Not pretty but effective. The next step is to place the plate on top of the cake and then flip it over. If you have properly prepped your pan, the cake should drop right out. If it doesn’t, allow the pan to sit on top of the plate and gravity will ultimately win out.

Now using your bamboo skewer, poke lots of holes in the top of the cake.

You can see it looks a wee bit floury on the top but this glaze will fix all of that. Again, slowly spoon the hot glaze onto the cake allowing it to soak in and drizzle down the sides and into the center.

Tell me that doesn’t look awesome?!? You know you want a piece of this.

If you think that is the bomb just hold on for the next one:

Kahlua Cake

Prep your pan as before with grease and flour.

one 18 oz box of Devil’s Food chocolate cake mix

one 4 oz box of  instant chocolate pudding

one 8oz container of sour cream

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

3/4 cup of Kahlua

Glaze

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup hot coffee

1/2 cup Kahlua

2/3 cup sugar

Place your dry ingredients into a large bowl

Add Kahlua and sour cream.

Now add the eggs, two at a time and mix thoroughly after each addition.

Once all four eggs are added, beat on high for two more minutes until the batter is smooth and slightly shiny.

Using the method described before, pour the batter into the bundt pan.

Heat the oven to 350 and pop this pretty baby in there for 55 minutes.

Just like before, poke holes in the bottom of the cake after it has finished baking.

In a small saucepan melt the butter.

Brew a cup of coffee….because Kahlua is coffee liqueur after all.

Mix the 1/4 cup of coffee, 1/2 cup of Kahlua and 2/3 cup of sugar into the melted butter.

Bring to a boil and cook for two minutes. Keep stirring!

First glaze the bottom half of the cake with about one half of the glaze. Then flip the cake out and drizzle the top with the remaining glaze.

Oh my chocolatey goodness heart be still! This looks delicious. However, I wrapped them up and put them in the refrigerator to “marinate” until Thanksgiving. This allows for the glaze to work its magic and penetrate the entire cake.

Making these cakes a few days ahead is a good idea AND they freeze well so you can have one sweet and delightful slice at a time…..now where is that vanilla ice cream?