Maple Spice Bundt Cake with Walnuts
I feel like I was just here. Like I just removed the crumbly goodness of a cake that had my kitchen smelling the aromas of summer and fall simultaneously. The plum crumb cake didn't make it through the weekend, just so you know.
But then I got busy with the beautiful, joyous, crazy, rejuvenating holiday season September brings. It's indeed a special time, filled with family gatherings, brimming with hope and anticipation for a new year with new goals and endeavors. There was Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and we're right in the middle of Sukkot. You can imagine there have been many, many meals. Thirtheen, so far to be exact. And guess what I'm running back to tell you about: another cake.
See, I try to keep the recipes I share somewhat balanced. A side dish and a dessert one week, a meat dish, another. But I think I've failed at that attempt. Rather, I come and share things that deserve a special mention. The recipes that shine and please. Those that when you come over will warrant a: you have to try this, coupled with a tinkle in my eyes from sheer excitement.
This Maple Spice Bundt Cake fits the bill.
I made this cake on the eve of Yom Kippur, on a whim. It began with a neglected bundt pan that I found buried in the back of a kitchen cupboard, the kind you need a chair to reach. It looked forlorn, reminiscent of days when boxed mixes lined my pantry shelf and I used it as a trusty mold to bake my convenient cakes. But now, when rarely would you find such a, um, mix in my home, the pan seemed neglected. So I decided to use it, without a recipe in mind, a few hours before the holiest day of the year, with absolutely no clue as to the direction this recipe will take. Usually, you would find me (over)researching all kinds of bundt cake recipes to find the perfect skeletal recipe I could play around with. But time is precious, especially when the "research" sometimes takes more time than the actual baking.
But I found my way. I started with a brand new bottle of dark amber Grade A Maple Syrup, sprinkled in some fall spices whose smell still lingered from aforementioned Plum Crumble, and finished off with handful of raw walnuts. A new cake was born. The perfect accompaniment to the warm tea that soothingly flows down your throat as you break the fast.
The maple syrup added a delightful taste to this fall cake, keeping it moist and fragrant, without overburdening the flavors. The cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg spices are delicate and lend to a flavor that's understated, yet enjoyed in every bite. I scaled back on the sugar, as I do on most of my recipes, yet let the brown sugar shine. I prefer my cakes, lightly sugar-kissed, rather than overly sweetened.
It's such a thrill, it even feels somewhat victorious, when an experiment turns out successful. I hope you will try it soon. It's the perfect way to usher in the new season with the last days of lingering in the Sukka, in the sun, wherever you may be.
Happy Holidays.
As a side note, it was
The Kosher Spoon
's First Birthday
(the very first
). How exciting is that? Because I'm hopelessly unceremonious, I did not celebrate appropriately but I did want to extend my deep gratitude to you. To all the readers, thanks for dropping by. I appreciate the company.
Maple Spice Bundt Cake
Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 cup of dark brown sugar
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 cup of pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon of vanilla exract
1/2 cup of coconut oil
2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour (you can substitute half with white whole wheat flour)
2 teaspoons of baking powder (aluminum-free)
1 cup of vanilla almond milk
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of ginger
1/4 cup of walnuts, chopped (optional)
Directions:
1. Preheat over to 350F. With a stand mixer on medium, beat the eggs until fluffy and add the sugars. Add the maple syrup, vanilla, oil, and milk. Turn the mixer off.
In a bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder, salt, and spices.
Using a wooden spoon, combine the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over mix, even if the batter looks lumpy. Pour into a cake mold and bake in the middle rack for 45-50 minutes. It is ready when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.