Maria: “I am Maria Portokalos; Welcome to our home!”
Harriet: (Hands her a plate with something draped in plastic wrap over toothpicks).
Maria: “Thank you… what is it?”
Harriet: “It’s a bundt.”
Maria: “A bunh?”
Harriet: “Bundt.”
Maria: “B-b-b-b-bunk?”
Harriet: “Bund-T.”
Maria, nodding: “Bunnnnt…t”
Harriet, frustrated: “Bundt! Bundt!
(Neighbor to Maria in Greek): “Είναι κέικ Μαρία.” (It’s a cake, Maria.)
Maria: “It’s a cake… I know! Thank you, thank you very much.” (Walking away, aside to neighbor): “There’s a hole in this cake!”
This is the dialog from a favorite scene in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Neither of us can see a bundt cake without quoting it.
I haven’t made a lot of bundts in my life. I think because the first one was an epic failure. Stuck to the pan. Looked horrible when served. Didn’t taste all that great.
The pan – a wonderful Kaiser-brand pan, in fact – was relegated to the pantry and rarely makes an appearance.
A couple of years ago, I decided to confront my fears when reading Vintage Kitchen Notes written by my friend Paula. She belonged to a Bundt-a-Month blogging group so clearly fearless, that it became an inspiration for me to try again.
Reading her recipes, summoned my courage and I actually posted a recipe for a bundt cake of my own creation – a Sonoran Desert Coffee Cake.
For the most part, it came out fine, with just a little sticking on the sides from the jam layer. The part that didn’t release, came out in one piece and – à la Humpty Dumpty – I was able to put it all back together again.
Though my fears were somewhat quelled, I still haven’t made a lot of bundts. I have, though, discovered that the prepping of the pan is critical to a successful release.
I recently made today’s Cointreau and Chocolate Bundt Cake, based on a recipe from The Cake Bible. I included the chocolate chips against Mark’s protestations. “Why ruin a perfectly good cake with chocolate chips?” What am I going to do with him?
Turns out the Cointreau/orange flavor was not strong, so I am glad the chips were there. Next time I make it, I will add the zest of at least two oranges to boost the flavor.
Otherwise it was pretty perfect. And I didn’t even have to do any repairs when it released from the pan!
Easy as cake!
~ David
Cointreau and Chocolate Bundt Cake
Adapted and simplified from Golden Grand Marnier Cake, The Cake Bible
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (Mark suggests diced candied orange peel instead.)
1/4 teaspoon Cointreau
1 1/2 teaspoons cake flour
3 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons orange blossom water
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 3/4 ounces sifted cake flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
Syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup Cointreau
Grease and flour a 9-inch bundt pan. This is important. Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a small bowl, mix the chocolate chips (or candied orange peel) with the 1/4 teaspoon Cointreau. When completely coated, add 1 1/2 teaspoons cake flour and toss to coat evenly. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, 1/4 cup sour cream, orange blossom water and vanilla.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together dry ingredients and orange zest. Add the butter and remaining sour cream. Mix on low speed till dry ingredients are moistened. Increase speed to medium, and beat for 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape down the sides.
Add the egg mixture in three additions, beating for 20 seconds after each addition.
Scrape down the sides and gently stir in the chocolate chips.
Spoon batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the surface.
Bake in the center of the oven for 50-55 minutes, or until a wire tester comes out clean. The cake will have just started to shrink from the sides of the pan when it is done.
In the last few minutes of baking, heat the sugar, orange juice and Cointreau until the sugar is dissolved.
As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, place it on a rack, still in the pan, and poke the top of it all over with a skewer. Brush on half of the syrup. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter. Brush with remaining syrup.
Serve dusted with confectioners sugar, with hot fudge in the side.
Serves 12.
Developed and maintained by Inspiratech LLC.
Design by Themeshift.
Anonymous
August 30, 2014 at 2:16 pmOne of my favorite lines from one of my favorite movies! Beautiful bundt (say that 5 times fast!) and while I'm not a huge chocolate chip fan, chocolate + orange go together like salt and pepper, so I'm sure this is wonderful!
