The Ninja Baker - #BundtaMonth

Peachy Keen Spice Cake, #BundtaMonth

NinjaBaker — Fri, 08 Nov 2013 08:10:00 +0000

Do you ever miss someone so badly your whole body hurts? My heart aches a bit right now as I remember my grandmother, Nona. She’s resided in Heaven for decades. But this bout of Nona nostalgia came about with November’s Bundt-a-Month assignment from the talented baker/leaders of the group, Anuradha of Baker Street and Lora, the Cake Duchess.

For November's #BundtaMonth Jam Theme:
A moist spice bundt with peach jam in the cake and whipped cream topping.

Jam is the star ingredient of our cakes this month. And when I think of jam, my mind tumbles back in time to childhood summers in Colorado. However, slight and short in stature, Nona’s spirit and spunk were gigantic. Precariously perched over rushing rapids, she’d hook a chokecherry tree branch with my grandfather’s cane. “Get as many as you can!” Eager to smother my toast with Nona’s homemade chokecherry jam, which would ensue, I dutifully complied.

Nona was a maestro in the kitchen. Family and friends drove miles through the Big Thompson Canyon to fetch her chokecherry jam (and other goodies).. Nona was also one smart lady. She almost graduated with a Master’s degree from New York’s Columbia University in the 1920s. (A rare feat for females in the '20s.) Wifely duty called her to follow Granddad’s work out West…Nona’s fire and fearlessness were remarkable.

The Ninja Baker's Peachy Keen Spice Cake is delicious plain.
The bundt is also yummy when topped with peach jam whipped cream & caramel sauce.

To honor my grandmother, the lady whose tight hugs would chase away the blues, a chokecherry jam bundt would be perfect. However, as the item is a rare commodity in Santa Monica, CA, I chose peach jam. Why? Nona’s care made my world peachy keen. Her love righted every wrong. So, with a few tweaks and substitutions to a Vintage Cakes recipe, I baked a peachy keen spice cake; grateful for Nona's love which still resides in my heart. I believe the bundt will bring you a taste of heaven, too

Peach Jam Spice Bundt Cake

Perfectly spiced this bundt cake recipe is a keeper. Don't expect a big peach flavor. Do look forward to a cake made moist by the jam. Plain or with whipped cream (flavored with peach jam) and caramel sauce, this is a divine dessert.

This recipe is adapted from Julie Richardson's Vintage Cakes.

Ingredients:

2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1¼ cups peach jam
¾ cup buttermilk at room temperature
¾ cup softened unsalted butter
1½ cups sugar
4 eggs at room temperature

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 325 degrees. Coat a bundt pan with baking spray and a generous shake of panko breadcrumbs.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer for five minutes until fluffy. As with all cakes, get the spatula out and be ready to scrape the sides of the bowl often.

Incorporate the eggs into the butter and sugar one at a time.

In another large bowl, sift the flour, spices and salt. Give a quick whisk to ensure all the dry ingredients are well combined.

In a smaller bowl, combine the peach jam and buttermilk.

Starting and ending with the flour/spice mixture, alternate adding the buttermilk /jam mixture to the butter/sugar/eggs mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 65 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for at least 30 minutes before removing from the pan.

If you wish to pipe peach jam whipped cream onto the spice cake; simply mix ¼ cup of peach jam, ¼ cup of powdered sugar and 1 pint of heavy cream into firm peaks. The caramel sauce recipe can be found here.

Peach Jam Spice Cake with Peach Jam Whipped Cream & Caramel Sauce.

More lovely jam bundt cakes follow:

Aloha Cake by Veronica at My Catholic Kitchen
Blueberry and Lemon Bundt by Holly at a A Baker's House
Butter and Jam Bundt by Anne at From My Sweet Heart
Cranberry Pear Pumpkin Cake by Kate at Food Babbles
Crabapple Yogurt Bundt Cake by Alice at Hip Foodie Mom
Cream Cheese Black Cherry Bundt Cake by Anuradha at Baker Street
Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Blueberry Jam by Sandra at The Sweet Sensations Guava Cream Cheese Bundt Cake by Kathya at Basic N Delicious
Peachy Keen Spice Cake by Kim at Ninja Baking
Raspberry Jam Bundt with Peanut Butter Glaze by Lora at Cake Duchess
Spiced Bundt Cake with Berry Jam & Cream Cheese Swirl by Heather at Hezzi D's Books and Cooks
Sticky Toffee Bundt Cake with Cranberry Jelly Glaze by Felice at All That's Left are the Crumbs
Sticky Fig Bundt by Anita at Hungry Couple NYC
Strawberry Jam Glazed Spiced Pound Cake with Buttermilk and Orange by Laura at The Spiced Life
Strawberry Lemon Bundt with Strawberry Jam Glaze by Stacy at Food Lust People Love Triple Blackberry Bundt by Tara at Noshing with the Nolands

Here's how you can be a part of #BundtaMonth:
• Simple rule: Bake us a bundt using your favorite jam
• Post it before November 30, 2013
• Use the #BundtaMonth hashtag in your title. (For ex: title could read – #BundtaMonth: Raspberry Jam Bundt with Peanut Butter Glaze
• Add your entry to the Linky tool below
• Link back to our announcement posts

Wishing you friends and family who turn frowns into smiles.

