Bundt cake – Page 2 – Feasting Is Fun

Crazy Caramel Carrot Cake

Hello lovelies, thank you so much for stopping by. And I have a real treat for you today, in the form of my Crazy Caramel Carrot Cake.

So, there is a reason for this particular cake’s title. Because I was absolutely CRAZY for attempting to make this cake last Sunday.

The Sunday Bake Club:

If you follow me on Twitter, you may well have heard of @SBC Takeover. It stands for Sunday Bake Club. Anyway, I was joining in a Tweet chat with them a few weeks ago and they asked me to join. Me?!!!

Each week they have a different theme as to what you should bake. And last Sunday it was vegetables. Yay I thought. Since carrot cake is my favourite cake in the entire universe, easy peasy. You’d think?!!!

Sliced crazy caramel cake, showing the inside. — Sliced Crazy Caramel Carrot Cake.

Since I figured, if I were going to take part, I was going to push myself. Yeah that always seems like a fun idea when you think about it – then you have to do it!!

I had a recipe-ish in mind for the cake I wanted to bake – but, it needed some adjustment. Also, this time I was going to use a Bundt tin, because, erm, it seemed like a good idea at the time. So I fiddled with the recipe, hoping I’d got the right quantities to bake my Crazy Caramel Carrot Cake in my chosen Bundt tin.

As I was making the cake, carefully photographing each stage, just in case it did work and I could share it with you lovely people, I had a thought. Always, always a dangerous activity for me.

Crazy Caramel Carrot Cake baked in a Bundt style tin.

Since there are Pecan nuts in the cake, it occurred to me that they’d also look nice if I used them to decorate the cake (assuming the cake turned out – literally, from its intricately designed Bundt tin). So all is good, but what was I going to ice/frost the cake with? Because I wasn’t feeling the cream cheese frosting that ALWAYS goes beautifully with carrot cake, I wanted Caramel.

Why Crazy Caramel Carrot Cake?

Confession time. I. Don’t. Like. Caramel.

Really I don’t, so I would be CRAZY to put something I don’t like, on my favourite cake, of all time, ever.

Yet, somehow, deep inside, I knew I could get it to work for me. While I know caramel and salted caramel have been done to death over the last few years, although I’d never jumped on that band wagon. Why would I? Because I don’t like caramel.

Or should I say I didn’t like caramel, until I’d made my own. I instinctively shy away from super sweet food, especially icings and frostings. Whereas, my own, homemade caramel sauce, is a gazillion miles away from the tooth aching, molten sugar of my previous caramel tastings.

Drizzled over this beautiful Bundt and adorned with toasted Pecan nuts this Crazy Caramel Carrot Cake is the perfect twist on a classic.

A Bundt sweet bake covered in caramel sauce and decorated with pecan nuts. — Crazy Caramel Carrot Cake

Bundt pan dimensions are 23.5cm (9″) wide x 11cm (4.5″) deep. The pan holds 3 litres (5.3 UK pints). Alternatively you could also use a 8in (20cm) greased and lined springform cake pan, although the baking time may need adjusting.

Recipe : Serves 10 Crazy Caramel Carrot Cake

For the Cake :

200g/7oz Unsalted Butter (plus extra for greasing the tin. Alternatively use Wilton cake release and apply as shown for butter.)

260g/10oz Caster Sugar

3 Large Free Range Eggs

1tsp Vanilla Extract – I use Nielsen-Massey

1/4tsp Salt

260g/10z Plain White Flour

2.5tsp Baking Powder

2.5tsp Cinnamon

300g/11oz Grated Carrot

50g/2oz Pecan Nuts

For the Caramel Topping :

50g/2oz Butter

175g/6oz Light Brown Sugar

300ml/11fl oz Double Cream

1tsp Vanilla Extract

50g/2oz Pecan Nuts

Method : Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan, gas mark 4, 350F.

Making And Baking The Carrot Cake:

First of all, before starting on the cake batter, you need to toast the pecan nuts. Since this brings out their flavour and keeps them crisp and crunchy within the cake.

In a dry pan, heat the pecan nuts, gently tossing to ensure even toasting, for five minutes. Set aside to cool.

Melt approx 1tbsp of butter and using a pastry brush, ensure the inside of the Bundt tin is completely greased.

To make the cake, firstly cream the butter and sugar together, until pale and fluffy.

Sift in one third of the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, vanilla extract and one egg and mix gently.

Repeat this process twice more, adding the egg before the dry mix at the last stage.

Place 50g of cooled pecan nuts, onto a board and roughly chop.

Add the grated carrot and chopped pecans to the cake batter.

Gently fold in the carrot and nuts until fully incorporated within the cake batter.

Spoon the cake batter into the tin, gently pressing down to remove any air pockets.

Place the cake in the middle of the oven and bake for 1hour.

Making The Caramel Sauce And Decorating The Cake:

While the cake is baking, make the Caramel Sauce.

