This post is sponsored by Karibe Cookware. I received compensation; all words and opinions are mine.
I love looking for international inspiration and this time around I traveled to the continent of Africa, specifically West Africa. These lamb meatballs with yassa onions is a true marriage of regional international cuisine. When I tell you that these lamb meatballs will be a keeper in your recipe cards, I mean it.
In many recipes, ground lamb is charred over an outdoor grill, so for this indoor version I swapped out a fiery grill for a smoking-hot Karibe cast-iron skillet. I drew further inspiration from Africa by creating a meatball mixture with ground lamb as our base and added yassa onions for garnish and accompaniment.
WHAT IS YASSA?
Yassa is a spicy, marinated dish prepared with peppers, onions, vinegar, mustard and/or lemon juice. Originally from Senegal, yassa is a specialty from the Casamance region in the south of Senegal. Usually made with chicken or fish, beef and lamb are used but are not as popular. The spice of the dish comes from hot peppers, which are sometimes pricked with a fork to release the capsaicin (the heat) and removed part way through the cooking process.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAMB MEATBALLS AND KOFTA?
One of the main differences between kofta and meatballs is the consistency of the meat before it is cooked. Kofta is mixed for a long time to break down the protein structure of the meat, rendering it soft. Meatballs are prepared quickly with added filters and binders to plump up the meat. The added lemon juice slowly breaks down the meat fibers, making the meatballs easier to form, very flavorful and easy to eat.
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| Did you know that Karibe has a line of utensils too? |
CAN I SUBSTITUTE BEEF OR CHICKEN FOR LAMB?
Absolutely! Many use a pork and beef combination but you can use them separately or together as a substitute for lamb if you prefer. Similar to kofta in flavor, (kofta is traditionally made with ground lamb too) lamb meatballs get their life from the addition of the sharp, caramelized yassa onions.
CAN I SUBSTITUTE THE ONIONS FOR SOMETHING ELSE?
YES. Use a mix of bell peppers, hot peppers or mild peppers; use this mixed pepper ragu recipe as your guide.
The biggest challenge with making meatballs is achieving the perfect amount of brownness on the outside while ensuring that they're cooked all the way through. And of course, browning them adds a lot of wonderful complex flavor to the meatballs, so you definitely don't want to skip this step.
Fortunately, browning meatballs are just the sort of thing the Karibe cast iron skillet is perfect for since you can get it nice and hot to do the browning, and then transfer it directly to the oven to finish cooking.
I browned the meatballs in just one batch; The Karibe 12-inch cast iron skillet is wide and deep enough to handle the heavy lifting of this dish. It takes only a few minutes in the hot cast-iron skillet to create a perfectly seared exterior.
Another issue with browning meatballs is that if you make them perfectly round, they'll be harder to brown because perfect spheres have little surface area to come in contact with the pan. If you shape your meatballs slightly oblong, and just barely flatten them a little, they'll brown more evenly. You'll still have to roll them around a bit with a pair of tongs or slotted spoon, but not as much. The Karibe Company slotted spoon (which is my preferred utensil to use for this recipe) is scratch-resistant with a silicone head, which is easy to use and to clean.
And when I say "flatten," I don't mean to squash them or pack them tightly. The balls turn into kofta, which isn't a bad idea, it's just not the look we're going for here. You should shape the meatballs very gently. If you pack them tightly, you end up with meat rocks instead of meatballs.
For the binder I stuck with a standard egg, but instead of a traditional panade of bread and milk you can use yogurt along with crushed saltines. The yogurt adds additional tang while using saltines instead of fresh bread ensures that the meatballs hold their shape. If you're egg free, you can use a one-third cup blend of flaxseed and water, cheese or yogurt.
Serve these with rice, potatoes or a salad. If you want to be more traditional, serve with an ancient grain like fonio, einkorn or make a side dish of porridge or yogurt garnished with parsley.