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Tags:

peach jam spice cake

#BundtaMonth

recipes

M & M Nutella Cake, #BundtaMonth

NinjaBaker — Sun, 22 Sep 2013 23:06:43 +0000

Finally, our flight from Tokyo would land at San Francisco International Airport. My sister and I would charge through customs; bear-hug Great-Uncle George and make a beeline for the closest store selling American candy. Today, Snickers and M & Ms are rare commodities sold in expensive Tokyo supermarkets specializing in imports. (Aspirin-looking hybrids of M & Ms, however, are more readily available.) In the ‘60s and ‘70s (don’t do the math!) we were lucky if we found Swiss Toblerone. American candy was a treasure reserved only for kids on the military bases. So, upon touchdown on American soil, the first order of business was always candy.

Traditional American chocolates in Japan may be hard to find.
However, variations of the Kit Kat bar and gems like the pictured
strawberry chocolate Apollo sweets abound.

Bless my late great-uncle. He would patiently wait as my sister and I giggled our way through the aisles grabbing chocolates and licorice. M & Ms were my favorite. Back then there were two choices: peanut and milk chocolate. I always chose the latter. I have never stopped loving M & Ms. My loyalty to the rainbow wonder of “melt in your mouth, not your hand sweets” has never waned.

M & M Nutella Cake for #BundtaMonth

Naturally when Anuradha of Baker Street and Lora, the Cake Duchess announced a "candilicious" theme for the BundtaMonth group, my candy of choice was a no-brainer! (Scroll down for details about the baking group.) A young college student with a rather discerning palate has been the recipient of many NinjaBaking.com items. He is always appreciative and polite. But his reaction to my M & M Nutella bundt was uber-enthusiastic: “This M & M cake is your best ever!”

A rainbow of M & Ms fill this Nutella Bundt cake.

The M & M Nutella Bundt How-To:

Prepare the Nutella Cake recipe from FromAway.com. Add 1 cup of dark chocolate
M & Ms to the batter. Pour half of the batter into a prepared bundt pan. (I spray with tons of Pam and sprinkle in panko bread crumbs.)

Whip up the cream cheese filling from Mama’s Gotta Bake. Mix in ½ cup of dark chocolate M & Ms. Drop and distribute the filling over the batter in the pan.

Pour the remaining batter over the M & M cream cheese filling.

Bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Cool and drizzle with white chocolate ganache.

Rosy White Chocolate Ganache
Based on a recipe from Food.com

Ingredients:

6 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
¼ cup heavy cream
Pink food coloring

Directions:
In a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, melt the chocolate. Remove from the heat.

Heat the cream in another pan until tiny bubbles appear. Mix in pink food coloring.

Take off the heat. Pour a little bit of cream over the chocolate. Combine well, smashing as many lumps as possible with the back of the spatula. Incorporate the rest of the cream and vigorously stir again. Mix from the center of the bowl to the rim until smooth.

Drizzle over the cake. Share the bundt with friends and family. Look out for the rave reviews!

Here are a few more candilicious cakes:

Banana Butterfinger Bundt Cake by Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious

Candy Corn Bundt Cake by Holly at A Baker’s House

Caramel Apple Milky Way Bundt Cake by Heather at Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Chocolate Coconut Cake by Kate at Food Babbles

Chocolate Hazelnut Candy Bundt with Nutella Glaze by Anita at Hungry Couple

Chocolate Mini Bundts with Candy Coated Chocolates by Alice at Hip Foodie Mom

Coconut Almond Bundt with Chocolate Drizzle by Kathya at Basic N Delicious

Honeycomb Crunch Honey Bundt Cake by Stacy at Food Lust People Love

Kit Kat Cream Cheese Bundt Cake by Anuradha at Baker Street

M& M Nutella Cake by Kim at NinjaBaking

M&M Cream Cheese Pound Cake by Laura at The Spiced Life

Pumpkin Bundt with Salted Caramel Chocolate Sauce by Lora at Cake Duchess

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Bundt Cake by Felice at All That’s Left Are The Crumbs

Snickers Bundt with Chocolate Caramel Peanut Sauce by Tara at Noshing With The Nolands

Twix and Tween by Sandra at Sweet Sensations

Here’s how you can be a part of Bundt-a-Month:

Simple rule: Bake us a bundt using your favorite candy
Post it before October 31, 2013
Use the #BundtaMonth hashtag in your title. (For ex: title could read – #BundtaMonth: Fancy Bundt)
Add your entry to the Linky tool below
Link back to our announcement posts

Even more Bundt fun! Follow Bundt-a-Month on Facebook where we feature all our gorgeous bundt cakes. Or head over to our Pinterest board for inspiration and choose from hundreds of bundt cake recipes.