By the way, have you discovered a trick to releasing the cake from the pan – or does it just have to be super greased??
Cocoa & Lavender
September 2, 2014 at 2:57 pmAhu – the pan must be really well greased and floured for the cake to release. Also, I found that having a really high-quality pan helps, too!
Jill
August 31, 2014 at 4:52 amUsed to make bundt cakes all the time – chocolate fudge or lemon. I was heavy handed with the Pam just seconds before putting the batter in the pan and after baking only cooled for ten minutes before flipping the cake out of the pan. Cakes never stuck. Just my way.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 2, 2014 at 2:59 pmThanks, Jill! Letting a cake cool only 10 minutes is really important, but the Pam (or whatever grease is used) has to get into all the nooks and crannies. And I found that flooring the pan really helps, too.
Lizzy (Good Things)
August 31, 2014 at 7:04 amAhhhhhhhh, gorgeous! I love that movie… such a laugh! And what a beautiful cake too! My mother always made bundt cakes… well kugelopf and similar Hungarian cakes… I have her tin but haven't used it for a decade or so… good time to start, no?
Cocoa & Lavender
September 2, 2014 at 3:01 pmGlad you enjoyed the clip, Liz! I bet a bundt baked in a kugel of Pam would be beautiful!
Magda
August 31, 2014 at 12:23 pm🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
September 2, 2014 at 3:01 pmThanks again for the translation help! xo
Anonymous
August 31, 2014 at 1:12 pmWell, it looks beautiful! Great sounding ingredients!!!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 2, 2014 at 3:02 pmThanks, Mimi!
Unknown
August 31, 2014 at 1:53 pmHi David! I hope you are doing well my friend.
I may have to side with Mark, I love chocolate but not in everything, orange peel would've been great! Like a panettone! Yum.
The cake is beautiful though, great job! One thing, chocolate and orange is a great combo so I'm sure the cake tasted fantastic.
I'm getting back slowly but surely. It's been so busy though, I don't have any time to write. I'm missing everyone.
Take care! xx
Nazneen
Cocoa & Lavender
September 2, 2014 at 3:04 pmThanks, Nazneen! Hope you are doing well… have missed you, too. I think I will try this with candied orange (or lemon… or maybe ginger). More bundts are better, right?
Cathleen | My Culinary Mission
August 31, 2014 at 2:50 pmGreat movie, and beautiful Bundt, David! I always get a bit apprehensive when it comes to bundts – just cross my fingers and hope for the best. Your flavor combination is classic. Too bad the orange flavor did not come through as strong as you would have liked.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 2, 2014 at 3:06 pmThanks, Cathleen! Needing more orange flavor is just a great excuse to make more bundts, right?
Cheri Savory Spoon
August 31, 2014 at 3:16 pmHi David, love that movie and the clip that you have here, so funny and sweet at the same time. You little cake looks delicious, chocolate and orange are so good together.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 2, 2014 at 3:07 pmI really love that movie so much – we watch it quite often! The thing I love about bundts is that one cake will serve many!
Christina | Christina's Cucina
August 31, 2014 at 5:07 pmBundts are easy-peasy, but you're right: pan prep is crucial. Mark sounds like my dad, he doesn't want chocolate or chocolate chips in anything; he'd substitute raisins if it was up to him. 🙂 Your cake looks and sounds lovely. I can't wait for it too cool off a bit so I can bake some cakes (I've got something really cool in mind for a post)!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 2, 2014 at 3:08 pmCan't wait to see the post you have in mind, Christina! And, while I liked the chocolate, raisins might have been good, too! 😉
Karin
August 31, 2014 at 5:42 pmI love when she serves it, with a flower pot in the middle! Tell Mark chocolate is always a good idea, chip form or otherwise! Looks YUMMY!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 2, 2014 at 3:10 pmYes, it makes me want to get a small flower pot with a fake germaium just to serve my bundts…
Kathy
August 31, 2014 at 9:16 pmOne of my favorite movies and a great scene! I adore Lainie Kazan! I also adore a good cake, and your Bundt cake looks fabulous! You can never go wrong with chocolate! Have a great weekend, David!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 2, 2014 at 3:11 pmThanks, Kathy! I think she is a brilliant actor, too – perfect timing! It's fun to see who likes chocolate and who doesn't!!