Lamb Meatballs with Yassa Onions
Yield: 12-15 meatballs
Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 40 MinInactive time: 24 HourTotal time: 25 H & 4 M
Ingredients
Lamb MeatballsYassa OnionsPrepare Lamb MeatballsPrepare Yassa Onions
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 bunch chopped green onion (green parts only)
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons coriander
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup crushed crackers or fresh bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil, for cooking
Yassa Onions
- 4 cups thinly sliced onions
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 teaspoons prepared mustard
Instructions
Prepare Lamb Meatballs
- Place the lamb in a large bowl and add garlic, onion, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, green onion, salt, cayenne, cumin, egg and crushed crackers. Mix until well blended. Tightly cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, up to 24 hours, to let the flavors meld.
- Make a round meatball the size of a golf ball 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter.
- Repeat until all meatballs are formed. Don't pack them too tightly. Make them slightly more oval-shaped rather than perfectly round, browning them will be easier. Add vegetable oil to the pan on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the meatballs and brown them for about 10 minutes, rolling them around with a pair of tongs so that they brown evenly all around. Remove from pan, reduce heat to medium and set meatballs aside.
Prepare Yassa Onions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Add the onions and bay leaf and stir well to coat the onions with the remaining oil in the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook undisturbed for 10-15 minutes, until soft.
- Add mustard and stir well.
- Adjust seasoning, if necessary. Add lamb meatballs back to the pan. Bake the entire pan in the oven for 10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
- Remove bay leaf. Serve over hot white rice, grits, porridge or plain yogurt.
This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation of the #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine.
Every good cook should have at least one real dessert recipe up their sleeve (and not a deconstructed version of something or a microwave mug cake). These beautiful, lightly glazed Mini Lemon Sweet Tea Pound Cakes could be yours. The individual portions are perfect for small intimate gatherings or outdoor parties where everyone can dip and decorate their own dessrt. Simple lemon pound cake should be moist, rich, feel like springtime, and taste incredible under a thin, yet flavorful layer of lemon glaze.
Lemon Sweet Tea Pound Cake is a lighter-crumbed quick bread– soft and airy like birthday cake, because of the self-rising flour but with big and bright lemon flavor that hits as soon as you take the first bite because of the Taylor & Colledge lemon paste extract. It's moist, dense without being heavy while super rich and buttery smooth with a velvety crumb.
WHAT IS POUND CAKE?
Traditional American pound cake is a cake containing a pound, or equal weights, of flour, butter, and sugar. One of the original pound cake recipes was:
• 1 pound sugar
• 1 pound butter
• 1 pound flour
• 1 dozen eggs
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
In modern times, these ratios have changed and the addition of sour cream, vanilla, rum and alternative flours are used.
WHAT IS A TEA CAKE?
First of all: It's not actually a cake. Traditonally, a tea cake is a big ol' cookie with crispy edges that snap when you bit into it and gnerally served with tea. The tea softens them up for make them edible. They are of American southern and British origin.
To dispel disappointment, I added some sweet tea to my lemon glaze to make it a little floral and a little more southern than your usual cake. Sweet tea is a religion down here and if people can brine chicken with it, I certainly can glaze a mini cake with it.
WHAT KIND OF PAN DO I BAKE MY POUND CAKE IN?
Loaf pans (longer rectangle pan) are common when making pound cakes; As are bundt cake pans or decorative molded pans. A standard loaf pan size is 9x5x3. Using the Circulon mini loaf pan for this recipe is easy because it's nonstick, browns the outside of the cake evenly and uniformly and fits on the top rack of my dishwasher.
HOW DO I GLAZE EACH CAKE?
Each mini lemon pound cake is flavorful enough to stand on its own, but the glaze adds a little oomph. While the cake is still warm, dip the cake, bottom side down into a shallow bowl of icing. Let it soak into the cake, then dip it again after it has cooled.
