I hope that you all had a chance to read the Tips for Bundt Cakes over on The Pioneer Woman Food & Friends. I could talk about Bundt cakes all day. And cookies. And ice cream. And chocolate. And bread. Oh, wait...I guess that's what I do here.
This week, I had the privilege of making two bundt cakes for two half birthdays. The half birthdays are for a brother and sister with "halfs" one the day after the other. That's the funny thing about February...their birthdays aren't back-to-back, but their halfs are. Except in a Leap Year. (Have you stopped reading yet?)
ANYHOO...Mr. E asked me, "so, are you just going to cut this one bundt cake in half and give one half to him and one to her?" What am I, some sort of monster?!??!
So, THIS one is for the sister. It's a Buttermilk Bundt Cake. When I describe the flavor to you, you're just going to have to go with me. It tastes...LIKE CAKE. Meaning, there's no almond, no lemon, no cherry. It tastes like what you imagine "cake flavor" to be. It's scrummy as Mary Berry would say. I think the buttermilk just brings a depth of flavor to the butter and sugar.
I topped it with a buttermilk glaze, but since the cake itself is a delicious blank canvas, you could top with just about any flavor glaze or frosting. This buttermilk glaze, though, has butter in it! It's a keeper.
As with many Bundt cakes, this one is actually better after it's had a day to rest after baking. Store it at room temperature under your cake plate dome. It can be refrigerated as well. Here's the pan I used. Oh, and here are the sprinkles.
Simple to make, utterly perfect - this bundt is going to be one of my go-to cakes.
Buttermilk Bundt Cake
cake:
2 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup salted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 eggs, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoon salted butter, melted
2-3 tablespoons buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
[NOTE: shake the buttermilk well before measuring.]
Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour a Bundt pan. Use shortening to grease, and a pastry brush to get every bit of the pan.
Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt together.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Add the flour in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Mix just until combined.
Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for about 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan.
After 5 minutes, invert a wire cooling rack on the top of the cake. Use oven mitts to flip the pan onto the rack. Wait one minute, then remove the pan. The cake should come out cleanly. If not, run a knife along the edge and try again.
Let cool completely.
For the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar with melted butter, 2 tablespoons buttermilk, and vanilla until smooth. If too thick, add 1 more tablespoon buttermilk. Spoon over the cooled cake. Top with sprinkles, if desired.
Have you ever made a buttermilk cake?
