Chobani Pomegranate Greek Yogurt Bundt Cake

This past week I received an email from Chobani Yogurt asking if I was interested in coming up with a recipe using their product.  Well, I was excited because I'm a big-time Chobani Yogurt consumer; I love their Oatmeal and Yogurt and their Almond Coco Loco for lunch is utterly divine! However, what I chose to bake with was the Pomegranate Greek Yogurt and it turned out delicious.

I also found some great complimentary ingredients at the grocery store today--Craisins, enhanced with Pomegranate juice and Red Walnuts--What?

Red Walnuts are achieved by grafting Persian Red Skin Walnuts onto the larger, creamier English Walnuts.

Can you see how unusual these are?  They gave the perfect crunch to the pomegranate flavored cake along with adding to the nutritional value from the Chobani Yogurt.

Chobani Pomegranate Greek Yogurt Bundt Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) + 5T unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1 T vanilla extract
3 cups of King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
2 containers (5.3 oz) Chobani Greek Pomegranate Yogurt
1 5 oz pkg. Craisins with Pomegranate Juice infused
1  1/3 cups Walnuts (if you can find Red Walnuts, they're delicious), chopped

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees. Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with a baking spray w/flour.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter while slowly adding the granulated sugar.  Continue to mix 7-10 longer.  (Incorporating the sugar completely gives a tender crumb to your cake).

Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Add the vanilla and mix again.  Add the eggs, one at a time, incorporating them well, scrape down the sides once more. Sift the dry ingredients and add half with one of the containers of Chobani Yogurt and mix together.  Repeat with remaining dry ingredients and the second container.  Add the chopped walnuts and Craisins and mix once more at medium for 1 minute.

Spoon into the Bundt pan and place in the preheated oven.  Bake for 15 minutes at 350F-degrees, then, lower the temperature to 325F-degrees and continue to bake for 40-45 minutes longer.  Test the center with a wooden skewer or cake tester.  Remove from the oven and run a metal spatula around the sides before inverting the cake onto a serving platter.

Glaze:
1 cup confectioner sugar
2 T Light Karo syrup
1-2 T milk

Edible Red Glitter

Mix all the ingredients and spread onto the cake.  Sprinkle with the edible glitter.

The cake is moist and ever so flavorful and doesn't it look perfect for the holiday! Chobani Yogurt has 13 interesting flavors in their Fruit on the Bottom product; not only Pomegranate, but Blood Orange. Thank you for asking me to come up with a recipe...it made by busy week very enjoyable to get in the kitchen and create. Enjoy!
 

Pistachio~Cranberry Bundt Cake & November's Apron Winner

Baking cakes in a mold actually began in Europe; Gugelhupf, a brioche-like cake, formed in a particular shape pre-dates this North American version introduced in the late 50s and 60s.  The credit goes to the Dalquist brothers, H. David and Mark, who co-founded the Nordic Ware Company in 1940.  In 1950, along with engineer Don Nygren, they came up with this mold done in cast aluminum.  However, it wasn't until Ella Helfrich, in 1966, would make it popular with her Tunnel of Fudge Cake for a Pillsbury Bake-Off.  Suddenly, there were over 200,000 requests for the cake mold and to date, more than 60 million have been sold!  Just so you know for next year, November 15th, is National Bundt Day:-D

I created this Bundt Cake to  celebrate the holidays, not only with cranberries, but added pistachios to give it the familiar red and green colors we've come to associate with the season.  I have to say, the flavors combine wonderfully and my hubby couldn't help but remark how amazing it looked.

Pistachio~Cranberry Bundt Cake
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room tempreature
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups granulated sugare
3 large eggs
1-3oz.pkg. Instant Pistachio Jell-O Pudding
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. Pistachio Flavoring  or 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. Kosher salte
1 cup buttermilk (you can add 1 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar to milk if you don't have buttermilk)
1 1/2 cups cranberries, halved
1/2 cup pistachios, chopped

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 T light Karo Syrup
2-3 T hot water
1-2 drops of green food coloring, if desired
1/4 cup pistachios, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray a 12-cup Bundt Pan with a baking spray.
 