Wishing you all the sweets of life that your heart desires.

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Tags:

#BundtaMonth

#M & M #chocolate cake recipe

Hong Kong Chiffon Mini Cakes, #BundtaMonth

NinjaBaker — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 05:57:47 +0000

The Silk Road started with one Chinese Emperor Wudi’s dream. And one General Zhang Qian’s courage to carry out the vision. They committed themselves to build better understanding between the East and the West in 2 BC. Despite a journey fraught with mishaps and encounters with nomadic rebels like the Xiongnu - whose goals were less than lofty - the project captured the hearts of many and the Emperor’s dream endured. Today, the Silk Road is known for the many exchanges of products from all over the world for Chinese silk.

Xian, China
(Photo Credit)

Via the avenue of food and fun facts, my dream is also to build a bridge between the East and the West. The world, I think, is a little nicer to live in when there is appreciation for an understanding of different viewpoints and cultures. I’m not alone. Amy of Utry.it consistently shares lovely stories of Hong Kong cuisine and culture.

Today’s Hong Kong Chiffon Mini Cakes for the #BundtaMonth group (scroll down for details) is adapted from Amy’s Utryit recipe. I increased the sugar content for the mini cakes and garnished the goodies with a Triple Sec orange liqueur buttercream.

Hong Kong Mini Chiffon Bundt Cake

Despite the extra sugar, the tartness of the grated orange took center stage. Topped off with the sweet (think birthday cake) frosting, the mini Bundts drew great applause from this Ninja Baker. Hope these mini cakes draw rave reviews at your home, too.

Hong Kong Chiffon Mini Cakes

Adapted from Amy's Utry.it recipe for Orange Chiffon Cupcakes.

The Ninja Baker's Hong Kong Chiffon Mini Bundts contain a bit more sugar and are topped with Triple Sec liqueur buttercream flowers. Thanks to the generous zest of fresh orange, the cake is still quite tart. Combined with the sweet frosting the mini Bundt is a kiss of bliss!

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups of cake flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
Pinch of salt
4 large eggs, separated
1 cup of sugar, divided in half
1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Zest of 2 oranges
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange extract
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon meringue powder
3 tablespoons Triple Sec liqueur

Directions:

For the mini Bundts:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Coat mini Bundt molds well with cooking spray. Generously dust with Japanese panko bread crumbs.

Sift the cake flour and baking powder into a large bowl. In a stand mixer bowl whisk the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar. When soft peaks appear, add half of the sugar in a continuous stream. Beat until stiff peaks form.

Gently scoop the egg white mixture into a clean bowl. Beat the egg yolks and the remaining sugar together until a light lemon color appears. Mix in the butter, orange zest and extracts until well combined.

Starting and ending with the flour mixture, add about 1/3 of the flour/baking powder followed by some orange juice. When thoroughly combined, carefully fold in the stiff egg whites – about 1/3 at a time.

Divide the cake batter amongst the mini Bundt molds. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool.

For the Ninja Baker’s Triple Sec Buttercream:
Cream the butter and vegetable shortening until well combined. One cup at a time, sift the powdered sugar over the mixture. Add the meringue powder. After 2 cups, pour in 2 tablespoons of Triple Sec. Sift in the remaining powdered sugar followed by the 3rd tablespoon of orange liqueur. If the frosting is too thick, add more Triple Sec. And if it is too thin, add a tiny bit more powdered sugar.

With different sized star tips, pipe flowers onto the cooled mini Bundts.

Here are a few more fancy party-style Bundts from stellar bloggers in the food blogosphere. The hosts of this fabulous buffet of cakes are Anuradha of Baker Street and Lora, the Cake Duchess. They are celebrating a one-year anniversary of #BundtaMonths so we all brought our best Bundts to the party.

Banana-Caramel Bundt Cake by Felice at All That's Left Are The Crumbs
Caramel Latte Bundt Cake by Heather at Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Chocolate and Wine Bundt from Holly at A Baker's House
Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt Cake by Alice at Hip Foodie Mom
Devil's Food Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze by Lora at Cake Duchess
Hong Kong Chiffon Mini Cakes by Kim at Ninja Baking
Lemon Frangipane Bundt Cake by Paula at Vintage Kitchen Notes
Little Bundt Pound Cakes by Renee at Magnolia Days
Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Bundt Cake by Anuradha at Baker Street
Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Bundt by Anita at Hungry Couple
Rose Mini Bundt Cakes by Veronica at My Catholic Kitchen
Simple Orange Bundt Cake by Kathya at Basic N Delicious
Streusel Apple Bundt Cake by Laura at The Spiced Life
Triple Chocolate Mini Bundts by Stacy at Food Lust People Love
White Chocolate Bundt with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting by Sandra at Sweet Sensations
Funfetti Pudding Cake by Kate at Food Babbles

Here’s how you can be a part of Bundt-a-Month:

Simple rule: Bake us a fancy Bundt
Post it before September 30, 2013
Use the #BundtaMonth hashtag in your title. (For ex: title could read – #BundtaMonth: Fancy Bundt)
Add your entry to the Linky tool below
Link back to our announcement posts

Even more Bundt fun! Follow Bundt-a-Month on Facebook where we feature all our gorgeous Bundt cakes. Or head over to our Pinterest board for inspiration and choose from hundreds of Bundt cake recipes.

