Day 19: to bundt, or not to bundt?

[Real-time] Today, I write about my weekend bake. I am fully aware that we are fair few days on from the previous weekend - and indeed very close to the next - but I have just not been in the right place emotionally to write before now. I have, however, been cooking plenty, so I do have a couple of musings to catch up with!

[Sunday 6 December 2020] There is no point trying to hide this; I really am quite the nervous baker, particularly more so when I am following a recipe if truth be told. If I am pottering about the kitchen, mixing stuff at random - with a vague hint of calculated chemistry - then I guess I really only have myself to blame if something does go wrong. Where I usually fall short though during my self-directed baking efforts, is when I am measuring - or guesstimating - and over-estimate everything to the point that my cake rises well above the brim and cascades its way down the sides of the tin. Over-ambitious chemistry efforts aside, as baking to me is a form of chemistry, I rarely fail the taste test.

During a re-watch of Simply Nigella, before I even started this cookalong actually, I vowed I would finally buy a Bundt tin and make all three of Nigella’s Bundt cake recipes around the festive period. Of course deep down, I (we) all hoped for larger parties this Christmas, so instead of making a couple for a single occasion, I’ve decided to bake one each week through December. This Bundt-cookalong, a mini subsidiary challenge to 365 Days of Nigella, begins with Nigella’s Pumpkin Bundt Cake.

Nigella’s Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Before even filling a Bundt tin with cake mix, particularly this one by Nordic Ware, I took a moment or two (and an Insta-post or three) to admire the hypnotic appeal of its spiralling-doughnut geometry. I felt a sense of comfort as I relinquished my trust into the wise instruction of Nigella, knowing for fact that this recipe would have been tested countless times before even being considered for a cookbook. Therefore, the whole process up to the point of adding the amalgamated ingredients into the Bundt tin, and before opening the oven door, was in itself a stress-free meditation.

But, here is where the going got tough, and my baking nerves kicked in. No one knows your oven better than you. The problem? I do not know my oven! I make a mental note every time I bake something that I must remember to alter the cooking time, or the temperature at which to cook, to suit the behavioural patterns of my oven, and every time I forget.

I set the timer for the minimum time suggested in the recipe and what was forty minutes to one person, felt like four hours to me. I paced about the house, checking back at the timer in the kitchen so frequently that only two minutes seemed to pass between each interval. When the alarm did finally sound, I was there like lightening with my cake tester (a long toothpick), and as I suspected; it needed longer. Five minutes passed again, and the wet mix still clinging to the toothpick indicated it still needed longer. Another five minutes on, and the toothpick came out clean. Phew. [Sigh of relief]. Cake out, oven off.

In hindsight I should have left it in for another few minutes - as I think it was a little dense/undercooked when we finally tucked in - but my lack of faith in the knowledge I have for the character of my oven, simply would not allow me to.

I cannot fault the cake though. It tastes wonderful; so light and not over-spiced to the point where you cannot taste the pumpkin. It is aesthetically impressive too, although I did over-dilute my icing so it was a bit too translucent. My only regret; not being able to capture a picture that I was happy with, which in the grand scheme of things is hardly something to lose sleep over. Certainly not where any good tasting cake, or indeed any food, is concerned.

Flavour musings

The awe here is not just in the geometry of the spiralling Bundt form, but also in the delicate flavours and texture of the crumb. The cake was moist and bouncy, and although it needed nothing to add moisture, ice cream or double pouring cream would be a welcomed accompaniment.

What I have failed to mention until now, other than what is pictured above, is that I used the remaining pumpkin purée to make Nigella’s No-Churn Brandied Pumpkin Ice Cream. [Eyes roll pleasurably to back of head]. No further adulation required

A high return on investment from a single tin of pumpkin purée.

Nigella’s No-churn Brandied Pumpkin Ice Cream (pre-freeze), although just as voluptuously velvety post-freeze too.