Cut washed, dried and picked over cranberries in half

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter, oil and sugar together until fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, incorporating them into the batter.  Add the flavorings and the pudding mix and beat at medium speed for 1 minute.  Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.

Mix the dry ingredients and mix, alternately with the buttermilk (or soured milk), starting and ending with the dry ingredients.  Stir in the cranberries and chopped pistachios.  Spoon into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out cleanly when poked into the center.

 I love seeing that pale green color, dotted with the red cranberries!  Allow the cake to cool about 10 minutes before turning out onto a serving platter.

Mix up the glaze and slowly pour over the top of the cake.  Sprinkle with additional chopped pistachios to complete the dessert.

Now, for the important part of this post--November's winner of the apron is Mrs. Sparrow! Please email me your address so I can send this gift from my heart to you!

I will have December's apron up this weekend, for sure; life is a little hectic finishing up projects for the big trade show I attend in January, picking out finishes for our home...I did kitchen cabinets, countertops and tile this week, and of course, holiday shopping.  Stay warm and bake. Enjoy!

Tunnel of Lemon Bundt Cake

In 1966, a woman named, Ella Helfrich, took second place in the annual Pillsbury Bake-Off with her recipe for Tunnel of Fudge Cake.  She incorporated a box of Double-Dutch Chocolate Icing in the cake which produced a fudgy center reminiscent of under cook brownies...and it was delicious.  My sister first baked this and brought it to my mom's for one of our family get-togethers.  An overnight success with more than 200,000 requests for the recipe, that didn't even win the grand prize!  Several years ago, Pillsbury stop producing the boxed icing--reasons unknown, but not to worry there are several recipes out there that recreate this incredible cake with it's fudge-like center and that's what inspired me today.

Lemon was one of my mother's favorite flavors...next to chocolate and since I just bought a bag, I decided to experiment with an idea that's been floating around in my head.  Have you ever had one of those?  With just a few changes, I was able to recreate a tunnel of lemony filling that resembles a curd and, furthermore, there is no yellow food coloring or photo touch up on the color of this cake.  The golden yellow colour comes from lemons and eggs!

Tunnel of Lemon Bundt Cake
1 3/4 cup (3 sticks + 6T) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
zest of 2 lemons
1 T Lemon Juice Powder
6 large eggs
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 3/4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 cup Lemon Bits

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with a baking spray and set aside.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy--about 5 minutes.  Add the zest and Lemon Juice Powder and mix once more.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, as needed.

Add the confectioners' sugar gradually while the mixer is running on Speed #3.  Scrape down sides once more and remove the bowl from the stand.

Stir in the flour and Lemon Bits, mixing thoroughly to combine.

Spoon batter into the prepared bundt pan.  Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

 Because the center is "soft," normal testing methods of using a wooden skewer won't work.  Look for the cake to start pulling away from the sides of the pan.  Remove from the oven and leave in the pan for 90-minutes.  Yes, that's 1 1/2 hours!!

After the time, turn the cake out onto the serving plate.  Allow to cool completely (about 1 hour more) before cutting into it. The original Tunnel of Fudge did have an glaze, so I made one too:

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
juice of 1 lemon (about 3 to 4 T)
2 tsp. light Karo Syrup

Drizzle the glaze over the cake and serve.

See the tunnel of luscious lemon curd! 

Mission complete!  Now, whether I feel like chocolate or lemon...I have a recipe to satisfy that craving. Enjoy!

Buttermilk Cherry~Vanilla Bundt Cake

Happy Father's Day!  A day set aside to honor fathers and celebrate fatherhood and the paternal bonds that have influence society.  Coincidentally, the day was founded in Spokane, Washington at the YMCA in 1910 by Sonora Smart Dodd to honor her father, a single parent and Civil War veteran who raised six children.  She had originally suggested June 5th, which was her dad's birthday, but because the pastors in the area needed more time to prepare sermons, they decided on the 3rd Sunday instead.  It was introduced to Congress in 1913, but it wasn't until Woodrow Wilson came to Spokane in 1916 was it made official.