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Wishing you silk-smooth roads which lead to happiness.

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Tags:

Chiffon Cake Recipe

Silk Road

#BundtaMonth

Momotaro Peach Boy Cake, #BundtaMonth

NinjaBaker — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 06:56:14 +0000

Sword in hand, a little boy sprang from a peach, bringing much joy to a barren grandma and her husband. They named him Momotaro. (Momo is Japanese for peach and Taro is a common boy’s name.) A sort of Robin Hood, this legendary folk hero stole back the gold from the devil’s lair. Justice and rewards for good behavior are strong themes in this story. But, it’s also about smarts and the power of yummy treats. Momotaro was able to defeat his enemies by luring allies to his side with the grandma’s kibi dango (millet dumplings.)

Millet dumplings (kibi dango) are big souvenir items from Okayama, Japan.
Some say the Momotaro story is based on the life of a
brave samurai who lived in Okayama.

Partly to remind myself that justice and goodness do prevail on planet earth, I baked myself a Momotaro Peach Boy cake. But, mostly I baked the cake because Lora, the Cake Duchess and Anuradha of Baker Street proclaimed peaches as the theme for August’s BundtaMonth bakers. (You are invited to join the fruity baking fun. If interested, scroll down for details.)

Momotaro Peach Boy Bundt Cake

The golden crust of the Momotaro Peach Boy Cake evoked an expectation of a dense pound cake. Surprise! My peach cake was light. Also, sweet tastes said hello only after my first bite. Although sprinkled with fresh peach bits, next time I’ll add a few more. Vanilla ice cream would be a picture-perfect companion to this cake. Of course, ice cream on top of any dessert is always welcome in this Ninja Baker’s home. What’s your go-to garnish?

Momotaro Peach Boy Cake (Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Peaches-and-Cream Bundt)

Momotaro (Peach Boy) is a legendary Japanese folk hero.
This cake may also prove to be a legend!

Ingredients:

1 cup softened unsalted butter
3 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for coating the peaches)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 peaches, peeled, pitted, sliced into small bits
2 ¼ cups sugar
6 large eggs at room temperature
1 ¼ cups sour cream
1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.
Coat a Bundt pan with butter-flavored cooking spray and panko breadcrumbs.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, soda and salt together.
Sprinkle the bits of peaches with flour in another bowl.
Beat the butter and sugar with your KitchenAid or handheld mixer.
Continue mixing until a pale yellow color appears.
Add in eggs, one at a time.
On low speed, pour in a part of the flour mixture.
Scoop the sour cream into the batter.
Beat in the rest of the flour.
Gently stir in the peaches and vanilla.
Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Bake for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool. Slice. Serve and enjoy the smiles that emerge!

Here ís how you can be a part of Bundt-a-Month:
Simple rules:

Bake us a Bundt using peach.
Post it before August 31, 2013.
Use the #BundtaMonth hashtag in your title.
(For ex: title could read #BundtaMonth: Caramel Swirl Bundt)
Add your entry to the Linky tool below
Link back to our announcement posts.

Looking for inspiration?
Hop over and check out these gorgeous cakes:

Balsamic Peach Bundt Cake by Kate from Food Babbles
Bellini Bundt Cake with Champagne Glaze by Stacy from Food Lust People
Love Brown Sugar Peach Bundt Cake by Veronica from My Catholic Kitchen Caramelized Peaches and Cinnamon Bundt Cake by Anuradha from Baker Street
Cream Cheese and Peach Bundt Cake by Kathya from Basic N Delicious
Frangipane Peach Bundt by Sandra from The Sweet Sensations
Momotaro Peach Boy Cake by Kim from Ninja Baking
Peaches and Cream Bundt Cake by Heather from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Peach Bundt with Raspberry Jam Swirl by Holly from A Baker's House
Peachy Buttermilk Bundt by Anita from Hungry Couple
Peach Cinnamon Swirl Bundt Cake by Lora from Cake Duchess
Peach Spice Bundt Cake by Renee from Magnolia Days
Peach Streusel Bundt Cake by Anne from From My Sweetheart
Vinho Verde Pound Cake with Peaches & Blueberries by Laura from The Spiced Life

Even more Bundt fun! Follow Bundt-a-Month on Facebook where we feature all our gorgeous Bundt cakes. Or head over to our Pinterest board for inspiration and choose from hundreds of Bundt cake recipes.

