Its that time of year again when we join in with the worlds biggest coffee morning at work in aid of MacMillan. I always try and do something different (last year was Hungarian cherry cake)

Ive joined a community on Facebook (The Cook’s Cook Community Forum) which is an amazing group of people from all round the world with a shared love of food and cooking  – and is a real antidote to the horrible world we sometimes live in.  

I asked this group if they could come up with some ideas – and after over a hundred responses I decided that this is the year of the Bundt – and not just any bundt, but the Minnesota state fair recipe Orange Bundt cake…adapted as ever by the addition of an orange glaze.

I make no apologies that this recipe is in cups – it an American Bundt cake AND Im desperate to try out my (im sure by now vintage) Nigella measuring cups!! (like espresso cups but to measure with!!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 cup  light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup semi skimmed milk
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons grated orange rind

Method

• Heat the oven to 160 (180 if not a fan oven)
• Sift the flour, baking powder, Bicarb and salt into a bowl
• Zest your orange and then squeeze out juice of one half
• In your mixer beat the butter, gradually adding both caster and brown sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl regularly.
• Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, ensuring each egg is combined before adding the next
• Add the vanilla and beat until the mixture is very light and creamy.
• Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the dry ingredients a little at a time alternating with the milk ensuring you have a smooth batter
• stop the mixer and stir in the orange juice and rind with a spatula.
• Next prepare your bundt tin.  use a baking brush to grease with sunflower oil and then dust with sugar – if you do it any earlier the oil will settle and using flour could make the cake stick.
• Pour your batter into the tin and spread evenly and pop in the oven for 50 minutes
• Check its done with a skewer then take out of the oven (it may need 10 mins more)
• Cool on a wire cooling rack 10 minutes. Run a spatula or a wooden skewer around the edge of the pan and around the centre to loosen the cake. Carefully loosen the cake from pan and invert onto cooling rack. Cool completely.

So this isnt the prettiest cake ive ever baked – but its my first attempt at a bundt and decorating was never my forte!!  It did however taste AMAZING and helped raise lots of money for a great cause.

Original recipe taken from statefairrecipes.com as inspired by my friends on the The Cook’s Cook community.