Fireside Bundt Cake - #BundtBakers

A warming drink by the fireside in a wintery setting is great, but a 

bundt cake inspired by a Fireside Cocktail is even better.

Sitting by the fireside is not something that we usually get to do in Hawaii, but we can still dream about it. Snow gently falling outside, the air so crisp so you can see your next breath, a winter wonderland scented with pine where you can go tobogganing or have a snowball fight and then head inside to a welcoming fireplace. Who wouldn't love the thought of a warming drink - alcoholic or non-alcoholic - and just relaxing in a soft, comfy chair warding off the winter chill. Now imagine that drink as a delicious bundt cake - yum! - and that is how we got our theme of Fireside Bundts for BundtBakers this month.

To my surprise there is actually a recipe for a cocktail called a Fireside.  Actually there is more than one, but I chose the one that is a blend of grapefruit juice, maple syrup, rosemary, and vodka as it seemed to me to be the perfect flavor profile for a cake and something I would like to drink too. The idea of sweet and tangy ruby red grapefruit juice and the earthiness of rosemary, with a hint of sweetness from the maple syrup, really appealed to me.  It may just become my go to cocktail and bundt cake.

The base flavor for my bundt cake was vanilla pound cake which I flavored with ruby red grapefruit juice and zest. Rather than add the cocktail mix to the cake I choose to reduce the liquid down to a syrup in then brush it on the cake once it was cool. By doing this I got a nice hint of the cocktail and a note of grapefruit in every bite.

This was such an easy cake to put together, the flavor was amazing, and everyone was asking for another slice. It is a recipe I would definitely make again and I think I may candy the the grapefruit rind in the cocktail reduction next time, and possibly poke some holes in the cake so the syrup can soak even further into the cake.

If you would like to know more about the Bundt Bakers and see what the other bakers in the group made for our Fireside Bundts theme please scroll down below the recipe.

Fireside Bundt Cake

Printer Friendly Recipe

Ingredients

Fireside Syrup Glaze ~

• 135ml (4.5 oz) vodka
• 16 ml (.75 oz) maple syrup
• 1 pinch of salt
• 175ml (6 oz) freshly squeezed Ruby Red grapefruit juice
• 1 sprig of rosemary

Cake ~

• 300g (2½ cups) all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 227g (1 cup) full fat plain greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons Ruby Red grapefruit zest
• 225g (1 cup) butter softened
• 445g (2¼ cups) granulated white sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature

Preparation

Fireside Syrup Glaze ~

1. Add vodka, maple syrup, salt, and grapefruit juice to a small saucepan; bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat and allow to reduce by half.
3. Remove from heat, add the sprig of rosemary, and allow to steep whilst the cake is baking.

Cake ~

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Spray bundt pan with baking spray bundt cake pan.
3. Sift dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
4. In another bowl, combine grapefruit zest, vanilla extract and greek yogurt. Set aside.
5. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the mixing bowl well after each addition and mix until blended. Add dry and wet ingredients alternately to butter-sugar-egg mixture until incorporated (do not over-mix).
7. Add flour mixture and yogurt mixture ingredients alternately to butter-sugar-egg mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, until uniformly incorporated (do not over-mix).
8. Spoon batter into pan. 
9. Bake on a middle rack, for approximately 50 minutes until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. 
10. Allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before inverting out onto a wire rack to continue cooling. 
11. Cool completely before glazing with the Fireside syrup.

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page. If you are a food blogger and interested in joining in the Bundt Baking fun please send an email to Stacey at foodlustpeoplelove at gmail dot com. Our theme this month is Fireside Drinks and our host is Felice from All That's Left Are The Crumbs.

Please take a moment to check out all of the Fireside Bundts baked by the BundtBakers this month ~

• Fireside Bundt Cake by All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• French Vanilla Coffee Bundt Cake by Making Miracles
• Gin Tonic Pink Bundt Cake by Patyco Candybar
• Kahlua and Cream Cake by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Spiced Hot Toddy Mini Bundts by Food Lust People Love
• Spiced Rum Mince Meat Christmas Pudding Bundt by Sneha's Recipe