Wishing you sweet rewards for all your good deeds.

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Tags:

Chocolate Matcha Swirl, #BundtaMonth

NinjaBaker — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 08:44:26 +0000

Matcha is the elite member of the green tea family. Shizuoka, southwest of Tokyo (an hour away by train) and Uji on the southern island of Kyushu are two areas famous for the choice green tea leaves.

Picking premium Japanese green tea leaves
Photo Credit

For this month’s swirl-in-a-Bundt theme, I twirled chocolate matcha into a bona fide Southern belle of a pound cake.

The pound cake recipe is from Kim Nelson of South Carolina. She is the owner of the well-known Daisy Cakes shop. Her creations are beyond – in taste and appearance. Ms. Nelson has generously shared her pound cake recipe on TV shows and in media interviews. The recipe for the light, luscious and moist cake below is adapted from ABC News.com.

Daisy Cakes Southern Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3½ cups cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Thoroughly Pam (baking) spray a Bundt pan. Next, sprinkle in fine panko breadcrumbs. (This works wonders in releasing the cake from the pan.) In mixing bowl, cream butter. Add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Scrape down the mixing bowl. Add sifted dry ingredients along with 1 cup buttermilk. Blend at low speed until combined. Scrape down the bowl again and mix for 2 minutes. Reserve and set aside 1 cup of batter. Prepare the swirl.

The Ninja Baker’s Chocolate Matcha Swirl
Adapted from the banana bread chocolate swirl at Roxana’s Home Baking

¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons matcha powder (or less if you prefer a more subtle green tea accent)
1 cup of batter (from the cake recipe above)

Combine together in a heatproof bowl over a simmering pot of hot water. Take off the heat when chocolate is melted and add reserve batter.

Pour half of vanilla batter into prepared Bundt pan. Add the chocolate mixture and swirl with a chopstick or knife. Cover with the remaining vanilla batter.

Bake at 325 degrees 65-70 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean with just a few crumbs on it.

A bold accent of chocolate and matcha in a sweet Southern pound cake.

We have a swirly theme this month for #bundt-a-month. 16 gorgeous swirly cakes in every form will be inspiration enough for you to bake with us this month. Apple Swirl Bundt Cake by Renee at Magnolia Days Cinnamon Praline Pecan Swirl Bundt Cake by Karen at In the Kitchen With KP Cinnamon Pecan Swirl with Cinnamon Glaze by Stacy at Food Lust People Love Chocolate and Peanut Butter Swirl Bundt by Anita at Hungry Couple Chocolate Matcha Swirl by Kim from Ninja Baking Double Chocolate Swirl Bundt Cake by Lora at Cake Duchess Lemon Raspberry Swirl Bundt Cake by Carrie at Poet In The Pantry Lemon Basil Blueberry Swirl Bundt Cake by Kate at Food Babbles Nutella Swirl Bundt by Veronica at My Catholic Kitchen Nutella Swirl Bundt Cake by Anuradha at Baker Street Orange Creamsicle Bundt by Holly at A Baker’s House Strawberry Nutella Swirl Mini Bundts by Alice at Hip Foodie Mom Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Bundt by Sandra at The Sweet Sensations Espresso Swirled Bundt Cake by Laura at The Spiced Life Vanilla Cherry Swirl Mini Bundt Cakes by Heather at Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks Zebra Bundt by Tara at Noshing With The Noland HTML

Apple Swirl Bundt Cake by Renee at Magnolia Days
Cinnamon Praline Pecan Swirl Bundt Cake by Karen at In the Kitchen With KP
Cinnamon Pecan Swirl with Cinnamon Glaze by Stacy at Food Lust People Love
Chocolate and Peanut Butter Swirl Bundt by Anita at Hungry Couple
Chocolate Matcha Swirl by Kim from Ninja Baking
Double Chocolate Swirl Bundt Cake by Lora at Cake Duchess
Lemon Raspberry Swirl Bundt Cake by Carrie at Poet In The Pantry
Lemon Basil Blueberry Swirl Bundt Cake by Kate at Food Babbles
Nutella Swirl Bundt by Veronica at My Catholic Kitchen
Nutella Swirl Bundt Cake by Anuradha at Baker Street
Orange Creamsicle Bundt by Holly at A Baker’s House
Strawberry Nutella Swirl Mini Bundts by Alice at Hip Foodie Mom
Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Bundt by Sandra at The Sweet Sensations
Espresso Swirled Bundt Cake by Laura at The Spiced Life
Vanilla Cherry Swirl Mini Bundt Cakes by Heather at Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks
Zebra Bundt by Tara at Noshing With The Noland

Text Here ís how you can be a part of Bundt-a-Month: Simple rule: Bake us a swirly bundt Post it before June 30, 2013 Use the #BundtaMonth hashtag in your title. (For ex: title could read #BundtaMonth: Cherry Bundt) Add your entry to the Linky tool below Link back to our announcement posts Even more Bundt fun! Follow Bundt-a-Month on Facebook where we feature all our gorgeous Bundt cakes. Or head over to our Pinterest board for inspiration and choose from hundreds of Bundt cake recipes.

