Apple, Chai and Chocolate Bundt Cake

You may remember that I wrote a review about Degustabox recently. They kindly sent me their Degustabox Winter Box to sample. Just a quick reminder about what it's all about....  Degustabox sends you a monthly surprise box with 9 to 14 surprise products, most of which are new to the market. A monthly subscription including delivery costs £12.99 which is less than what you would pay if you were to buy the items individually. They also give you a chance to feedback directly to the brands about whether you like the products or not. I have a special discount code for all my readers if you are interested in signing up a box for yourself or for a family memeber/friend as it would make a great Christmas present. You get a £3.00 discount when registering by using this code:  P8SI0

I really enjoyed my last Degustabox and there's not much left so it was quite timely getting another box. I love the surprise element and I also see it as a challenge particularly if I want to bake something from the ingredients. There were a few cooking ingredients which I could not really turn into a cake so I had to really think about what to make. Before I tell you about the cake, let me tell you a little about what was in this month's box.

 Degustabox Winter Box 

1 x Kettle Chips Salsa & Mesquite flavour - I love Kettle chips and these are no different. They really taste like proper potatoes and I love the salsa flavouring here. It's a limited edition for Christmas as it combines the flavours of tomatoes, chillies, peppers and barbeques. Perfect for your Christmas party!

2 x Cool Dawn Recovery Herbal Drink - this is a detox herbal drink that helps to prevent and cure hangovers which again is perfect for the upcoming party season. It has a unique taste of citrus and liquorice and contains no stimulant ingredients. I'm not a fan of liquorice so this was not to my taste at all. 

5 x Lindt Lindor My Melting Moments - Lindt chocolates are one of my favourites so I was really pleased to see a few of these in the box. They are individually wrapped and are in a snowflake shape. 

1 x Kent's Kitchen fajita flavour shots - I've not tried these yet but I love the idea of them. Just add to meat or prawns for a quick fajita meal. There are 4 portions in a pack. 

1 x Branston Mediterranean Tomato Chutney - We've used up almost half a jar already as it's brilliant in our lunch sandwiches which we have been pairing with cheese, tomato and lettuce. It is tangy and you can really taste the tomatoes. Would be great on top of cheese and biscuits which you can serve at a Christmas party. 

2 x Pip Organice cloudy apple juice - I used one bottle for the cake and drank the other one. The juice is nice and refreshing which reflects the 100% organic fruit ingredients. There are no added sugars, water or preservatives 

1 x Montano cider - This is an Italian cider made from apples grown in the foothills of the Trentino region of Northern Italy. I've not sampled this yet as we are saving it for the weekend. 

2 x Holy Cow Indian curry sauce. I love the convenience of this ready to cook pack and it's also gluten free and suitable for vegetarians. 

1 x Drink me Chai - Chai Latte drink mix - I used this in the cake as well. It's a blend of exotic spices, milk and sweetened tea, just add water or milk for an instant taste of India! 

These are the 3 ingredients that I felt would work in a cake. I created this recipe based on one I've used previously and incorporated these 3 key ingredients - Chai Latte drink mix, Pip organic apple juice and Lindt Melting Moments. I added more ground cinnamon for extra spice and some chopped apples for freshness. The cake itself was absolutely delicious. The apple was the predominant flavour mainly from the juice and the chunks of apples. The spice was quite subtle so I'd recommend using more and the chocolates were a nice surprise if you happened to get a bit in your slice. I also made an apple juice glaze to go with the cake.

 adding the chai latte mix in the centre, apple juice and some extra ground cinnamon

 adding chopped apples (I used 1 pear as well as I'd run out of apples!) 

 adding chopped chocolate 

 a bit of the cake stuck to the tin but it still looks impressive 

 the glaze helps 

 

An original recipe by bakingaddict

Makes 1 large bundt cake
For the cake
250g butter
400g plain flour
320g caster sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 large apples, peeled, cored and chopped into chunks
150mls Pip Organic apple juice
5 x Lindt Melting Moments chocolate, chopped into quarters
1 packet of Drink Me Chai Chai Latte mix
4 eggs
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (add more spices if you prefer a spiced bake)

For the glaze 
120g icing sugar, sifted
2-4 tablespoons Pip organic apple juice

• Preheat the oven to 180C. 
• Spray the bundt tin liberally with non stick spray. 
• Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
• Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. 
• Stir in the flour and baking baking.
• Add in the chai mix, ground cinnamon (and additional spices if desired) and the apple juice.
• Finally stir in the chopped apples followed by the chopped chocolate.
• Pour into the bundt tin and bake for approximately 50minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• To make te glaze icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and slowly add the apple juice a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. 

Disclaimer: I was sent a Degustabox for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review or to create a recipe. All opinions expressed are my own. This is not a sponsored post. 

