A happy 2022 to all of you!
I (resp my blog!) finally arrived in 2022 – w/ a recipe for small Bundt cakes I made somewhere between Xmas & New Year’s Day out of a spontaneous feeling. (So far you may deduce that I didn’t start any cooking or baking – ready for my blog – after New Year’s Day.)
Somehow the little guys look very Xmas-sy with regard to the colors: chocolate brown, red cherries, white icing & green pistachios. However, you may indulge in them all year long. The cakes are fluffy w/ creamy icing on top & an irresistible flavor of oranges.
I didn’t do any Xmas baking end of last year – at least not on my blog. Okay – I admit that I’m always rather late when starting to think about Xmas baking, always too late for any posts. (Most of the Xmas baking posts are published beginning of November – my feeling. It’s somehow like the arrival of sweet Xmas delicacies in my trusted food store (and any other food store!) even in September …) In general I’m not fit to think about Xmas baking before mid of December.
I started my Xmas break mid of December – like each year w/ the best resolutions to analyze my blog & my posts, to plan new cooking & baking adventures, to streamline & update my technical background … and so on … and so on …
Of course I not only relaxed, but also got some new view of my blog, a lot of inspiration for 2022, plans what to cook … You’ll learn about it during the next weeks … months.
You know about New Year’s resolutions and their destiny?
I stopped defining any of these years ago because very soon you’ll be trapped in day-to-day business and all the New Year’s resolutions will vanish into thin air. I think it’s better to work on yourself and your activities continuously … all year long.
Nevertheless I started my New Year’s clearance – in my office, in my kitchen, in my home, in the cellar, in the garage … (well, my garage is very small and doesn’t keep more than the car & the bins. So this is always an action point which I can tick off at once.) … & there isn’t any attic lurking in the dark! (The emphasis is still on started!
Last year I got the impression when reading posts that such a clearance is the top subject for January. This year I think that it is all about detoxing, abstaining from alcohol, sugar & sweets, meat … I’ll definitely won’t become part of this crowd.
For my baking I used my baking dish for 6 small Bundt cakes.
I preheated my oven to 160° C fan.
The cakes are made with:
- sugar, butter & eggs
- flour, baking powder & cocoa
- orange liqueur, orange zest, orange jam & orang juice …
- dark chocolate flakes.
Start mixing sugar & butter, then add the eggs. When ready add the flour mixed with baking powder & cocoa … Finally fold in the orange mess & the chocolate. The dough is soft, but not runny.
The main challenge is to fill the dough into the 6 Bundt cake forms w/o splashing. (I tried to do this w/ a piping bag with which I wasn’t happy at all; so I decided after some testing to use a small spoon w/ a long grip – and taking the time necessary.)
The cakes need about 20-25 min in the preheated oven.
After cooling down in the form for about 5-10 min (or 15 min…) the cakes should tumble out by themselves.
When at room temperature it’s time to think abut the icing …
I made an icing w/ icing sugar & orange juice resp. orange liqueur. The icing shouldn’t get runny so I added spoon by spoon of the liquid to the icing sugar.
So finally the icing covered top of the cakes & flow slowly down the sides – stopping before reaching the ground.
In addition I made an effort w/ minced green pistachios & red glacé cherries.
You’ll get soft chocolate cake w/ orange in the background. Each cake is enough for 2 people when having their espresso.
Enjoy!
- 150 g butter
- 120 g sugar
- a pinch of salt
- 3 eggs
- 150 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 25 g fine cocoa
- 2 tbsp orange liqueur (or orange juice)
- 2 tbsp orange jam
- zest of an organic orange
- 2 tbsp dark chocolate flakes
- some oil for the baking dish (w/o taste of its own)
- 200 g icing sugar
- 2 tbsp orange liqueur (or orange juice)
- 2 tbsp orange juice (or orange liqueur)
- 18 glacé cherries
- 2 tbsp pistacchios (minced)
- handheld electric mixer
- baking dish für 6 small Bundt cakes
- Preheat the oven to 160° C fan.
- Oil the baking dish.
- Grate the zest of the organic orange & press the juice.
- Mix butter, sugar & salt with your handheld electric mixer until creamy.
- Add the eggs & continue mixing.
- Mix the flour, the baking powder & the cocoa, add to the existing mess & continue mixing.
- When there is a fine dough fold in the liquid, the orange jam, the orange zest & the chocolate flakes w/ a spoon.
- Spoon the dough into the Bundt cake forms – carefully.
- Let it bake for about 20-25 min.
- Let it cool down for 5-10 min; then let the Bundt cakes tumble out.
- Add liquids – spoon by spoon – to the icing sugar & mix with a egg whip. The icing shouldn't get runny, but stay very creamy.
- Distribute all over the cakes. The icing shall flow slowly down, however, not reaching the ground.
- Add the pistachios & the cherries.