Friday #SpringSweetsWeek Recipes
- Candied Kumquats by Karen's Kitchen Stories
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
- Citrus Biscotti by Pook's Pantry
- Citrus Rhubarb Custard Bars by Cheese Curd In Paradise
- Coconut Macaroons by Books n' Cooks
- Easy Key Lime Mousse Tarts by Blogghetti
- Eclairs by House of Nash Eats
- Grapefruit Mint Julep by The Spiffy Cookie
- Key Lime Soufflé by Art of Natural Living
- Lemon Raspberry Parfait by The Carefree Kitchen
- Mandarin Orange Scones by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
- Mini Lemon Sweet Tea Pound Cakes by Nik Snacks
- No-Cook Candied Kumquats by Shockingly Delicious
- Pineapple Cheesecake Shooters by Jen Around the World
- Rhubarb Cream Cheese Danish by Devour Dinner
- Rhubarb Lavender Crisp by Sweet Beginnings
- Walking Banana Pudding Dessert Bags by For the Love of Food
We share recipes from #SpringSweetsWeek on Pinterest! Make sure you follow the board to see all the delicious recipes shared this week.
Mini Lemon Sweet Tea Pound Cakes
Yield: 12
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 50 Min
Ingredients
Mini Lemon Pound Cake
- 1½ cups self-rising flour
- ½ (1 stick) cup butter, room temperature
- 1½ cups Dixie Crystals granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoons Taylor & Colledge Lemon extract paste
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1½ cups buttermilk
Lemon Sweet Tea Icing
- 1/4 cup whole milk or cream
- 5 black tea bags
- juice of ½ lemon
- 2½ cups Dixie Crystals powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Measure 1½ cups of flour and then level it off.
- Cream butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the extract.
- Beat mixture until it is light and fluffy, about four minutes. alternate adding the flour and buttermilk to the egg mixture. Carefully pour batter into prepared pan. Gently smooth the top surface of the batter with a rubber spatula.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. When cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, it is done.
- Let cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out on a wire rack to dip in the lemon sweet tea icing. If cake doesn't want to release completely from the pan, tap lightly on top and sides of the upside-down pan with a spoon.
Icing
- Heat the milk in the microwave for 1 minute, stir and then add 30 more seconds. Place the tea bags in the milk and allow to steep for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the bags of tea and discard. Add lemon juice. Use a hand mixer or whisk to mix the powdered sugar, sweet tea, and lemon juice together until no lumps remain.
- If desired, slowly add more sugar to thicken the glaze or add more sweet tea to thin out the glaze.
- While the cake is still hot, dip each loaf into the glaze and turn it over, glaze side up to set. Once the cake has fully cooled, pour the glaze over the cakes fof hand-dip them again.
- Serve.
Please consult a healthcare professional or dietician about nutritional needs for your diet. I am a communications professional, not a physician.
This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation of the #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine.
A Dessert Charcuterie Board is the perfect thing to make for a small, intimate gathering or a party of one. You can fix it to encompass a theme and make sure there is something for everyone. This post is meant to inspire creativity moreso than to be a guideline for how to assemble a dessert charcuterie board.
WHAT IS CHARCUTERIE?
Charcuterie is the art of preparing and assembling cured meats and meat products. Charcuterie is a branch of cooking involving prepared meats, such as ham, sausage, bacon, confit, or other pork products. The word is French and it translates to "pork-butcher shop." While the French translation refers to pork, modern charcuterie boards include other types of food like pate, cheese, crackers, fruit and nuts. Because this is America, we have taken this delicate French concept and turned it upside down and extended the boundaries of boards and what charcuterie actually means.
HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE CHARCUTERIE?
Charcuterie is pronounced "shahr-ku-tuh-ree"(char·cu·te·rie) /ËŒSHärˈko͞odÉ™rÄ“/ But you may have heard char-cutie, shar-cootie, shark coochie, jarcuterie — all fun ways to butcher and maim the pronunciation of this trendy food display.
WHAT IS A DESSERT CHARCUTERIE BOARD?
Charcuterie boards have become so popular that people have taken the idea and run to the hills with it! Dessert charcuterie boards are arranged in the same smorgasbord style but with sweets treats instead of meats and cheese. I am a firm believer that you can have any type of board you wish, but in order to call it a charcuterie board, you have to have actual charcuterie on it. There is no such thing as a hot chocolate, candy, vegetable or pancake charcuterie board. Everything else is either crudité, a platter, a plain ol’ board or a lie.