Place the butter, sugar, cream and vanilla extract in a heavy based pan.

Crazy Caramel Carrot Cake swirl the ingredients over a medium heat. When the sauce is bubbling and golden brown in colour it is done! — **Crazy Caramel Carrot Cake** swirl the ingredients over a medium heat. When the sauce is bubbling and golden brown in colour it is done!

Remember the caramel is very hot, so no dipping your finger into the saucepan!!

Crazy Caramel Carrot Cake- decant the sauce, equally, into 2 heat proof containers and set aside to cool.

After 1 hour of baking insert a skewer into the deepest part of the cake, if it comes out clean the cake is baked and can be removed from the oven. If not, return the cake to the oven and check at 5 minute intervals.

Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin.

Once cooled turn out your Crazy Caramel Carrot Cake into a cake stand. — Once cooled turn out your **Crazy** **Caramel Carrot Cake** onto a cake stand.

Crazy Caramel Carrot Cake drizzle over the cooled caramel sauce. — **Crazy Caramel Carrot Cake** drizzle over the cooled caramel sauce.

You will only need half of the caramel sauce. The other half can be frozen, for up to 3 months, or kept in the fridge for a week.

crazy Caramel Carrot Cake now to decorate with pecan halves. — **Crazy Caramel Carrot Cake** now to decorate with pecan halves.

Your beautiful Crazy Caramel Carrot Cake is now ready to serve!

The Truth Of The Pudding Is In The Tasting:

You will have to trust me (wink), since this cake is not overly sweet. The resulting cinnamon scented carrot cake, with hidden pecan crunch, is perfectly complimented by the delicious caramel sauce. Don’t believe me??? try this for yourself!!!

I cannot encourage you enough to make this delicious twist on a classic, Crazy Caramel Carrot Cake.

Also this cake is easily baked in an ordinary cake pan. however, if I can encourage you also to obtain a Bundt tin, your baking world will sooo benefit. All that beautiful detail and no extra effort required from the baker. That’s got to be incentive enough.

Have you ever disliked a food or flavour and then been persuaded to change your mind?

If you have enjoyed this recipe for Crazy Caramel Carrot Cake you may also like these:

Malted Marbled Chocolate Cake

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

Summer Mixed Berry Sponge Cake

Stepping, actually taking a great, big, leap outside of my comfort zone really paid off. Resulting in an incredible flavour combination and beautiful cake that can also be served as a pudding, with custard, or more caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. And remember, however you serve this cake, it always tastes better when shared!

So, whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchens, have fun preparing and sharing your feast.

Sammie x

No part of this post may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the owner. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

Marbled Chocolate Bundt Cake

Hello, I’m back after a couple of weeks away with our family, during which we celebrated our eldest daughter’s 16th birthday. Wow, where did those years go! Anyway, I digress. Because it really was a wonderful holiday, especially as we were joined by family for a few days over the birthday celebrations. So, I took my spring form cake tin with me – doesn’t everyone? Star had a maltesers ice cream cake on her birthday, which was knockout! However, now we are home and there are even more family and friends to celebrate Star’s birthday. Since I know her favourite cake is Chocolate Marble and she’s not a big fan of icing, I decided to make her a Marbled Chocolate Bundt Cake. And you are going to be so pleased I came up with this cake – just look!

And I knew you’d be pleased. Because, this is the second recipe I have made where I use plain flour and add the baking powder separately, it gives more control over the rise of the sponge. Also, I guessed all the quantities for the size of cake (I mean, I did have a rough idea!!). Resulting in this Marbled Chocolate Bundt Cake, a complete success, both visually and in the taste department.

White and milk chocolate drizzled marble cake — Marbled Chocolate Bundt Cake

Birthday Bundt Baking

Most importantly, is the birthday girl herself liking it. Tick box – result! This cake has a wonderfully moist texture, resulting in most of it being consumed on the day of baking. While the drizzled chocolate adds different flavours and texture, sprinkled with edible stars, this cake is a stunner. So, perfect as a Celebration cake.

A slice of swirled chocolate and vanilla sponge. — Marbled Chocolate Bundt Cake slice.

I absolutely am falling in love with Bundt cake pans. And who wouldn’t? Since they give such beautiful detail to the baked cake. Although I was very tempted to put Maltesers into the little dimples on the cake, it looked better with just the drizzled chocolate. Yet, if I was baking my Malted Marbled Chocolate Cake I absolutely would sprinkle a few crushed Maltesers over the top as well. While the possibilities of how to decorate a Bundt cake are endless, with the cake shape lends itself to all sorts of ideas, including leaving the cake plain.

And this pan is so gorgeous. I’m even toying with the idea of making a jelly in it, can you imagine?? Have you ever tried making a jelly in a Bundt tin? I’m guessing you’d have to lightly oil the inside of the pan with a flavourless oil, I think it could totally work. I’ll keep you posted!

Anyway enough about glorious Bundt pans and onto how to make this cake!!

