Orange Chocolate Bundt Cake
Have I not learned anything?
4 years ago when I started this food blog, I claimed I did not like to bake, and that I was lousy at it.
Well, things have changed. Practice makes perfect, and if I stuck to simple recipes with easy methods I would be fine.
Cakes were always sticking to the pans and I never had the patience to wait until they cooled completely to frost them or bite into them.
A Nordicware bundt pan and parchment paper renewed my confidence in baking and saved my life.
If I lined a loaf pan with my friend Mr. Parchment, the cake would NEVER stick. Truth.
and if I cooked a cake in a Nordicware (any of their baking pans), I was guaranteed success.
I have always loved mini bundt cakes, individual servings, perfect for one, your own slice of heaven.
So why was I tempted like Adam in the Garden of Eden, to eat the apple?
Those cute, sexy little shapely mini nonstick bundt pans teased me, until I bought them.
I should've known better.
I decided to make Silver Palate's, always delicious orange cake, in which I would add chocolate chips (see, I am a confident baker now!) and instead of my Nordicware friendly bundt pan, I would try these little imposters.
You can see that 3 out of the 4 cakes would not release from the pan and broke in half. I did the best I could to salvage the little cakes, by hiding them behind some pretty pansies (don't we women do that with makeup?).
I don't want to discourage you from baking this cake recipe, because it is DELICIOUS and one of my favorite cakes of all time, just promise me you will bake it in a regular loaf or bundt pan.
Silver Palate's Orange Bundt Cake with Chocolate:
8 tbsp (1 stick) sweet butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, separated
grated zest of 2 oranges
1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (from the 2 oranges)
1 tsp vanilla
2 oz. of chocolate chunks (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a regular bundt or loaf pan.
Cream the butter and gradually add the sugar, beating until light. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, vanilla and the orange zest.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to the batter little by little, alternating with the orange juice.
Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them into the batter.
Pour batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the sides of the cake shrink away from the edges of the pan and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then unmold onto a rack.
I drizzled my cakes with 1 cup of confectioners sugar mixed with a few tablespoons of orange juice.
Let the icing harden before serving. I decorated mine with pansies from my garden, which are totally edible, if they are free of pesticides.
Next time I won't be tempted by cute little kitchen gadgets!
Enjoy!
PS I just remembered that I also love springform pans, because I know I am going to get the sides off the pan!
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Comments
Now, THAT'S A CAKE!!! Every morning I read your blog and my mouth waters. Pretty soon I'll be dripping all over myself. I'd love a slice right now!!!!!!!!!
Mil
Also, these look incredible!
I use parchment paper now or nordicware pans and I never have the sticking problem anymore.
These pans were poor quality and I think that was the problem
A baker since I was a child (my late Mother was a brilliant baker, taught by her Mother), I have never had any luck with oils of any kind, nor have I ever had any faith in "nonstick" pans. Even my nonstick OXO utensils end up with glued on bits of scrambled egg and meat...
It's probably politically incorrect, but I use Release foil for bar cookies and brownies and move effortlessly through these. I can use it to wrap whatever is left.
The cake sounds delicious!
Lulu