HOW DO YOU ASSEMBLE A CHARCUTERIE BOARD?
Click the video below to watch me assemble the Dessert Charcuterie Board you see in the photos of this post.
I am not an expert, but I've taken a few online tutorial classes for fun during the pandemic to pick up that you should place bowls or cups down first and then you can fill in the rest. I used a pizza pan from Dollar Tree as my board and a mix of candy, fruit and homemade items for my charcuterie accompaniments. You can draw out your board design first or you can be like me and do trial and error until you get it right. Remember: You want a mix of colors, textures, flavors and designs for your board. I added fun paper straws as skewers as well as used swizzle sticks for fruit and cake skewers. The sky is the limit when you are assembling your own board.
Here is a list of everything I included on this board:
- Blood oranges
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Mandarin oranges
- Navel oranges
- Kumquats
- White chocolate chips
- Marshmallows
- Raisins
- Lemon Pound Cake
- Billionaire's Bacon
- Lime Curd
WHAT IS BILLIONAIRE'S BACON?
Essentially, it's spicy candied bacon. Sprinkled with Dixie Crystals brown sugar and cayenne pepper, thick-cut bacon is cooked and caramelized until it's dark golden brown and then hit with a glaze of jelly or jam to gild the lily and make it over the top delicious. Candied bacon goes with everything, so no one will be upset to see long, large strips of bacon on a dessert platter. As a matter of fact, they will probably thank you.
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| The Raw and The Cooked; Bacon |
Add cookies, brownies, wrapped gold chocolate coins, jelly beans, shards of chocolate bars, lollipops, gummy bears, pie crust pieces, caramel sauce, chocolate ganache, French macarons or anything else you want to make it your own.
BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE! Don't forget to click here to enter the sweepstakes to win $100s of dollars worth of prizes from our #SpringSweetsWeek sponsors. For more inspiration for your own spring sweets creations, visit more than two dozen bloggers sharing their sweet creations this week too
Tuesday #SpringSweetsWeek Recipes
- Blackberry Lavender White Mocha Latte by Jen Around the World
- Chocolate Whiskey Cupcakes by Karen's Kitchen Stories
- Citrus and Berry Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing by Eat Move Make
- Coconut Lime Swig Cookies by Devour Dinner
- Dessert Charcuterie Board by Nik Snacks
- Fresh Pineapple Salsa by The Spiffy Cookie
- Fresh Pineapple Upside Down Cake by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
- Ginger Pear Mini Loaves with Oat Crumble Topping by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
- Kiwi Creme Brûlée by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
- Kumquat Cheesecake Bars by Sweet Beginnings
- Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake by The Carefree Kitchen
- Mini Honey Lavender Coffee Cakes by That Recipe
- Mini Rhubarb Crumb Loaves by Kate's Recipe Box
- Strawberry Rhubarb Oat Bars by Family Around the Table
- Strawberry Scones by House of Nash Eats
- White Chocolate Raspberry Scones by Blogghetti
We share recipes from #SpringSweetsWeek on Pinterest! Make sure you follow the board to see all the delicious recipes shared this week.
Dessert Charcuterie Board
Yield: 12
Ingredients
Billionaire's Bacon
- 1 pound thick-cut bacon (about 10-12 slices)
- 1/2 cup packed Dixie Crystals light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 Tbsp grape jelly
Lime Curd
- 1 cup Dixie Crystals granulated sugar
- ¼ cup butter
- ¾ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- 2 eggs, beaten
Instructions
Billionaire's Bacon
- Arrange the baking rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Lay each bacon sheet on the prepared baking sheet and arrange close together in a single layer, making sure the slices do not overlap.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over each slice of bacon. Repeat with the cayenne pepper,
- Bake for 15-20 minutes and bake until the bacon is deeply caramelized, and the fat is rendered.
- Remove the bacon from the oven, pour off the melted bacon fat. Brush each bacon slice with the grape jelly. Set aside until the sugar sets slightly, about 1 minute. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Use tongs to transfer the slices to a clean plate.
