I have always loved bundt cakes. They slice up so nicely, and they always seem to bake with a nice crust and beautiful, moist-yet-dense center. I started experimenting with a Better Homes and Gardens Apple Cake recipe, and came up with some amazingly delicious variations. It all started when I really wanted to make the apple cake, but I didn't have any apples. Over the weekend, three different cakes recipes were born. They all have two essential elements: (1) they are all bundt cakes, and (2) they are all spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
Better Homes and Gardens Apple Cake
Main Dry Ingredients:
3 c flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t salt
Main Wet Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
1 c oil
1 c white sugar
1 c brown sugar
1 t vanilla
Apple Ingredients:
2 t shredded lemon peel
1/2 c applesauce
5 medium peeled, chopped apples
1 c chopped and toasted pecans (optional)
Plus...Powdered sugar for dusting
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, then mix the wet ingredients in another bowl. Gradually mix the dry in with the wet, beater on low speed. Fold in the apple ingredients. Pour batter into greased bundt pan. Bake 1 hour (more or less...I had to cook mine more) at 350 degrees. Check with a toothpick. When out of pan and cool, dust with powdered sugar. Serve with whipped cream, if desired!
This is the banana variation. You can see the little tidbit of nanner in there!
Keep the same main dry and wet ingredients. Follow the directions above for mixing and baking, substituting the apple ingredients for the orange variation ingredients (or the banana variation, or the zucchini variation).
Orange Ingredients:
2 t shredded orange peel
Juice from one orange, and some pulp
1/2 c vanilla yogurt
1 c chopped and toasted pecans (optional)
Plus...powdered sugar for dusting
Banana Cake
Banana Ingredients:
4 mashed ripe bananas
1/2 c vanilla yogurt
1 c chopped and toasted pecans (optional)
Plus...powdered sugar for dusting
Zucchini Cake
Zucchini Ingredients:
1/2 c apple sauce
3 cups shredded zucchini
1 c chopped and toasted pecans (optional)
Plus...powdered sugar for dusting
I haven't tried this yet, but I believe a carrot cake, pumpkin cake, or sweet potato cake would also be wonderful variations! The idea is to substitute an equivalent for the applesuace (like vanilla yogurt), and substitute an equivalent for the fruit solids to match the original apple recipe. It may not be exact, of course, but it always turns out yummy!