Roasted Butternut Squash, Apple and Pecan Bundt Cake with a MapleCinnamon Glaze

Do you have a regular veg box? What do you think of them? Wholegood have been supplying organic fruit and vegetables since 2007 and they are now selling their veg boxes on Ocado. I've toyed with the idea of getting a regular subscription so this was quite timely as it gave me a chance to try it out. I was sent a mixed box of fruit and vegetables to review. Unfortunately the driver placed the box upside down so some of the fruit was squashed but most of them survived. There was a good selection and we cooked most of it during the week. The vegetables were fresh and delicious but they don't keep for long. Personally I think this is a great idea as you have a basis for menu planning which has an element of spontaneity to it. We worked out what to cook based on the ingredients in the box. It's also good value for money considering the cost of organic fruit and veg plus it's delivered to your door. 

The selection varies week on week depending on what's in season. With this box, we cooked chicken, cheese and leek bake, stir fry cabbage with bacon, steamed carrots, boiled potatoes, roasted mushroom and tomatoes (to accompany a home cooked full English breakfast), roasted sweetcorn and used the fruit for lunch boxes. I also made this amazing cake with the butternut squash and apples. 

I used my favourite carrot cake recipe as a base for this cake. I debated about making squash puree or chunks of squash and in the end decided to roast the butternut squash with some brown sugar so that it caramelised to add extra flavour and texture. I also added in chopped apples and roasted, chopped pecan nuts. This autumnal cake needed spice so I threw in some cinnamon, nutmeg and mixed spice. The icing on the cake (literally) was the maple cinnamon glaze. It worked beautifully with the cake and really enhanced the flavours of the cake. This is a cake that's best eaten the day after. It was even better 2 days later as the flavours developed. It's a very moist cake with lots of different textures and flavour. I was pleased that you could still see chunks of apple and squash in the cake. 

I'm entering this to Tea Time Treats hosted by Karen from Lavender and Lovage and co hosted by Jane from the Hedgecombers. The theme this month is cooking and baking with vegetables. 

I'm also entering this to the Rix Aga Inspired Recipe Competition where the theme is apples.

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It's also perfect for Simple and in Season hosted by Ren from RenBehan as apples and squash are in season.

Shaheen from Allotment 2 Kitchen has chosen Halloween Colours for this month's Vegetable Palette. This cake is autumnal in taste and colour.

Emily from A Mummy Too is hosting this month's Extra Veg on behalf of Helen from Fuss Free Flavours and Michelle from Utterly Scrummy. This cake has squash which counts as an extra portion of veg!

An original recipe by bakingaddict

Makes 1 large bundt cake
For the cake
1 small squash + 2 tablespoons brown sugar for roasting
3 small apples, peeled, cored and chopped
200mls olive oil
190g light muscovado sugar
4 eggs
300g wholemeal flour
1 tablespoon bicarbonate of soda
2.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1.5 teaspoons miced spice
0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg
150g pecans, toasted and roughly chopped

For the maple cinnamon glaze
250g icing sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
15g butter
60mls maple syrup
2 - 4 tablespoons milk

• Preheat the oven to 180C. 
• Peel the squash and cut into small cubes.
• Place on to a baking tray and sprinkle with brown sugar.
• Roast in the oven for approximately 30 minutes or until soft.
• In the meantime, prepare the cake batter - In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients and mix well.
• Add in the eggs and olive oil and mix. 
• Stir in the chopped apples followed by the pecans and finally the roasted butternut squash.
• Pour the batter into a bundt tin and bake for approximately 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. 
• Allow to cool completely before turning out.
• Make the glaze by placing the icing sugar, ground cinnamon, butter and maple syrup in a mixer and mix on low to medium speed.
• Slowly add the milk one tablespoon at a time until it's smooth and has the consistency you require. You may need to add more icing sugar if it's too thin or more milk if it's too dry.
• Drizzle the syrup over the cake before serving. 

Disclaimer: I was sent an organic fruit and vegetable box for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own. This is not a sponsored post. 

Cherry and Coconut Bundt Cake

Back in Feb this year, I was invited to attend a French Glace Cherries Masterclass. It was great fun and I discovered new recipes using French glace cherries. They contacted me recently to ask if I was interested in entering their competition by creating a recipe using French Glace Cherries as the star ingredient. It takes about 10 days to make French Glace Cherries where the fruit's natural water content is replaced by sugar. They use natural fruit and vegetable juices to give the cherries different colours. These cherries retain their flavour, shape and texture throughout the baking process. 

I started thinking about flavours that pair well with cherries. Almond and chocolate immediately sprung to mind but I wanted something a little different. I decided on a cherry and coconut combination even though I'm not a huge fan of coconut. I was going to add chocolate to the mix but decided less is more and I really wanted to highlight the cherries in this bake. After lots of thinking and experimenting, I came up with this cherry and coconut bundt cake with a cherry jam filling and a cherry glaze on top. 