Lime Curd
- Place the sugar, butter, lime juice, lime zest in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until butter melts. Mix 2 tablespoons hot lime mixture into the blended eggs and stir to blend.
- Reduce heat to medium and slowly whisk egg mixture into the lime mixture. Continue whisking until lime mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pushing it through with a rubber spatula. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming; let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until completely set, at least 4 hours and up to 5 days.
This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation of the #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine.
Hot Cross Bundt Cake is a new time-honored spring sweets tradition at my house. The cross-hatch pattern is beautiful and mesmorizing visually and I am a sucker for a good bundt cake.
A play off of the original Easter treat, hot cross buns, I decided to combine my love for cake with the flavors and textures of the yeast bun to create a whole new dessert and sweet treat. Orange zest, raisins and star anise are what make the Hot Cross Bundt cake taste like the buns we used to get from our hometown bakery, Dewey's Bakery. They are the gold standard. Operating since 1930, many families in the area remember a time when Dewey's was the only place you could order a wedding cake, pick out an individual lemon chess pie, walnut studded brownie with chocolate frosting or a cherry Danish to nibble on the way home.
What goes great with Hot Cross Bundt Cake? A cup of specialty coffee. The Door County Coffee & Tea Co. releases seasonal flavored coffees each season, almost like a line of designer clothes, and the array of flavors is astounding. 2021 flavors range from S'mores and Blackberry Shortcake to Frosted Cinnamon Buns and Orange Creme, which all blend and match the flavor intensity of this bundt cake. Click here to enter to win a $50 gift certificate so you can order your own spring line of specialty coffee.
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| Which Door County Coffee & Tea Co. flavor will you try first? |
I grew up Catholic and we made sure to have hot cross buns on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday too. Always soft and very seasonal, this treat marks the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ in a special way. Easter is one of my favorite times of year. It marks the season of my birthday in April, the advent of warmer weather and the end of the school year as well as the most beautiful part of the liturgical year at church. The flowers, the stations of the cross, the new clothes and shoes, the beautiful hymns and of course, the food. Getting up super early to participate in egg hunts and finding baskets full of candy, spring-themed goodies and sharing my haul with my family really warms my soul. And hot cross buns and now the Hot Cross Bundt Cake are all a part of my childhood memories as serve as a reminder that I am making new ones as an adult.
For those who don't observe Easter, the Hot Cross Bundt Cake is still a special way to usher in spring and vernal equinox with the promise of flowers, spring showers and the return of leaves budding on trees.
WHAT IS A HOT CROSS BUNDT CAKE?
A traditional hot cross bun is a spiced, sweet yeast bun made with raisins, currants, glaceed fruit and marked with a cross on the top (either with egg wash, tiny strips of dough or piped icing with red or pink dots at the crux of each arm of the cross) Traditionally eaten on Good Friday, the sales of the buns ramped up during the months of March and April and could be seen on buffets, luncheon menus and at fellowship halls on Sundays. A Hot Cross Bundt Cake is a cross between a spiced pound cake and a yeast roll with vanilla icing piped on top.
WHAT DOES HOT CROSS BUNDT CAKE TASTE LIKE?
The bundt is a spiced pound cake laced with yeasty biscuit dough pieces and dried fruits and decorated with a powdered sugar citrus icing in a cross hatched pattern across the top. The biscuit pieces serve as a reminder of the roots of the confection as a yeast bun. The pound cake serves as a vehicle for the warm spices of cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg and the raisins. Essentially, the Hot Cross Bundt Cake is a type of coffee cake best served at room temperature.
WHAT TYPE OF FLOUR SHOULD I USE?
This recipe calls for self-rising flour because baking powder and salt are already mixed in and that is one less step to add to the multilayered recipe. If you only have all-purpose flour, simply add ½ teaspoon salt and 1½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of baking soda per cup of all-purpose flour.
If using bread flour, add an extra ½ cup of milk when making this cake. The gluten of this kind of flour needs extra hydration so the cake is not dry as a bone.
WHAT SPICES CAN I USE?
Warm spices such a cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom, star anise, mace, cloves and ginger are all interchangeable in this recipe.
