Make Your Christmas Special with the Perfect Gingerbread Bundt

One of my favorite treats to bake any time of the year is the bundt cake. There is something so charming and welcoming about the shape of the cake, perfectly garnished perched on a pedestal. I have never been a cake lover – maybe it’s the rich buttercreams and frostings that I would rather trade for a simple bundt that is simply glazed. When craving a slice of cake, or looking to have a welcoming treat on a cake platter to welcome my kids home for the holidays, the bundt is my go-to.

The bundt is always a customer favorite at the cafe. It is the perfect morning treat to enjoy with a cup of coffee of cocoa on a cold winter’s day, with a cup of tea mid day, or as a slice of dessert at the end of the day. It somehow feels okay to eat cake for breakfast when disguised in the shape of a bundt.

I love baking a gingerbread bundt during the holidays. Fresh from the oven, it quickly fills the kitchen with warmth and the smells of Christmas. Gingerbread is a classic flavor this time of year, rich with cinnamon, cloves and ginger. My mom, Betty, loves gingerbread, so long ago I set out to mimmic the flavors in a bundt. My gingerbread bundt is garnished with brown sugar glaze and bits of crystallized ginger.

Now that our children are grown, Christmas morning is much different than the 6:00 wake-up when they were young and filled with excitement over Santa. Back then, I prepared this gingerberad bundt ahead and put it out on the kitchen counter before we went to bed on Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning, we’d enjoy eating slices of the bundt and drinking eggnog while opening presents. Now, whether I make it ahead or pull it hot from the oven, it continues to be a tradition I love.

The gingerbread bundt is a sturdy, yet moist cake, making it so easy to make ahead and freeze. The recipe featured below is how we prepare it at the Cafe to keep up with the demand. This is the perfect holiday dessert for anyone who likes to prepare ahead this busy time of year.

Helpful Tips:

• Spray your bundt pan really well with your favorite baking spray, or butter your pan making sure to cover every nook and cranny. Lightly dust with flour, then gently turn over and bang on counter to remove any excess. **I prefer spray over butter here—it definitely releases easier due to the milk solids that settle in butter.
• Do not overmix. Fold in add-ins such as the crystallized ginger.
• Do not over-bake. A bundt should be wonderfully moist. If left in the oven too long, it will be dry. Do not follow specific directions on how long you should bake your bundt in any recipe, as ovens vary. Start with 28 minutes on your timer, then check every 3-5 minutes moving forward. Test for doness with a cake tester or skewer. You should have very moist crumbs on your cake pick. The cake will continue to set up on your cooling rack. Do not fret. Some batters take as long as 45-50 minutes. Bundt recipes tend to be a denser batter than regular cakes.
• Allow bundt to cool 15 minutes, and then turn out onto your platter. If it cools too long, it will be difficult to release. Carefully, using an offset spatula, go around the pan and be sure there are no spots sticking to the pan.
• I love to glaze the gingerbread bundt when it is still warm allowing the rich brown sugar glaze to drizzle down the sides perfectly.
• This recipe can be made several weeks ahead. But do not glaze it if you intend to freeze the bundt. Cool completely, wrap well and freeze. Pull from the freezer 24 hours before serving. Once at room temperature, glaze your bundt.

To Serve: Once glazed, I love to make julienne slices of crystallized ginger. I place them in a crisscross along the top of the bundt. Slice the cake and serve on a pretty plate. There are many options to make this bundt a gorgeous presentation with the addition of a dollop of whipped cream on the side, cinnamon mascarpone whipped cream, or a simple dusting of confectioner’s sugar.

A bundt will stay fresh for 2-3 days on the counter if covered well. Invest in a pretty cake plate with a domed top. It helps keep your bundt fresh while looking so pretty on your counter.

Gingerbread Bundt Recipe

Recipe adapted from Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Desserts, 1990’S. Sells well for Christmas week in the bakery and sold whole on special orders.

INGREDIENTS                                       

• 8 oz. unsalted butter
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup molasses
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

BROWN SUGAR ICING:

• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 oz butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions for Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°
2. Generously grease or spray your bundt pan
3. Cream butter and sugar until light
4. Add molasses, scraping down bowl as you go. Mix well until ingredients are well combined
5. Add eggs, one at a time
6. Sift together dry ingredients, then add alternately with boiling water, beginning and ending with dry
7. Fold in crystalized ginger pieces
8. Pour into prepared bundt pan
9. Bake 35-45 minutes until just set. Use a skewer to test for doneness. You should have moist crumbs when done. Do not over bake or the cake will be very dry.
10. COOL IN PAN 15 MINUTES THEN REMOVE FROM PAN by inverting onto a platter.

Instructions for Icing:

1. In small saucepan, gently melt sugar and cream together, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
2. Slowly bring the syrup to a boil and allow to simmer for 1 minute.
3. Transfer to either a bowl of your stand mixer, or using a hand mixer, beat icing several minutes until thicken and cooling, Add butter to melt as you go. At the end, add salt and vanilla and beat until creamy.
4. Pour over cake allowing glaze to fall down sides of cake.
5. Garnish with slivers or crystalized ginger criss-crossed.

**CAKE CAN BE FROZEN IN THIS STATE. DO NOT FREEZE FROSTING. If serving, allow to cool, then add your glaze.