My husband has been a great father to our two daughters.  He's been protective, supportive, strong, loving, hard-working, but always taking the time to make sure they knew he was there for them.  A story I'd like to share is from when we lived in California.  The girls (age 12 and 10) wanted to walk to the 7-11 and buy a Slurpee.  After a long debate--the pros and cons, they convinced him that they would be very careful crossing the road and come back right after their purchase.  The girls took off walking down the hill and then to the cross street where the 7-11 was.  They came back with their purchase and big smiles.  However, it wasn't until they were adults that their dad admitted he had watched the entire journey with binoculars from the upstairs window!

The inspiration of this cake comes from The First Lady, Michelle Obama's new cookbook, American Gown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America, Buttermilk Blueberry Bundt.

We've had very cool weather and unfortunately our blueberries are a few more weeks away, but our cherries are certainly in our Farmer's Markets and along with some of my fragrant Tahitian Vanilla Beans, this cake took on a different look and taste.

Buttermilk Cherry~Vanilla Bundt Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 Vanilla Beans, split and scraped
4 large eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 2/3 cup King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk

2 cups sweet cherries, pitted and chopped
1 1/2 cups Biscoff cookies (or Vanilla wafers) crushed  (optional)

Pit and chopped sweet cherries.

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with a non-stick baking spray.
In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter until fluffy.  Add the sugar and continue beating for 5 to 6 minutes on medium speed.  Scrape down the sides.  Add the vanilla beans "paste" and mix to combine.  Add the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Beat in the vanilla extract.

Whisk the dry ingredients together and add alternately with the buttermilk.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on medium/high one more minute.

Fold the chopped cherries into the batter.

Use a rolling pin to smash about a dozen or more cookies in a plastic bag.   Spoon the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan and sprinkle the crushed cookies on top of the cake. Bake in preheated oven 50 to 55 minutes.

Use a wooden skewer poked into the center to test if the cake is done.  Allow to cool in the pan about 20 minutes before tuning out onto a serving plate.  I wanted the crumb topping upright, so I covered a baking sheet with parchment and turn the cake out, then flipped it over and placed in on the serving plate.  Dust with confectioners' sugar to finish it off.

To serve, I ladled a warm Vanilla Sauce around the slice.


Vanilla Sauce
1 cup granulated sugar
2 T cornstarch
2 cups boiling water
In a small saucepan, whisk the sugar and cornstarch, then, slowly add the boiling water while continuing to whisk.
Heat on medium until the mixture is thick and bubbly, stirring constantly.  Remove from the heat and add:
4 T unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 Vanilla bean, split and scraped
Stir to blend.  Ladle or pour this sauce on the plate and add the slice of cake on top.

My hubby arrived home today from a business trip and I know this cake will put a smile on his face...just like our girls had when they thought they had walked down to the 7-11.  Enjoy!

  


 

Pretty, Simple Vanilla Bundt Cake

This has been a tough week, for so many reasons and today, I just wanted to get back to simple.  Like when hearing our grandson burst into giggles as "Pop Pop" stands behind me, when we're skyping, and putting his head next to mine announces, "Mimi has two heads!"  Or when we saw this video of Maddie taking a hula lesson in Maui for the first time.  I thought about the stories my mother told me, when her father was stationed at Pearl Harbor in the Marine Corp, of her own experiences.  Simple, but meaningful pleasures.

Vanilla is the #1 flavor in ice cream and the second most expensive flavoring, after saffron, mainly because growing it is so labor intensive.  It is derived from the Vanilla orchid and is the diminutive of the Spanish word vaina, meaning sheath or pod.  There are three major cultivars of vanilla: Mexico, Madagascar, and Tahiti.  I was introduced to Tahitian vanilla two and a half years ago and I have never wanted to use anything else in my baking or jam making and it's my hubby's favorite flavor in his morning latte!

Pretty, Simple Vanilla Bundt Cake
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cups dark brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
3 Vanilla beans, split and scraped
1 T. Kentucky bourbon (optional, but really brings out the flavor)
3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with a baking spray or brush with melted butter and dust with flour.
In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Add the eggs and yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the vanilla beans and the bourbon (if using) and beat well.

Thought you'd like to see the progress of my homemade Vanilla extract--still several months away from using, possibly for my Fall baking!