Anonymous
August 31, 2014 at 10:59 pmThat "bunk" cake looks delicious.
Thanks for the big laugh! I can just imagine you all saying those words to each other when you have a bundt cake.
Here's something cute (I think so anyway) hubby and I say to each other every night at dinner. We look at each other and we know instantly what one or the other is going to say so we say it at the same time, "Don't you love dinner?!" Then we laugh. Yeah, we're silly. We are also grateful for our food.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 2, 2014 at 3:13 pmThat is so cute, Caterina! We often say the same thing at the same time – from day one till almost twenty years now! Glad you enjoyed the post and the movie clip!
Anonymous
September 1, 2014 at 7:57 pmHaha, love the movie reference in the beginning! This cake looks like a most delicious combination of orange and chocolate.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 2, 2014 at 3:15 pmThanks for stopping by, Ali! I look forward to seeing more of Milk & Cereal!
Teffy @ Sprinkle of Green
September 2, 2014 at 12:26 amHaha that was my reaction when I first saw a bagel! It was so weird that it had a hole in the middle!
{Teffy's Perks} X
Cocoa & Lavender
September 2, 2014 at 3:16 pmI never thought that about a bagel, Teffy – but now that you mention it… 🙂
Nuts about food
September 3, 2014 at 8:45 amI need more info on the pan prepping (greasing and flouring?) and on what you did with the chips… is that flour to avoid them sinking? The chips look wet in the first picture. My bundt pan is stored away in the back of a cupboard too. I am partial to your choice: I would put chocolate in any form anywhere. And loved that movie too!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 3, 2014 at 2:31 pmFiona – yes, the greasing and flouring of the pan is crucial. And with a bundt pan, you really need to get into all the nooks and crannies, otherwise you are sunk! I did moisten the chips with a little Cointreau, and then flour them so they wouldn't sink. I do this with berries in cakes, as well. It really helps suspend them in the batter. I hope your bundt pan comes out of the cupboard soon! 🙂
Nuts about food
September 5, 2014 at 8:10 amThanks! I especially like the tip for the choc chips… since, like you, I would add them to anything if I could
Cocoa & Lavender
September 5, 2014 at 3:34 pmMe, too! In fact, this morning (we are traveling) I couldn't find decent cocoa for my hot cocoa, so I got really good chips and melted them to make my hot chocolate this morning. Oooooh, so good!
Sippity Sup
September 3, 2014 at 4:51 pmYou know I've had lots of donuts that had holes in them too. Probably just trapped air, right? GREG
Cocoa & Lavender
September 4, 2014 at 1:59 pmYes, Greg, and that is why donuts are health food.
Colette (Coco)
September 3, 2014 at 7:32 pmBonk, bond, boont, boont, bonk bonk!
I love that movie! It never gets old. Shawn refuses to watch it anymore, but I could still watch it over and over.
Now, your bundt is fabulous, D. Love all the orangey things….over the top!
I have to taste this tonight! xo
Cocoa & Lavender
September 4, 2014 at 2:00 pmI love orange and chocolate in anything, too, Colette! Hoe you like the cake!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
September 4, 2014 at 3:03 pmYour cake sounds great but as much as I like chocolate chips, I think I like Mark's suggestion of candied orange peel…I love its flavor. As to sticking, I bought a really cheap nonstick bundt pan when I couldn't find the one I normally used and not one cake has stuck in it…go figure. 😀
Cocoa & Lavender
September 4, 2014 at 11:10 pmKaren – next time I am definitely using the orange peel… or maybe crystallized ginger! Funny that the cheap bundt pan works best… Oh well!
