Honey Bundt Cake
If you're anything like me, you might feel a little put off by bundt cakes. They seem like a general hassle, and come with questions like:
- Where do I even buy a bundt pan?
- Once I have the pan, you expect me to spend time greasing the whole thing?
- And the ultimate: How do I get the cake out of here??
First of all: I bought my pan on Craigslist. I'm absolutely positive you will find one if you hit up a garage sale, thrift store, or Amazon. Yes, you will have to spend time greasing the pan. Don't worry, it doesn't actually take that long. And the cake really will come out of the pan (assuming you've greased it properly!)
Desserts are definitely my love language, and this honey bundt cake is a show of affection for all the honey buns in my life. Make it once, and I'm pretty sure you'll be converted to team bundt.
The flavor is reminiscent of a whiskey ginger (light on the whiskey, heavy on the ginger!), with undertones of lemon and vanilla. Take it to your next potluck or office party, or (in my case) just drop it off with those new neighbors you're trying to win over.
Honey Bundt Cake w/ Candied Ginger Glaze
Yield: Approximately 18 slices
Total cook time: 2 hours
Ingredients
Honey Bundt Cake
- Flour: 3 cups
- Baking Powder: 1 1/2 teaspoons
- Baking Soda: 1/2 teaspoon
- Salt: 1 teaspoon
- Unsalted Butter (Softened): 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks)
- Granulated Sugar: 1 3/4 cups
- Buttermilk: 1 cup
- Eggs (At room temperature): 5
- Honey: 1/2 cup
- Vanilla Extract: 1 1/2 teaspoons
- Whiskey (Optional, Encouraged): 1 tablespoon
Candied Ginger
- Fresh Ginger Root: 1/3 cup, chopped (from approximately a 4 inch piece)
- Water: 3/4 cup
- Granulated Sugar: 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
Glaze
- Powdered Sugar: 1 1/2 cups
- Lemon Juice: 3 tablespoons
- Reserved Ginger Infused Syrup: 3 tablespoons
- Candied Ginger (Chopped): 1/4 cup
A Few Notes:
I'm serious: grease your pan really, really well. This is not the time to skimp on butter.
You can use the empty butter wrappers to grease the pan!
The whiskey is optional, but you should definitely add it if you have it laying around. I recommend Knob Creek.
Lay a piece of parchment paper under your cake stand before drizzling for easy glaze clean up.
You can save the rest of the drained ginger syrup (stored in the fridge) for drizzling on things like ice cream and donuts, or use it as simple syrup in cocktails.
Pairs Well With:
*Special Equipment: 10 inch (15 cup) bundt pan
The How To (Candied Ginger):
Chop the ginger into 1/8 inch pieces (the shape doesn't matter!) In a small pot, combine the water and 3/4 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Add the ginger, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and reserve 3 tablespoons of the ginger syrup for your glaze. Set a wire rack over a baking dish or layer of paper towels. Transfer the ginger pieces to the wire rack to drain. Let sit until almost dry, then roll the pieces in reserved 2 tablespoons of sugar. Finely chop the pieces.
The How To (Cake):
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat your pan thoroughly with softened butter. Sprinkle flour evenly over the pan, then tap out the excess. Very important note: coat every single nook and cranny, and then coat them again. There's nothing worse than a stuck cake!
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and honey on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in your eggs one at a time, making sure to fully incorporate before adding the next one. On low speed, mix in half of the buttermilk and the whiskey (if using), then half of the flour. Mix in the rest of the buttermilk, then add the second half of the flour mixture. Mix just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Lightly tap the pan on the counter a couple of times to eliminate air bubbles.
Bake cake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes (but you'll be less stressed if you can give it 45 minutes). Gather your courage, tap the pan a few times on the counter to loosen the cake, then invert it onto the rack. Let cool completely (about an hour).
The How To (Glaze & Assembly):
In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, lemon juice, and ginger syrup. Stir until smooth. Once the cake has cooled completely, pour the glaze over the top and let it drizzle decoratively down the sides. Sprinkle top of cake with the 1/4 cup reserved candied ginger.