Measure all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together.  Add to the batter, alternatively with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.  Beat 1 minute more to thoroughly combine.  Stir in the white chocolate chips.  

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until a wooden skewer comes out cleanly when tested.  Let cake cool about ten minutes in the pan before inverting onto a serving plate.

The cake is so moist, it's perfect served plain or with your favorite fruit (i.e., strawberries, peaches, etc)  I added a vanilla bean glaze, but you could just dust it with confectioners' sugar.

Vanilla Bean Glaze
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tsp. light Karo syrup
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2-3 T hot water

Stir all ingredients together and pour over the cake while warm.  

I know this sounds totally cliche, but take time to enjoy the simple pleasures that life has to offer... and if it includes cake, even better.  Enjoy!

A Spring-time Bundt Cake

I know Spring will come, after all, Hall Borland wrote~"No Winter Lasts Forever, No Spring Skips Its Turn." In the meantime, I've decided to play Mother-Nature (like I do when I create my 3-D paper flowers) and bring some sunshine into my kitchen ;-D

My inspiration today goes back to the girl scouts.  Their new variety, in honor of the 100th Anniversary, is Savannah Smiles--a lemony shortbread in the shape of a big smile.

You just can't go wrong with lemon...at least that what my mother thought and I have to agree.  It has a bright, fresh taste and there isn't a baked good, when it's added, that will disappoint you.  I decided to use these cookies as a crunchy topping on my lemon bundt cake...a decision that came out very well.

Lemon Cookie~Crunch Bundt Cake
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
Zest of one lemon (reserve the juice for the glaze)
1/2 tsp. Tahitian Vanilla powder (I purchased it at Williams-Sonoma)
3/4 cup Lemon Bits 

3 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1-6oz carton of Greek-style Lemon Yogurt 

Topping:
1 pkg.  GSA-Savannah Smiles cookies
3 T. unsalted butter, melted

Place cookies in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush.  Place in a bowl and add the melted butter.  Stir to combine and set aside.

Preheat oven 350F-degrees.  Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with a non-stick baking spray.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, using a paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugar until fluffy.  Add the lemon zest and beat to mix.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.

Add the lemon extract and vanilla powder (if using) along with the lemon bits.  Mix to combine.  In a separate bowl, blend the dry ingredients together.  Add them all at once along with the lemon yogurt.  Mix on medium speed to blend, then turn up the speed a bit and mix 1 minute more.  Spoon batter into the prepared bundt pan.

Add the cookie crumbs on top and bake in the preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes.

Watch the cake closely after about 40 minutes and if necessary, "tent" the cake with aluminum foil to prevent the top from browning too much.

Let cool in the pan about 7 to 10 minutes and then cover a plate with wax paper or parchment and turn the cake out.  Place the serving platter over the bottom of the cake and flip it up to expose the crumb side.  Add glaze, if desired.

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
juice from the lemon
1 T Karo syrup

Mix everything in a small bowl and pour over the warm cake.

The cake, inside is a beautiful, natural yellow, which reminds me that Spring indeed will not miss its turn.  Enjoy!

National Bundt Day! ~ Apple/Cranberry Fritter Bundt Cake

The Honorable Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, home of Nordic Ware, has proclaimed Wednesday, November 15th as National Bundt Day.  It commemorates their 60th Anniversary of a pan that literally has changed baking cakes--in fact, there are over 60 million bundt pans across the continent!  So, how could I not celebrate the day when this cake pan has been around "almost" as long as I have. LOL!!

I learned to love the Bundt pan watching and helping my mother whip up this most beloved cake.  It was her choice in pans to use when baking the pound cakes she made over the years and certainly, when she was taking a cake to a friend or church function because of how stable it is when transporting it.   One of my favorites was the "Tunnel of Fudge" cake created by Ella Helfrich in 1966 for The Pillsbury National Bake-Off contest.  She took 2nd place, but most importantly, Pillsbury got over 200,000 inquiries as to where to find the pan she baked it in.

