Elderflower and Orange Bundt Cake
Try this Elderflower and Orange Bundt Cake recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Elderflower and Orange Bundt Cake recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 5 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- cake
- glaze
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1/4 cup sour cream room temperature
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature
- *spoon and sweep method: use a spoon to fill measu
- 2 teaspoons dried elderflowers
- 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour*
- 2 cups imperial sugar extra fine granulated sugar
- zest of one large orange
- 5 eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup elderflower liqueur such as st. germainâ„¢
- 1 pound imperial sugar confectioners powdered sugar
- Carbohydrate 37.1896687506776 g
- Cholesterol 98.1748958863406 mg
- Fat 35.486218353256 g
- Fiber 0.475666669194004 g
- Protein 1.87719958365504 g
- Saturated Fat 21.2735739709427 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -16 slice (162g)
- Sodium 421.134087640801 mg
- Sugar 36.7140020814836 g
- Trans Fat 2.42184537639125 g
- Calories 466 calories
Step-by-step
- Place 2 teaspoons dried elderflower in glass measuring cup. Pour 1 cup boiling water over and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer; set aside. [Note: an herbal elderflower tea bag may be used in place of the dried flowers.]
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour bundt pan.
- Whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt together. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in orange juice, vanilla, and zest. Add eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream.
- In 3 additions, add flour mixture on low speed, alternating with 3/4 cup of elderflower tea, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl as needed.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
- Remove cake from oven and poke all over with a thin skewer. Brush hot cake with elderflower liqueur. (You may not use all of it.) Let cake sit in the pan for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, place a wire cooling rack on exposed part of cake.
- Flip cake onto rack and let sit for a minute. Lift pan off of cake. (If cake does not release, run a knife along edges and invert again, giving pan with rack secured underneath, a few shakes.)
- Let cake cool completely.
- Make the glaze: Whisk powdered sugar with orange juice and milk. Glaze will seem thick and loosen as it is whisked.
- Whisk thoroughly before adding additional milk. Place cake and wire rack on a rimmed cookie sheet. Spoon glaze over cake and let set for at least 15 minutes before serving.
The Power of Elderflower Infusion
Dried elderflowers require a precise steep to extract their delicate floral notes without bitterness. Pouring boiling water over two teaspoons of the dried blossoms and allowing them to rest for precisely five minutes yields a concentrated tea that anchors the entire flavor profile. Substituting an herbal tea bag works if dried flowers are unavailable, though the floral intensity may shift. When incorporating the liquid into the batter, alternating it with the flour mixture in three distinct additions prevents the gluten from overdeveloping, maintaining a tender crumb.
Adapting for Dietary Restrictions
Standard butter and dairy can easily be replaced for plant-based alternatives. Use an equal weight of plant-based stick margarine for the salted butter, keeping in mind that high-fat vegan sticks yield the best emulsion during the creaming stage. Sour cream requires a plant-based substitute that mimics its high fat content and acidity, ensuring the baking soda reacts correctly to lift the dense batter. Eggs can be substituted with commercial replacers, though the room temperature requirement remains critical to prevent the fat from seizing during mixing.
Scaling and Equipment Considerations
Bundt pans rely heavily on precise volume and surface area to release properly. Altering the batch size requires either a smaller pan designed for half-recipes or careful monitoring to avoid overfilling, which causes the batter to spill over the central cone at 325°F. Greasing every crevice of the fluted metal mold with solid shortening rather than cooking spray ensures the baked cake slides out cleanly after its five-minute rest on the counter.
