Nadiya's Caramac and Hazelnut Bundt
I loved watching Nadiya's British Food Adventure last year and after several weeks thinking 'I don't need another cookbook' I gave in and finally bought it (it was probably the crisp and chocolate peanut tart that persuaded me) Since then, I've looked at it with a drooling mouth but not actually cooked anything.
Until now...
I needed a recipe to christen my new Bundt tin and remembered seeing one in the book called 'Caramelized White Chocolate and Hazelnut Bundt Cake'. Now, for those not in the know, caramelised white chocolate has the brand name Caramac, a super sweet light brown chocolate that you might remember from childhood. It can be a little difficult to get hold of, you'll find that not all the supermarkets stock it and if they do, it can be a bit pricey because it's not available in a large size. Anyway, with this in mind, I headed to Tesco to buy the ingredients, not completely convinced I would be able to get everything but very pleased when I did.
The first task was to 'toast' the flour. I had never done this before and to be honest, I did not like it one bit! Being a bit clumsy, I kept flicking the flour out of the pan plus the smell was pretty horrible and seemed to linger for a long while. Having said that, in order to get a really nutty flavour, this is a vital stage. The picture doesn't show it that well, but the flour needs to have a lightly golden colour and it is essential that you keep stirring throughout the toasting.
Another essential stage is buttering the tin. I'm sure we've all experienced cakes that won't come out of the tin before but with a bundt cake, its even more upsetting because the shape of the tin is what makes the cake so special. I carefully melted some butter and painted the inside of the tin, then dusted with flour, tipping out any excess. I have noticed online that Nancy Birtwhistle has a recipe for lining paste which I didn't try this time but according to responses to her posts, it's life changing!
Baking took a little longer than the book suggested but each oven is different and with a cake as big as this, you never know if the middle is cooked without doing the skewer test. Getting it out of the oven was tricky - it weighed so much, I nearly dropped it!
We then had to wait for it to cool - which was torture! Fortunately, because of the rise I knew it would need a bit cut off the top (bottom) in order for it to sit straight, so I trimmed a bit and the Husband and I had a secret nibble. Oh my goodness, it was delicious! Sweet and nutty, a bit crispy on the bottom but warm and gooey inside. The edges are almost chewy, which gives a great texture.
Eventually, after what seemed like hours, it was time to get it out of the tin and pour over melted chocolate and sprinkle with hazelnuts. I was a bit messy with the chocolate but the hazelnuts were mixed with gold lustre dust, so when I poured those over, they hid most of the dodgy chocolatey bits.
Overall, I don't know why I waited so long to use this cookbook. This cake is really, really good and there are so many delicious recipes, both sweet and savoury, I can't wait to try more. In the meantime, this Bundt recipe serves 20, so now I just need someone to help me out with the eating...any volunteers?
Until now...
I needed a recipe to christen my new Bundt tin and remembered seeing one in the book called 'Caramelized White Chocolate and Hazelnut Bundt Cake'. Now, for those not in the know, caramelised white chocolate has the brand name Caramac, a super sweet light brown chocolate that you might remember from childhood. It can be a little difficult to get hold of, you'll find that not all the supermarkets stock it and if they do, it can be a bit pricey because it's not available in a large size. Anyway, with this in mind, I headed to Tesco to buy the ingredients, not completely convinced I would be able to get everything but very pleased when I did.
The first task was to 'toast' the flour. I had never done this before and to be honest, I did not like it one bit! Being a bit clumsy, I kept flicking the flour out of the pan plus the smell was pretty horrible and seemed to linger for a long while. Having said that, in order to get a really nutty flavour, this is a vital stage. The picture doesn't show it that well, but the flour needs to have a lightly golden colour and it is essential that you keep stirring throughout the toasting.
Another essential stage is buttering the tin. I'm sure we've all experienced cakes that won't come out of the tin before but with a bundt cake, its even more upsetting because the shape of the tin is what makes the cake so special. I carefully melted some butter and painted the inside of the tin, then dusted with flour, tipping out any excess. I have noticed online that Nancy Birtwhistle has a recipe for lining paste which I didn't try this time but according to responses to her posts, it's life changing!
Baking took a little longer than the book suggested but each oven is different and with a cake as big as this, you never know if the middle is cooked without doing the skewer test. Getting it out of the oven was tricky - it weighed so much, I nearly dropped it!
We then had to wait for it to cool - which was torture! Fortunately, because of the rise I knew it would need a bit cut off the top (bottom) in order for it to sit straight, so I trimmed a bit and the Husband and I had a secret nibble. Oh my goodness, it was delicious! Sweet and nutty, a bit crispy on the bottom but warm and gooey inside. The edges are almost chewy, which gives a great texture.
Eventually, after what seemed like hours, it was time to get it out of the tin and pour over melted chocolate and sprinkle with hazelnuts. I was a bit messy with the chocolate but the hazelnuts were mixed with gold lustre dust, so when I poured those over, they hid most of the dodgy chocolatey bits.
Overall, I don't know why I waited so long to use this cookbook. This cake is really, really good and there are so many delicious recipes, both sweet and savoury, I can't wait to try more. In the meantime, this Bundt recipe serves 20, so now I just need someone to help me out with the eating...any volunteers?
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