“My bundt hole is too big,” I said. I was alone in my kitchen. My inner Beavis burst out laughing.
This was supposed to be an “easy, colorful Fourth of July recipe.” That’s what I had listed on our editorial list of posts for the week, anyway. Not as easy as the Patriotic Berry Trifle I made for this column a few years ago (hell, you don’t even need an oven for that one), but close.
To be fair, the cake part of the Food network‘s Fireworks Bundt Cake was actually a cake. As in easy. Moist and enriched with sour cream and buttermilk, it stuck a little in the pan here and there, but I wasn’t concerned about those minor imperfections.
Because I had fireworks in the form of beautiful rock-shaped candies. I had red, white, and blue sprinkles. I even had a few beautiful strawberries that I had forbidden anyone to eat as a backup topping. A nice opaque frosting would provide a smooth white covering that would bring out all those American colors. I was counting on it.
What I didn’t expect was a cavernous hole in the bundt. Or frosting so ghostly it would be more fitting for my Halloween column (where things don’t always go as planned, either).
Poisoned Caramel Apples: Sweetened with Halloween Spirit
I’ve seen food stylist tricks. Bubbles of dish soap on coffee to make it look rich and creamy. Lipstick on strawberries that are too white near the stems. Mashed potatoes dyed as ice cream so you can photograph it without worrying about it melting. It’s all great. But rather than break out the Elmer’s glue for a flawless, deceptive frosting, I’m doing what I always do: telling you what really happened.
Like when most of my pumpkin cheesecake bars fell on the floor before their close-up.
I don’t know what happened to the frosting, to be honest. The cake had chilled overnight and I followed the instructions carefully, but even so, I must have added a little too much water.
The wide crater? There was really no solution without illusion. At their intact lengths, the candy angles were all wrong. Thirty degrees at best, their sticks quickly cluttered the space, preventing the pretty bouquet presentation of the Food Network image from forming. Even at different lengths, there was no proper arrangement. Not without a votive holder, which I eventually used, in combination with shorter stick placements between the glass and the cake, to get my facsimile.
Not as pathetic as something from “Nailed It!” but okay. And, you know, sometimes, even with recipes that are out of my reach, like Christina Tosi’s confetti cake, I can still do pretty well.
Cooking above your pay grade
I’m not a professional baker or a food photographer. I’m exactly who this recipe is for. And while it probably doesn’t need to be emphasized, you can make this design idea even easier by replicating the look with a store-bought cake mix if you’re really pressed for time. For the holidays, especially when you’re hosting or attending a last-minute Fourth of July gathering, it’s just nice to have something festive to set on the table or hand to your host upon arrival.
And it doesn’t hurt to have a story to go with it, especially if the cake isn’t all it could be.
Want to contact me? Find me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. E-mail: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com. For more gourmet pleasure, join the Let’s Eat, Orlando Facebook Group.
Fireworks Bundt Cake
Recipe courtesy of Food Network (foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/fireworks-bundt-cake-3762601)
Ingredients
For the cake:
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2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for frying
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2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
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2 teaspoons of yeast
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1/4 teaspoon baking soda
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
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4 large eggs, at room temperature
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1/2 cup sour cream
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1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
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3/4 cup buttermilk
For the icing:
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2 cups icing sugar
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1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
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1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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Red, white and blue nonpareils, for garnish
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Red, white and blue candy sugar sticks, for decoration
Directions
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Make the cake: Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter a 10- to 12-cup loaf pan, making sure to fill all crevices; dust with flour and tap out excess. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
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Beat butter and granulated sugar in large bowl with mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then sour cream and vanilla. (Batter may look curdled.) Reduce mixer speed to medium-low and add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with buttermilk; beat until well blended.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes; loosen the edge of the cake with a knife and invert it onto the rack to cool completely.
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Make the frosting: Whisk together the icing sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and 1 tablespoon water in a bowl; add a little more water if the frosting is too thick. Pour it over the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Garnish with nonpareils. Let sit until set, 5 to 10 minutes. Place candy sticks in the center of the cake.