WHAT SUGAR SHOULD I USE?
The recipe calls for both brown and granulated sugars. As for brown sugar, it does not matter if you use dark or light; it simply refers to the color which directly corresponds the amount of molasses in each one. Brown sugar will give your cake a deep bronze color after baking. If you decide to use 100% granulated sugar, this will not affect baking time nor the taste.
WHAT KIND OF FRUIT CAN I USE?
Raisins or currants (seedless raisins) are most traditional, but diced dried apricots, cherries or even pineapple can be used.
Monday #SpringSweetsWeek Recipes
- Carrot Pineapple Mini Loaves by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Hot Cross Bundt Cake by Nik Snacks
- Instant Pot Lemon Lavender Cheesecake by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
- Key Lime Lavender Curd by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
- Kiwi Coconut Key Lime MIni Cheesecakes by The Spiffy Cookie
- Kumquat Pie by Eat Move Make
- Lavender Lemon Mini Loaves by Sweet Beginnings
- Lemon Lavender Macarons by Jen Around the World
- Lemon White Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes by Art of Natural Living
- Mandarin Orange and Rhubarb Mini Loaves by Karen's Kitchen Stories
- Mandarin Orange Donuts with Ganache Glaze by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
- Mini Blueberry Bread by The Carefree Kitchen
- Mini Lemon Cakes with Lemon Glaze by Family Around the Table
- Mini Pound Cake by Cheese Curd In Paradise
- No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake by Pook's Pantry
- No Bake Lemon Cheesecake by Devour Dinner
- No-Churn Lemon Ice Cream by Kate's Recipe Box
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake by House of Nash Eats
- Raspberry Cheesecake Bars by Books n' Cooks
- Strawberry Rhubarb Breakfast Bread by For the Love of Food
- Strawberry Oatmeal Cookies by Palatable Pastime
- Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Crumb Topping by Blogghetti
- Vegan Chocolate Loaf Cake by Shockingly Delicious
- White Chocolate Latte Cupcakes by That Recipe
We share recipes from #SpringSweetsWeek on Pinterest! Make sure you follow the board to see all the delicious recipes shared this week.
Hot Cross Bundt Cake
Yield: 12
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 Hour
A new twist on the Easter tradition of hot cross buns, this bundt cake has all of the flavors and look of the traditional morning treat.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups self-rising flour
- ½ (1 stick) cup butter, room temperature
- 1½ cups Dixie Crystals granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon Chinese 5-spice or ground star anise
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 cup packed Dixie Crystals light or dark brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon star anise extract or
- pure vanilla extract
- ½ Tablespoon orange zest
- 2 oz raisins or currants
- 1½ cups buttermilk
- 1 can refrigerated biscuits (6 or 8-count), cut into 1-inch pieces
Icing
- 1 cup Dixie Crystals powdered sugar
- 3 Tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Next, grease and flour a 9" or 10" tube or
- bundt cake pan.
- Measure 3 cups of flour by spooning lightly into a measuring cup and then leveling it off. Sift together with
- cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, star anise and cardamom. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugars together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla, orange zest and beat mixture until just combined. Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk to the egg mixture. Add raisins.
- Gently shape refrigerated biscuit pieces into balls. Place half of the biscuit rolls in the lightly greased 9-inch cake pan first. Carefully pour half of the cake batter into prepared pan. Place remaining biscuit pieces on top and pour the remaining batter. Gently smooth the top surface of the batter with a rubber spatula.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. When the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, it is done.
- Let cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out on a wire rack to finish cooling. If the cake doesn't want to release completely from the pan, tap lightly on the top and sides of the upside-down pan with a spoon or carefully loosen the sides of the cake with a paring knife. Let cake cool completely before decorating.
- Mix confectioners’ sugar and orange juice in a small bowl. Spoon into a small resealable plastic bag. Cut a small piece from one of the bottom corners of the bag. Close bag tightly then pipe a cross-hatch pattern on the top of the entire cake.
Please consult a healthcare professional or dietician about nutritional needs for your diet. I am a communications professional, not a physician.
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