The bundt cake looks stunning on its own and this particular shape called for a glaze. My glaze was quite thick  but I think it still achieved the desired effect. The cake was moist and you get a real hit of coconut. The cherries were evenly spaced throughout the cake which ensured that each slice had some cherries in it. I particularly liked the jam layer in between which was supposed to be in the middle but ended up near the top during the baking process. I gave J the cake to take to work and the feedback I received was 

• Very moist sponge
• Jam and cherries work well 
• Not too sweet which is nice, not overpowering 
• Nice to have a good cake that's not reliant on butter cream or icing 
• Tastes just as good the day after 

The lovely people at French Glace cherries have kindly agreed to offer one of my readers a selection of French Glace Cherry goodies which includes a branded timer, kitchen scale, an apron and samples of French Glacé Cherries. For your chance to win, just leave a comment saying what you will use the cherry samples for and a winner will be selected at random. Prize is only available to UK residents. I will contact you via the comment section on this blog and announce the winner after the closing date so please remember to check back on 3rd September to see if you are the lucky winner. Another winner will be selected if the first winner is not contactable after 72 hours. 

The closing date is 12 midnight GMT 2nd September 2014. 

I hope this cake will qualify for a few blog challenges this month.

Tea Time Treats hosted by Karen from Lavender and Lovage and co hosted by Jane from Hedgecombers. The theme this month is Picnic Food and Picnic Treats. This cake will be perfect for a picnic as it's easily transportable and can be eaten with your fingers. Plus it will impress everyone at the picnic :) 

Celebration Cakes & Bakes hosted by Mummy Makes Cakes as this is a stunning cake worthy of any celebration. 

 Recipe of the Week hosted by Emily from A Mummy Too.

Cook Blog Share hosted by Lucy from Super Golden Bakes

 lovely french glace cherries - red and purple variety 

 I tossed the cherries in the dessicated coconut 

 add a layer of batter 

 followed by a thick layer of jam - be careful not to touch the sides of the tin with the jam 

 cover with remaining cake batter 

 making the cherry glaze 

 fresh from the oven 

 you can see all the cherries dotted around 

 with the glaze 

 you can clearly see the jam layer 

An original recipe by bakingaddict

For the cake
250g butter
400g plain flour
330g caster sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
250mls coconut cream
100g dessicated coconut
4 eggs
192g french glace cherries
370g (1 jar) berry & cherry jam

For the glaze
100g glace cherries
1/2 - 3/4 cup of water
2 tablespoons of caster sugar (or to taste)

• Preheat the oven to 180C.
• Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
• Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. 
• Mix in the flour and baking powder.
• Add the coconut cream and dessicated coconut. 
• Cut the glace cherries in half, rinse in cold water and dry thoroughly. 
• Place the dessicated coconut in a small bowl and toss the cherries through the coconut.
• Add this to the cake mixture and stir by hand. 
• Pour 1/3 of the batter into the bundt tin.
• Place a thick layer of jam on top making sure not to touch the sides.
• Top with the remaining cake batter.
• Bake for approximately 50 -60 minutes (it's a large cake!) or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. 
• Allow to cool completely before decorating. 
• To make the glaze, place the cherries, water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently until the sauce thickens and the cherries soften. You may need to add more water or more sugar depending on consistency and sweetness required. 
• Place the mixture in a blender and blitz until smooth.
• Sieve the mixture through a medium sized drainer to get a smoother glaze. 

Addendum 3/9/14
The lucky winner selected at random is Kate from the Gluten Free Alchemist - Congratulations!

Orange Marmalade Jubilee Bundt Cake

I probably have too many cake tins but I just couldn't resist buying this Nordicware Jubilee Bundt tin to add to my collection. I've had my eye on it for a while and when it was on a special offer I decided it was a sign and I just had to buy it. I have quite a few of their Bundt tins and the cakes always turn out beautifully. The tins are well designed, solid and non stick if you spray it liberally with cake release spray before baking. 

The recipe on the back of the tin was for this orange marmalade cake so I gave it a go but added in an extra layer of marmalade in the middle of the cake. The result was an absolutely stunning cake in appearance and absolutely phenomenal in taste. It was light, bright and refreshing and the marmalade glaze was divine. I think the extra layer of marmalade in the middle of the cake added more flavour and moisture to the cake. 

 You have to rub the orange zest into the sugar which intensifies the orange flavour

 my beautiful bundt tin

 half fill the bundt tin 

 add a layer of marmalade 

 fill with the rest of the cake batter

 making the marmalade and orange glaze

 how pretty is that? 

 view from the top 

Recipe adapted from Nordicware

For the cake

375g plain flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

350g caster sugar

zest of 2 oranges

225g butter

1/2 cup (125ml) buttermilk

4 eggs

1/2 cup (125ml) orange juice

For the glaze 

1/2 cup marmalade

1/4 cup orange juice

• Preheat the oven to 180C. 
• Measure out the sugar in a large bowl and add the orange zest to the sugar. Gently rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers - this helps to release the oils and creates a more intense orange flavour. 
• Cream the butter with the orange sugar until pale and fluffy.
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. 
• Combine the buttermilk and orange juice in a jug.
• Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl.
• Alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients and mix well. 
• Pour half the batter into the cake tin.
• Add a layer of marmalade as shown -make sure you don't touch the edges as the marmalade will burn.
• Cover with the remaining cake batter.
• Bake for approximately 60 -70 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Make the glaze by heating the marmalade and orange juice in a small saucepan over low to medium heat. Stir frequently until you get a thick, sticky glaze. 
• Pour the glaze on the cake before serving.