Most importantly, the Bundt pan dimensions are 23.5cm (9″) wide x 11cm (4.5″) deep. The pan holds 3 litres (5.3 UK pints).

Recipe : Marbled Chocolate Bundt Cake serves 8-10

For the cake:

25g/1 oz Butter – melted

275g/10 oz Unsalted Butter at room temp

275g/10 oz Caster Sugar

1/4 tsp Salt – I use Maldon

2 tsp Vanilla Extract – I use Nielsen-Massey

5 Large Eggs – free range

275g/10 oz Plain White Flour

2.5 tsp Baking Powder

80mls/3fl oz Milk – Whole or Semi Skimmed

3 tbsp Cocoa Powder

For the decoration:

75g/3oz White Chocolate

75g/3oz Milk Chocolate

Edible gold stars – alternatively use your own choice of decoration.

Preparing the Bundt pan

Using a pastry brush, ensure the inside of the Bundt tin is covered in melted butter. — Use a pastry brush, ensure the inside of the Bundt tin is covered in melted butter.

Making the cake batters

Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan oven, gas mark 4, 350F.

Whisk the sugar, butter, salt and vanilla extract until light and creamy.

Crack all the eggs into a jug. Sift the flour and baking powder together in a separate bowl. Start with the dry ingredients add a third to the butter mixture, followed by half of the eggs, beating gently to incorporate the ingredients. Repeat this step. Finally, finish by adding the final third of the dry ingredients and beating to mix. Add the milk and mix to incorporate.

Give the ingredients a good mix with a spatula to ensure everything is well incorporated. — Give the ingredients a good mix with a spatula to ensure everything is incorporated.

Remove half of the cake batter to a separate bowl. This will be the vanilla part of the cake.

Add the cocoa to half of the cake batter. Mix well to incorporate. — Add the cocoa to the remaining half of the cake batter. Mix well to incorporate.

You are now ready to start building your Marbled Chocolate Bundt Cake.

Place scoops (I used a dessert spoon) of alternating vanilla/chocolate batter in the Bundt tin. — Place scoops (I used a dessert spoon) of alternating vanilla/chocolate batter into the Bundt tin.

Now place a scoop of chocolate batter on top of the vanilla, repeating with both batters so they alternate throughout the cake. — Next, place a scoop of chocolate batter on top of the vanilla, repeating with both batters so they alternate throughout the cake.

Using a wooed spoon handle, gently swirl it through the batter. This will give the marbled effect once baked. — Using a wooden spoon handle, gently swirl it through the batter. This will give the marbled effect once baked.

Baking The Marbled Chocolate Bundt Cake

Please don’t worry if you think there is not enough batter for the pan (I worried), this cake rises beautifully.

Place the cake pan in the middle of the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes.

The cake is baked when it is risen and pulling away from the sides of the pan.

Test with a skewer (I used a bamboo one) by inserting it through the deepest part of the cake. The cake is baked when a skewer comes out clean.

As soon as the cake is baked remove from the oven. Leave to cool for 15 minutes.

Marbled Chocolate Bundt Cake - allow to cool in the tin for 15 mins. — Marbled Chocolate Bundt Cake – allow to cool in the tin for 15 mins.

After cooling for 15 minutes turn your cake out onto a cooling rack. Stand back and admire your beautiful piece of art, I mean cake! Allow to fully cool.

Decorating the cake

Melt the white and milk chocolate in separate bowls. I use the microwave, use whichever method you feel most comfortable with.

NOTE : White chocolate is easy to over heat. So go easy and stir between each heating session!

Marbled Chocolate Bundt Cake - once cooled melt the chocolate ready to decorate your cake! — Marbled Chocolate Bundt Cake – once cooled melt the chocolate ready to decorate your cake!

Marbled Chocolate Bundt Cake - drizzle over the melted chocolate. — Marbled Chocolate Bundt Cake – drizzle over the melted chocolate.

Use a teaspoon to gently drizzle, first the white and then the milk chocolate over the cake. Finally add a sprinkle of gold stars, or decorations of your choice.

Allow the chocolate to set before serving.

This Marbled Chocolate Bundt Cake is a real show stopper. I had to stop myself from adding gold candles, although that would totally work.

If you have enjoyed this recipe for Marbled Chocolate Bundt Cake you may also like these:

Maple Syrup Iced Coffee Bundt Cake

FF Marbled Chocolate Bundt Cake — Maple Syrup Iced Coffee Bundt Cake

Caramel Crunch Topped Chocolate Bundt Cake

Chocolate Hazelnut Baked Giant Doughnut

Finally this beautiful Bundt cake is perfect for any celebration, including birthdays and anniversaries. Since this cake has the WOW factor and is best when shared amongst friends, family, neighbours, or work colleagues. Because anyone would have their day brightened with the gift of this cake.

So, whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchens today, have fun preparing and sharing your feast.

Sammie x

No part of this post may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the owner. Please see my Disclosure Policy.