Chocolate Cake Using Bundt Pan

Alhamdulillah...today is 27 days of Ramadan and only last saturday I have a chance breaking fast with my best friends since age 7 (primary school). Since 2 of them celebrated their birthday in July so I decided to bake a chocolate cake.  I used my new Bundt pan that I bought a month ago. The pan is round with a hole in the middle and ridged.

Wilton Bundt Pan

Honestly, I never bake using this pan. Through my reading, somehow the intricate shape of the Bundt pan can cause some minor problems when you try to turn the pan upside down after baking the cake. To avoid it happen, I have coated the pan with a thin layer of oil and dust it with a little flour afterwards. Alhamdulillah, it turns out beautiful.

Another tip is when pouring the batter, make slow movements so that no air bubbles should be trapped inside and all the crevices of the shape will be filled for a consistent structure of the cake. Only three quarters of the Bundt pan should be filled so that there is plenty of space left for the batter to rise.

You can decorate the cake with any frosting you like and of course I choose chocolate garnish. Decorate with some fruits like strawberries, blueberries or cherries will make it prettier and outstanding.  Since I have extra salted caramel, I pour it a little bit on top so we can have a combination of sweet, creamy and salty flavors….wallaa!! 

Chocolate Moist With Berries And Salted Caramel

Upside Down Pineapple Cherry Cake

Pineapple Cherry Cake

Ingredients

Part A

1 ½ cup fresh cherries

3 tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Part B

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Spray a 9-in. round non-stick cake pan with oil. Line bottom with a piece of parchment. Set pan on a baking sheet.

Reserve 1 cup cherries. Coarsely chop remaining cherries (1/2 cup). Set aside.

Melt 3 tbsp butter with brown sugar in a medium frying pan set over medium high. Cook, stirring occasionally until it comes to a gentle boil for 2 to 3 min. Add pineapple (do not add any juice). Stir until pineapple is just tender about 3 min. Remove from heat. Add 1 cup reserved cherries. Pour into prepared cake pan, spreading fruit in a single layer and keeping cherries near the centre.

Stir flour with baking powder, salt and ginger in a medium bowl. Beat 1/2 cup butter with 3/4 cup sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium-high for 3 min. Add eggs one at a time. Beating well and scraping down side of bowl after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and beat in a third of flour mixture, then half of milk. Repeat additions, ending with flour mixture until well mixed. Add chopped cherries to batter then spoon batter over pineapple cherry layer. Don’t worry if it doesn’t cover fruit entirely, because batter will spread as it bakes.

Bake in centre of oven until cake is puffed and golden brown about 30 min. Cover with foil then continue baking until a cake tester inserted into centre of cake comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and let stand in pan for 10 min then place a large cake plate upside-down on top of pan and invert cake onto plate. Carefully peel off parchment.

Banana Cupcakes With Cheese Frosting And Salted Caramel

Some people say peanut butter and chocolate is match made in heaven as well as red velvet and cream cheese. How about banana cake and cream caramel or salted caramel? What can I describe….it’s magical.

I love banana cake and let me share with you the most moist banana cake I have ever. For frosting, you can either use normal buttercream or cream cheese with salted caramel.

Banana Cupcake

Ingredients:

3 cups sifted cake flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar

3 large eggs

4 very ripe large bananas, mashed (about 2 cups), plus sliced bananas for garnish

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup chopped walnut

Salted Caramel
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup thickened cream
1 teaspoon salt
50g chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Salted Cream Cheese Caramel Icing
250g cream cheese, room temperature
50g butter, softened
2 cups icing sugar
4 tablespoons salted caramel

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with cupcake cases. In a medium bowl, sift together flours, salt, cinnamon baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

Cream butter and brown sugar on high speed using a mixer until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Once combined, add the banana, no need to mash it because the mixer will do it automatically. We do not want the banana too soft and at least still can feel the pieces when eaten. Add vanilla extract. With slow speed add 1/3 of the flour and buttermilk and mix well. Repeat the process until all flour and buttermilk are used.

Divide mixture into cupcake cases approximately 2/3 full. Transfer to oven and bake for 25 minutes or until a blade inserted comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool before decorate with cream cheese frosting.

Salted Caramel

In a saucepan over medium heat, add sugar and water. Whisk until sugar has dissolved. Turn the heat up to high and stop stirring. Allow the mixture to boil for 5-7 minutes, or until the sugar starts to caramelize and turn into toffee. Keep an eye on it as the sugar changes colour rather quickly. Once it is dark golden, pour cream into the mixture; it will bubble and might splatter. Keep stirring using a wooden spoon and bring the caramel back to boil, add salt and continue cooking for 3 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk the butter into caramel, one cube at a time. Pour the caramel into a heatproof container and set aside to cool. Preferably stored in the refrigerator overnight.

Salted caramel icing

Cream butter on high speed until softened. Beat in cream cheese until well combined. Add icing sugar, one tablespoon at a time until all used. Add salted caramel and beat until smooth. Transfer the icing into a piping with any tip you desired and pipe icing on top of cupcakes. Lastly garnish the cupcakes with extra salted caramel.