Wishing you moments as blissful as bites of Bundt cake.

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Tags:

chocolate matcha

Daisy Cakes pound cake recipe

#BundtaMonth

Strawberry Sweetheart, #BundtaMonth

NinjaBaker — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:47:03 +0000

Berries were picked for the May #BundtaMonth theme. The magical baker/bloggers behind this monthly event are Anuradha of Baker Street and Lora, the Cake Duchess.

A strawberry Bundt cake was a no-brainer choice. The red gems of natural sugar contain many happy memories for this Ninja Baker. As a kid, I visited my mom in the summertime in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Our desserts often consisted of Cool Whip and ice cream topped with strawberries. In my 30s, I raised my glass of champagne with strawberries to celebrate the marriage of friends who met later in life. While a harp played, I also enjoyed tea, strawberries and cream at the Plaza Hotel during a vacation in New York with my sister.

The Ninja Baker's Strawberry Sweetheart Bundt Cake

Even if you don’t have lovely associations with strawberries, you won’t forget the blissful bites made from the recipe below.

Strawberry Sweetheart Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

1 package of strawberry cake mix
1 cup of whole milk
1/3 cup oil
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
1 small carton of heavy cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla powder or extract
1 box of large strawberries

Directions:

1. In one bowl combine cake mix, milk, oil and egg yolks. Scrape bowl as necessary. Mix thoroughly.

2. In a separate bowl, whip up egg whites with a pinch of salt and the cream of tartar until stiff peaks appear.

3. Gently incorporate the whipped egg whites into the bowl with the cake mix, oil and egg yolks.

4. Pour into a Bundt pan that has been sprayed with Pam and coated with panko breadcrumbs.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

6. Allow the cake to cool.

7. In a chilled bowl, beat the powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla into whipped cream. Insert a star tip into a piping bag and fill with the whipped cream.

8. Pipe the cream on top of the cake.

9. Insert strawberry hearts in between the whipped cream star bursts. (A mini heart cookie cutter works very well on strawberries.)

Writing about sweet moments connected with strawberries makes me happy. But also saddens me when I think of the lives lost in the Boston Marathon. (The city holds a special place in my heart. Boston is right across the Charles River from Cambridge –where I visited my mother during summer vacations as a child.) I get to dance, attend more weddings, eat more strawberries and enjoy life! Eight-year-old Martin Richard along with others are no longer here. Dance instructor, Adriane Haslet survived but lost a foot. She vows she will dance again. It may be a tough road.

To honor all the sweethearts who suffered the loss of loved ones and setbacks at the last Boston Marathon, I’d like to dedicate this post. I’ve included a link to the Salvation Army here. If the spirit moves you, please contribute funds to this noble organization (or any other relief effort) which is helping to heal the aftermath of this year’s Boston Marathon.

On a lighter note, contributions of more berry Bundt delights await you below.

Blueberry Banana Bundt by Veronica at My Catholic Kitchen
Blueberry Buttermilk Cake by Lora at Cake Duchess
Blueberry Coconut Bundt by Jennie at The Messy Baker Blog
Blueberry Cream Cheese Bundt Cake by Anuradha at Baker Street
Blueberry Orange Baby Bundts by Anne at From My Sweet Heart
Lemon Berry Bundt Cake by Heather at Hezzi D's Books and Cooks
Lemon Berry Bundt by Holly at A Baker's House
Lemon Raspberry Bundlets by Kate at Food Babbles
Lemon Rhubarb Bundt Cake with Blueberries by Laura at The Spiced Life
Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Bundt Cake by Karen at In the Kitchen With KP
Orange Blueberry Yogurt Bundt Cake by Renee at Magnolia Days
Strawberry and Orange Bundt Cake by Alice at Hip Foodie Mom
Strawberry Sweetheart by Kim at Ninja Baking
Very Berry Streusel Bundt by Anita at Hungry Couple

We have a berrilicious theme t for #Bundt-a-Month May. 14 gorgeous cakes using berries in every form will be inspiration enough for you to bake with us this month. Here ís how you can be a part of Bundt-a-Month: • Simple rule: Use your favorite berries or a combination of two and bake us a Bundt for May • Post it before May 31, 2013 • Use the #BundtaMonth hashtag in your title. (For ex: title could read #BundtaMonth: Cherry Bundt) • Add your entry to the Linky tool below • Link back to our announcement posts Even more Bundt fun! Follow Bundt-a-Month on Facebook where we feature all our gorgeous Bundt cakes. Or head over to our Pinterest board for inspiration and choose from hundreds of Bundt cake recipes.

Wishing you the joys of strawberries and sweethearts in your dance of life.

