breakin’ in the bundt

a couple weeks ago, i fell in love. i don’t normally go for non-classic bundt pans because they are usually too complicated. why would i want a sunflower-, rose-, or sandcastle-shaped bundt pan? that the cake isn’t a standard layer cake is already enough for me, without unnecessary bells and whistles.

but i saw this bundt pan – the “heritage” by williams sonoma – and couldn’t resist. as you can see in the photo, it’s not the classic bundt, but it’s not an overly complicated one either. well, i took one look at it, and added to my shopping cart online. yeah, i considered for about 10 seconds before i bought that baby.

i can’t usually afford things at williams sonoma, unless i’m at their outlet, or i’m buying a spatula. this pan wasn’t too much more than i would pay at a nice kitchen store, and i’m fully prepared to say that it was worth it. my classic bundt also has a classic nonstick coating, which has stood up well over the past four or so years that i’ve had it – not that i make bundt cakes frequently. the pan has probably seen use maybe 10-15 times. but this new bundt pan has a pretty amazing nonstick coating – it’s a proprietary williams sonoma one, so that the pan is kind of golden-gray. when i made a cake in this bundt for the first time, i waited about 30 seconds to turn the cake out on a plate, and the “whoosh” that a cake makes when it comes out of the pan was immediate and perfect. i will have to try a few of my very unforgiving bundt recipes to check the coating comprehensively, but this cake bodes well.

unfortunately, you have to cut across the swirl pattern to serve it, but you do at least get some oohs and aahs when you bring it out, so make the most of it!

and on to the cake – this is a rum-vanilla pound cake. it’s not technically a pound cake with respect to the technique – it is much easier and much more forgiving – but it has the texture of one. it’s very bad for you – tons of eggs, sugar, and butter, fortified with lots of baking powder – but it’s quite good. i think i would adjust the sugar, and have done so in the recipe i’ve included below – i decreased it by a third cup, in case you want to make it with the full balance of sugar. there is a small possibility that you may get less of a caramelized crust on your cake, but i think that possibility is pretty small. i also made quite a lot of rum syrup, which was on the rummier side than the sugary side. rum-soaked means rum-soaked, people. i used the 8-year aged rum by bacardi, which is pretty good for a big brand.

as for aesthetics – i grabbed this recipe from a blog i came across, and the cake on that blog was rather pale. i saw another version of this cake on another blog that was fully caramelized, so i was confident that it would be ok when i made it – i think this is from dorie greenspan’s book. this cake has a dense, but soft crumb, a bit wet from the eggs, and an almost crispy-chewy crust from the high amount of sugar. the caramelized crust is really quite pretty, so it’s perfect for showing off a bundt cake.

rum-soaked vanilla pound cake

2 2/3c flour
2 1/2t baking powder
1/2t salt
2c sugar
6 eggs
1 vanilla bean, or 2t vanilla extract (really, go for the beans on this one – the little flecks in the cake are quite pretty)
2/3c whole milk
3T rum
15T butter, melted and cooled

1. preheat oven to 350F. generously butter a 12-cup bundt pan, or a 10-cup bundt plus a few cupcakes.

2. sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. in another bowl, whisk together the eggs, then add the sugar and whisk until completely incorporated. split the vanilla bean and scrape out the beans, then add to the egg-sugar mixture. you may have to use a spoon or spatula to separate the beans a bit, but as you whisk, they will evenly distribute through the mixture. add the milk and rum, and whisk to combine.

3. add the wet ingredients to the dry, and slowly whisk to combine completely (no lumps). add the butter and fold in with a spatula.

4. pour batter into the pan and bake 45-60 minutes. mine was done after about 45 minutes, but i was also using a 10-cup bundt, not a 12-cup. while the cake is baking, make the rum syrup. combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium until the mixture boils. remove and stir in the rum, and let cool. i ended up using the syrup and then just brushing rum straight onto the cake because i didn’t think it had enough rum in it. i think i probably used an extra quarter cup of rum.

5. when the cake is done, remove from oven and let sit for about a minute, then turn the pan over onto a large plate. if you want, poke the cake all over with a thin skewer (i never do this because i think the cake isn’t as pretty) and then brush with the rum syrup. let cool completely, then cover.

[serves 10-12]