I was so thrilled when Lora aka Cake Duchess contacted me about joining a new baking group she and Anuradha of BakerStreet were starting this month: BundtaMonth. These ladies are a couple of amazing bakers – made my day.
I happen to enjoy making Bundt cakes. They’re pretty on their own without much decoration although a sprinkling of powdered sugar or a tasty glaze is always nice. There are many different Bundt shapes to choose from and I have a few but for the inaugural post I thought I’d go with the traditional shape.
Oh and if you’re interested in the history of the Bundt pan, check this out: History of the Bundt Pan.
The one thing you must alway remember to do and do well, is grease and flour your pan. With all those nooks and crannies you’ll be very disappointed if you don’t.
Interested in joining the fun?
#BundtaMonth:
Anuradha and Lora will pick an ingredient and announce it the first week of every month. All you bundt loving bakers need to do is use your imagination on how you’d like to incorporate it and bake a bundt – mini bundt or large bundt – and link it up to their blogs throughout the month. It’s that simple!
Here’s how to bake with #BundtaMonth:
– Bake your September #BundtaMonth Zucchini Bundt.
– Post it before September 30, 2012.
– Use the #BundtaMonth hashtag in your title. (For ex: title should read – #BundtaMonth: Chocolate Zucchini Bundt)
– Join the Bundt baking party! Share your link to our blog hop by clicking here or here.
– Link back to both Anuradha’s and Lora’s announcement posts.
So this month’s theme is zucchini. These beauties, to me represent the last vestiges of the summer vegetable harvest (or in my case pseudo-harvest read: farmer’s market). I’ve made many a zucchini loaf both with and without chocolate. Either way a cake baked with zucchini is just plain yummy.
As I was deciding what to do, I noticed the too ripe (for me) to eat bananas sitting on my counter and thought that would be a nice addition. Somewhere along the line carrots and pecans popped into my head and so evolved the Healthy Wanna-Be Bundt Cake. Why did I call it that? Well with all that butter and those eggs some fresh veggies does not a healthy cake make.
I got my inspiration for this cake from the now famous Van Halen Pound Cake by Jenni Field. I kinda used it as my base and ran with it.
Healthy Wanna-Be Bundt Cake
Inspired by the Original Van Halen Pound Cake – Jenni Field
Ingredients
13 ounces Pastry Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
12 ounces butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1, 7-ish inches long)
2 cups shredded and squeezed dry zucchini
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional) – toasted before chopping
Instructions
Note: You’ll want to bake this on a lower rack in your oven so be sure to set that up before you preheat it.
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease and flour your Bundt pan well and set aside.
3. Sift together the pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and set aside.
4. In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter for about a minute.
5. Add the sugar and on medium speed cream until fluffy about 3-4 minutes.
6. Add the eggs one at a time beating until you no longer see eggy streaks.
7. Add the mashed bananas and beat about 30-45 seconds until completely combined.
8. Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk in installments beginning and ending with the flour mixture. (you may want to lower the speed when you add the flour, at least the first time so you don’t wind up wearing it.)
9. Gently fold the zucchini, carrots and pecans in by hand.
10. Pour into your prepared bundt pan and put into your preheated oven for about 75 minutes. I suggest you check it at the one hour mark to make sure the top isn’t over browning. You can put a piece of foil over it and let it continue baking. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with only a few crumbs attached.
11. Allow it to cool for about an hour before removing it from the pan.
Deb! Thank you so much for baking along with us this month! Your “healthy” bundt looks beautiful! You think I can try this with whole wheat pastry flour or a combination of the two?
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Thanks An, so happy to be a part of the inaugural post! I had a lot of fun coming up with this recipe. Do give the whole wheat pastry flour a try. I generally mix it with white; I find I like the texture and my husband prefers the flavor. Happy baking! 🙂
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[…] Deb from Knitsmatic […]
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[…] Healthy Wanna-Be Bundt Cake by Deb at Knitstamatic […]
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Both fruit and veggies in there? I’m calling this “health” food 😉 I love the addition of bananas as well as carrots. Yum! Gorgeous bundt!
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Well done!!! I can see the bones of the VHPC in this beauty–really nice job!!!
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Thanks Jenni! With such a wonderful cake to start with how could I go wrong! 😉
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Nice flavors with banana and carrots along with the zucchini. I bet this is a super moist cake.
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Yes, happily it was a nice moist cake. I brought it into work to share and it disappeared before lunch! LOL
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I love your healthy version … Happy Wednesday 🙂
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Love that you used the lovely Jenni’s recipe. Your Bundt is superb. I agree about greasing and flouring the pan. I’ve luckily had good luck w/Pam baking spray and have been sticking w/it on recent Bundts so nothing sticks;)You are so sweet-so nice to be baking Bundts with you, Deb:)
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Thanks Lora. You know I use Pam on other baking pans but was alway a little skeptical about using it on a Bundt, but I may just give it a try on the next one. Love baking with you! 🙂
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Ooooh with carrots?! I love it!! The photo of the Bundt Cake alone is plain gorgeous. I think it’s probably waiting for me to bite into it.
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Hi Deb, so nice to see that you also baked along for the #BundtaMonth challenge. Your bundt cake is fabulous and so pretty. Such a rich cake with all those eggs, butter, the spices, and even better; bananas and grated carrots to add to the zucchini. I must try this version soon!
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Wonderful! You are so a talented baker! =)
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I haven’t made a Bundt cake in ages. I have a silicon Bundt baking pan that has been looking at me forlornly from my cabinet. You have inspired me to perhaps give it some love, soon.
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So glad to have inspired you. I encourage you to dust off that Bundt pan and show it some love. They produce such pretty cakes!
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What a picture perfect Bundt cake! And is definitely healthier than some of my usual desserts 🙂
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aww Deb your bundt cate came out flawless. Seriously just gorgeous. It shows your experience in baking it. I also love the vintage looking pan. Wishing you and your family L’Shana Tova!
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Thanks Shulie and to you. The good old traditional pan is still my favorite.
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[…] from Baker Street baked Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake Deb from Knitsmatic baked Healthy Wanna-Be Bundt Cake Kate from Food Babbles baked Chocolate Coconut Zucchini Bundt Cake Kate from Diet Hood baked […]
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[…] from Knitsmatic baked Healthy Wanna-Be Bundt Cake Kate from Food Babbles baked Chocolate Coconut Zucchini Bundt Cake Kate from Diet Hood baked […]
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