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

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strawberry cake recipe

Boston Marathon

#BundtaMonth

White Chocolate Guava Cake, #BundtaMonth

NinjaBaker — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 04:10:05 +0000

As March winds blow in Tokyo, many Japanese remind themselves that strong winds of February and March are simply the precursor to Spring. (??????) I like to think of it as a clearing of all that is old so the new can be born.

Although winter is still apparent in Japan,
blossoms of pink here and there bring the promise of Spring.

And being pushed by the wind down the streets of Tokyo made me laugh. But, it was also fun to think about this month's #BundtaMonth topic: The Tropics. Warm breezes, white sand beaches and no need for the winter long johns I was wearing. The Tropics also evoked memories of guava juice and jam. I gulped down glasses of the pretty pink fruit juice as a kid on holidays to Saipan (near Guam.) Upon returning to Japan, I slathered tablespoonfuls of souvenir guava jam onto my toast.

So, on my first full day back from Japan, with my new mini Bundt pans purchase from Tokyu Hands (think Michaels or your local crafts shop with seven floors), I made white chocolate guava cake mini Bundts for a #BundtaMonth Tropics March.

White Chocolate Guava Mini Bundt Cakes

This lovely not-too-sweet recipe is one I saw on super-duper talented Paula Montenegro's VintageKitchen.com. Click here for the recipe. Omit the raspberries. Melt the contents of a 10 ounce jar of guava jam and swirl into the batter or each individual mini. Bake for 23 to 24 minutes. You can also garnish with dots of melted guava jam or smother it on. Of course, powdered sugar adds a pretty touch, too.

Last and not least, for a smooth exit of Bundts from their pans, coat the pans with Pam and a generous sprinkle of panko (Japanese breadcrumbs.) I am ever so grateful to the #BundtaMonth ladies for teaching me this fabulous trick. And as you peruse the sites below, you're sure to pick up some more tips and recipes which make you forget all about winter.

Bananas Foster Bundt by Anita from Hungry Couple
Blue Hawaiian Bundt Cake by Tara from Noshing With The Nolands
Chocolate Bundt With Coconut Cream Cheese Filling by Karen from In The Kitchen With KP
Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake by Kim from Cravings Of A Lunatic Coconut and Rum Tea Cake by Anuradha from Baker Street
Coconut Banana Bundt Cake with Rum Glaze by Lora from Cake Duchess
Coconut Bundt Cake by Holly from A Baker’s House
Coconut Lime Bundt Cake by Kate from Food Babbles
Hummingbird Bundt Cake by Heather from Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks
Hummingbird Bundt Cake by Jennie from The Messy Baker Blog
Lime Glazed Bundt Cake by Carrie from Poet In The Pantry
Mini Pineapple Bundt Cakes with White Chocolate Ganache by Alice from Hip Foodie Mom Pina Colada Bundt Cake by Renee from Magnolia Days
Pineapple Bundt with Kuih Tat Filling by Stacy from Food Lust People Love
Vanilla Orange Bundt Cake with a Hint of Coconut by Laura from The Spiced Life
Very Vanilla Bundt Bake by Dorothy from Shockingly Delicious
White Chocolate Guava Cake by Kim from Ninja Baking

Here's how you can be a part of Bundt-a-Month:
- Simple rule: Use any tropical fruit - and bake us a Bundt for March
- Post it before March 31, 2013.
- Use the #BundtAMonth hashtag in your title. (For ex: title should read #BundtAMonth: Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt)
- Add your entry to the Linky tool below
- Link back to Lora and Anuradha's announcement posts.

Follow Bundt-a-Month on Facebook where we feature all our gorgeous bundt cakes. Or head over to our Pinterest board for inspiration and choose from over 350 Bundt cake recipes.

Link to BundtaMonth on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/BundtaMonth
Link to BundtaMonth on Pinterest - https://pinterest.com/bakerstreet/bundtamonth/

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Wishing you winds of change which bring joy to your life.

The Ninja Baker

The Ninja Baker's recipes are also available at:

BlogHer Food Editor's Pick of the Day
(27 December 2012)

?Allrecipes.com:
The Ninja Baker's Japanese Plum Sweet Memories and Recipes

Bob's Red Mill:
Almond Oatmeal Apple Cookies

Bob's Red Mill:
The Ninja Baker's Gluten-Free Breakfast Cupcake

Wholesome Sweeteners:
The Ninja Baker's Gluten-Free Coconut Chocolate Cheesecake Minis with Espresso Cream

Wholesome Sweeteners:
The Ninja Baker's Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Champagne Glaze & Optional Lemon Peach Marmalade Filling

?LifeKraze

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Chocolate Mini Bundts with Matcha Flowers, #BundtaMonth

NinjaBaker — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 08:56:54 +0000

Cherubs with drawn bows perch above dazzling chocolate displays. Lace doilies and paper red heart cutouts abound. Valentine’s Day, February 14th is approaching fast.

