Bundt Cakes

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Use dried cranberries or raisins. Good toasted if any is left-over.

• 1-2/3 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2/3 cup softened butter
• 2 cups cooked mashed pumpkin or 1 398 mL can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 4 large eggs
• 2/3 cup water
• 2-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1-1/2 cups dried cranberries or raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Lightly grease a 10-inch (4L) tube pan and line the base with parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, cream together white and brown sugars and butter.
4. Beat in pumpkin, eggs and water.
5. In a separate large bowl, stir together all-purpose and whole wheat flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg.
6. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture in batches, stirring well after each addition.
7. Stir in cranberries or raisins until well-combined
8. Pour batter into prepared pan, then bang lightly on counter to remove any air pockets.
9. Bake 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
10. Let cool in the pan for 10  minutes, then turn out and let cool on a wire rack.

Mike Harris' One-Bowl Chocolate Cake

This recipe, Mike Harris' favourite, was printed in the Toronto Star when he was Premier of the province of Ontario, Canada.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat:

• 1-1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1-3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

When all ingredients are mixed, add:

• 3/4 cups boiling water

1. Blend well. Cake batter will be runny.
2. Pour into a greased and floured bundt or tube pan.
3. Bake 30-40 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven.
4. Cake should spring back when touched when done.
5. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing onto wire rack. Cool completely.
6. Dust with icing sugar.

"One Two Three" Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Almost all the cake quanitities are either 1, 2 or 3 of this or that.

• 1 cup butter (or 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup shortening)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups sifted cake flour

Topping

• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts or coconut or a combination

Grease a bundt or tube pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream butter and sugar.
Beat in eggs one at a time.

Sift dry ingredients together: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt.

Mix sour cream and vanilla.

Alternate adding flour mixture and sour cream mixture to the butter and egg mixture.
Pour half the batter into the greased tube pan.
Mix the topping ingredients.
Sprinkle half the topping mixture over the batter in the pan.

Add the remaining batter.

On top, sprinkle the rest of the topping.

Swirl a knife through the batter to make a marbled effect.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-60 minutes.

Serve warm.

Honey-Apple Caramel Bundt Cake

Serves 12

• 3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup liquid honey
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cups tart apples, diced
• lemon juice (optional)

Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan.

Wash, core, peel and dice apples. If apples aren't tart, toss with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, set aside.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In large bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, honey, eggs, vanilla.

In separate bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Stir flour mixture into egg mixture just to combine.

Stir in apples.

Scrape into prepared bundt pan.

Bake in preheated 325 degree F oven 40-50 minutes or until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean.

Cool in pan on rack 10 minutes.

Take cake out of pan and let cool completely on rack.

Drizzle warm honey caramel sauce over cake to serve.

Honey Caramel Sauce

Use a non-stick saucepan if you have one.

• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/2 cup liquid clover or wildflower honey
• 2 Tbsp water
• 3 Tbsp heavy (whipping) cream 35% fat
• 2 Tbsp butter

1. Stir sugar, honey and water together in heavy saucepan.
2. Turn heat to medium-high and bring to boil, brushing down sides of pan with pastry brush or small spatula dipped in cold water.
3. Cook about 8 minutes until mixture becomes a deep amber colour.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Carefully stir in butter and cream.
6. Let cool about 15 minutes or until caramal has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
7. Serve sauce warm over cake.

Poppy Seed Cake

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup cooking oil
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1 Tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp almond flavouring

1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Beat 2 minutes.
3. Pour into prepared bundt pan or 2 small loaf pans.
4. Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for 1 hour or until done (top will split).
5. Cool 5-8 minutes before removing from pan.