My choice for a unique Bundt cake to honor the day is derived from a memory I have of my mother's fritters.  Okay, you're probably saying, "fritters and bundt cake just don't seem to go together," but remember it's the pan that creates the dessert and I have found through the years, that almost anything comes out great in a Bundt pan.  Fritters are known world-wide and simply consist of an ingredient, coated in batter and deep fried, i.e., British fish (and chips),  corn, zucchini,  clams, etc. to name just a few.  For me, apple fritters are so satisfying--rings of tart, fall apples, dipped in a batter and fried, then, dusted with confectioners' sugar--and my mom made the best :D!  I'm changing this around and instead of making a batter, typical for fritters...or even a cake, I've decided to go with a yeast dough and bake it in a Bundt pan.  A drizzling of a glaze over the warm cake it finishes the dessert that maybe will make you think twice how you can use your bundt pan.

Apple~Cranberry Fritter Bundt Cake
Yeast dough:
1/4 cup milk
2 T unsalted butter
Place in the microwave and heat for 35-40 seconds, until the butter has melted.  Remove and add warm water up to the 3/4 cup mark.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, add:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. salt
Mix until ingredients have blended together.  While the mixer is running, slowly add the milk/butter/water mixture and mix thoroughly.  
Add:
2 T (or 2 pkgs) yeast
Mix again to incorporate the yeast.  Let set 5 to 7 minutes until the yeast mixture becomes frothy. (This ensures you that your yeast is good and proofed.)
Add:
2 T. shortening
1/4 tsp. mace
3 - 3 1/2 cups King Arthur Bread flour

After about 2 cups of flour, change to the dough hook to finish the dough.  The dough should cling to the hook, but still be somewhat tacky.  Turn dough out onto a bread board and knead until smooth.  Use a rolling pin to roll dough out to a rectangle 8" x 10".  Place on a half-sheet pan, lightly sprayed with baking spray and cover with a towel.

To help the dough rise easier, I made a "make-shift" proofing oven.  Place the pan with the dough on the middle rack and on a lower rack add another baking pan.  Fill that pan with boiling water, then, close the door to your oven.  On these chilly mornings a little help from this method produces the right atmosphere for a good rise.  Let rise about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the Apple~Cranberry Filling:
2 cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into small chunks
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 T Boiled Apple Cider
pinch of salt

In a medium saute pan, mix all the ingredients.  Cook over med/low heat until all the liquid has evaporated and the apples have softened--about 7-9 minutes.  Transfer mixture to a shallow bowl and cool completely.

To create the "Fritter":
Remove the dough from the proofing oven and roll out, on a lightly floured board, to roughly a 12-inch square, about 1/2" thick.  Spoon the apple/cranberry mixture on half of the dough. Sprinkle mixture with 1 tablespoon of bread flour and 1/2 teaspoon of Apple Pie Spice.  Fold over the "empty" half of the dough over the mixture.  

Using a metal bench scrapper, start cutting the dough vertically, in 1-inch sections, then repeat this method going horizontally and diagonally.  

Dust the board again with flour and the cut-up dough.  With your hands, form the dough into a "roll", adding more flour as necessary to hold it together.  

Cut the roll in half and place it into a buttered 12-cup Bundt pan.  

Repeat with the remaining half of dough.  Brush the surface with butter and cover with a piece of plastic wrap. 

Place in the oven once more, and proof by pouring boiling water into a pan beneath it like you did for the dough in the first rising.  Let rise again, 1 hour or until doubled in size.  

Remove from the oven and preheat oven to 375F-degrees.  Bake for 15 minutes, then lower oven to 350F-degrees and continue baking another 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool about 7-8 minutes, then, invert on a rack.  Place rack on a baking sheet to glaze.

Glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 T light Karo syrup
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. Apple flavoring (optional, but well worth it!)
3-4 T boiling hot water

Whisk together all the ingredients, starting with 3 tablespoons of the boiling hot water, adding more if needed.  Pour the glaze over the warm cake.  Use a spatula to scoop up overage of glaze and add in places not covered.  Using a giant spatula, lift cake to a serving plate and allow to cool.

Yum, warm memories of my mother's fritters in this celebratory pan made my morning.  Happy Birthday Bundt and a big thank you to Nordicware.  Enjoy!