Daniela Grimburg
September 4, 2014 at 7:36 pmThis dialogue was such fun!
Love your jazzed up version of this cake with Cointreau and orange blossom flavor.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 4, 2014 at 11:13 pmThanks Daniela! Your note makes me realize that I haven't received a pot fom you in a while – I need to pop overs and make sure I am subscribed!!
Donna
September 6, 2014 at 12:17 amI'll have to buy a few ingredients, but I am looking forward to trying this.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 6, 2014 at 5:51 amThanks for your note, Donna!
Andrea_TheKitchenLioness
September 6, 2014 at 5:34 amDavid, a great recipe for a lovelyBundt cake – thee is no such thing as having too many wonderful recipes for Bundt cake. I have never baked with Cointreau but it certainly sounds like a delicious idea to me.And since I watched that movie many times, I have to admit of having quoted it a few times myself – absolutely hilarious indeed.
Hope all is well and have a wonderful weekend,
Andrea
Andrea_TheKitchenLioness
September 6, 2014 at 5:36 am…and since I cannot seem to correct my mistakes in the comment, of course that should read "there is no such thing as having too many…" etc.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 6, 2014 at 5:53 amThanks, Andrea! I agree and, with your encouragement, I have been making quite a few bundts! Glad you enjoy the movie, too!
Anonymous
September 15, 2014 at 8:51 amI don't know what you were worried about David this one turned out perfectly. Cointreau and chocolate are a match made in heaven (sorry Mark you are out numbered ) I have the opposite problem from you Mr LG has to have chocolate in everything 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
September 15, 2014 at 3:50 pmYet Mr. LG didn't add chocolate to his caramels in your last post. Is he feeling okay? 🙂
Yes, I was lucky with this bundt, Karen… hope that continues!
Anonymous
September 17, 2014 at 11:43 pmYes yes yes!! I always think of that same scene from My Big Fat Greek Wedding when I see bundts, too! I don't actually have a bundt tin but after seeing the myriad of amazing bundt recipes on the blogosphere I've been wanting to invest. This is yet another to add to the arsenal! Thanks David!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 18, 2014 at 2:49 pmThe funny thing with this post, as you might be adding a pan to your arsenal, is that those who bought really inexpensive nonstick bundt pans seem to have the best of luck with them not sticking! Hope you are having fun in Scotland!
Unknown
September 21, 2014 at 7:19 pmIsn't everything better with Cointreau? I just bought some Blood Orange Liqueur that I am going to have to find something wonderful to make with – this may be just the thing!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 22, 2014 at 5:18 amWow… Blood orange liqueur ounces wonderful! Welcome back, Susan!
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen Notes
October 25, 2014 at 9:51 amOrange and chocolate are always a good idea for a cake David, more so if there's licor involved! Or is it that licor is always a good idea for a cake, jaja.
Gorgeous cake my friend! A foolproof non-stick method: spray the pan (with those awful, so-wrong-for-the-planet, vegetable sprays) and then sprinkle with dry fine breadcrumbs. A tip from Maida Heatter, works every single time! Thanks for the mention!
Cocoa & Lavender
October 26, 2014 at 3:49 pmOrange + Chocolate + Alchol = Heaven. It's the new math. (Now, that is math I like!) Thanks for the Maida Heatter tip – I will try that!
Joanna
September 24, 2023 at 2:47 pmYour cake looks beautiful!! On a side note, the neighbor doesn’t say “einali kaiki Maria” she says “Einai kaiki mori” which loosely translates to “It’s a cake, idiot”. The Greeks also have a similar looking semolina cake called halva, so I’m not sure why Maria looked so confused with the bundt cake!! Here is a good recipe if you ever decide to try it https://www.dianekochilas.com/halva-orange-spiced-semolina-pudding-cake-with-dried-fruits-and-nuts/
Cocoa & Lavender
September 24, 2023 at 9:32 pmThank you, Joanna! It’s good to know what she said! And thank you, also, for the Diane Kochilas recipe. I only have one of her cookbooks — I love her recipes and style!