Cherry Blossom Heart (Photo Courtesy of 123rf.com)

The same commercial hype exists in Japan. However, females present bosses, male colleagues, boyfriends, husbands and fathers with gifts of chocolate and cookies. Giri-choco - obligation chocolate - plays an important role in office politics. Currying favor with higher ups and achieving the status of most beloved coworker are all a part of the game. (On March 14th, White Day, males are expected to present the ladies and girls in their lives with sweets and trinkets.)

Japanese chocolates with matcha green tea cream centers

Regardless of the customs of a country, most everyone in the world loves chocolate. So to honor the Baker Street #BundtaMonth February chocolate theme, I created mini Bundts with matcha (green tea) flowers.

Chocolate Mini Bundts with Matcha Flowers

Note: I used matcha powder and green tea in the cake, too. However, the delicious chocolate taste overpowered any subtle hint of the tea. So, feel free to delete the matcha powder and substitute water for green tea. Next time, I may try high-quality melted green tea ice cream plus the matcha powder. Feel free to add your suggestions in the comments section of how to punch up matcha flavors in cake.

Mini Chocolate Bundts with Matcha Flowers

1 Chocolate cake mix (recommended Duncan Hines Devil Food)
3 Eggs
1/3 Cup vegetable oil
1 Cup strong green tea
2 Tablespoons matcha powder

Combine well in your KitchenAid or with your electric mixer. Distribute the batter into well-greased and floured (or sprayed) mini Bundt pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick emerges clean from the center. Cool.

Whip up chocolate buttercream OR add ¼ cup of powdered sugar to a can of frosting. Scoop into a piping bag fitted with a leaf tip.

In another bowl, which has been chilled overnight, pour 1 pint of heavy cream. Add ¼ cup of powdered sugar and 2 generous tablespoons of matcha powder. Whip until soft to medium peaks appear. Transfer the contents to a piping bag fitted with a circle tip.

Pipe matcha circles in the middle of the mini bundts. Surround the centers with chocolate leaves. Enjoy the beauty. And the bite of chocolate matcha deliciousness!

For other Bundt cake treats for you and your valentine, see the following gourmet creations by fellow food bloggers.

Chocolate Berry Bundt Cake by Heather from Hezzi D's Books and Cooks

Chocolate Bundt Cake with Balsamic Strawberry Sauce by Alice from Hip Foodie Mom

Chocolate Chobani Bundt Cake by Carrie from Poet In The Pantry

Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake by Holly from A Baker’s House

Chocolate Mini Bundts with Matcha Flowers by Kim from Ninja Baking

Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Bundt Cake by Anita from Hungry Couple

Chocolate Rocky Road Bundt Cake by Tara from Noshing With The Nolands

Chocolate Turtle Bundt Cake by Kim from Cravings Of A Lunatic

Deep Chocolate Be Mine Bundt by Stacy from Food Lust People Love

Double Chocolate Swirled Bundt Cake by Laura from The Spiced Life

Chocolate Peanut Butter Layered Bundt Cake by Karen from In The Kitchen With KP

Red Wine Chocolate Bundt Cake with Mascarpone Whipped Cream by Kate from Food Babbles

Sour Cream Chocolate Bundt Cake by Renee from Magnolia Days

Quadruple Chocolate Bundt Cake by Dorothy from Shockingly Delicious

Vanilla and Chocolate Marble Bundt Cake by Anuradha from Baker Street

White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake by Paula from Vintage Kitchen

Here's how you can be a part of Bundt-a-Month:
- Simple rule: Use chocolate - and bake us a Bundt for February
- Post it before February 28, 2013.
- Use the #BundtAMonth hashtag in your title.
(Example: #BundtAMonth: Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt)
- Add your entry to the Linky tool.

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

Follow Bundt-a-Month on Facebook where we feature all our gorgeous Bundt cakes. Or head over to our Pinterest board for inspiration and choose from over 350 Bundt cake recipes.

Link to BundtaMonth on Facebook
Link to BundtaMonth on Pinterest

Wishing you chocolates, flowers, fine matcha and a good-hearted mate to cuddle with on St. Valentine's Day and always!

The Ninja Baker

The Ninja Baker's recipes are also available at:

BlogHer Food Editor's Pick of the Day
(27 December 2012)

?Allrecipes.com:
The Ninja Baker's Japanese Plum Sweet Memories and Recipes

Bob's Red Mill:
Almond Oatmeal Apple Cookies

Bob's Red Mill:
The Ninja Baker's Gluten-Free Breakfast Cupcake

Wholesome Sweeteners:
The Ninja Baker's Gluten-Free Coconut Chocolate Cheesecake Minis with Espresso Cream

Wholesome Sweeteners:
The Ninja Baker's Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Champagne Glaze & Optional Lemon Peach Marmalade Filling

?LifeKraze

Tags:

Japanese Valentine's Day

#BundtaMonth

matcha

chocolate