For months, bakers across America have toiled in their kitchens amidst mountains of sugar and flour in hopes of creating the recipe for the perfect bundt cake. Michael Valley of Kane‘ohe found that his time and creativity paid off as
For months, bakers across America have toiled in their kitchens amidst mountains of sugar and flour in hopes of creating the recipe for the perfect bundt cake.
Michael Valley of Kane‘ohe found that his time and creativity paid off as Nordic Ware — maker of the iconic bundt pan — named him as one of the state finalists in the “Bundts Across America” contest last month.
Nordic Ware selected Valley’s recipe, Hawaii 5-OH! Spice Cake because it best represented Hawai‘i and for its originality, best use of ingredients and essay.
The “Bundts Across America” contest, celebrating the company’s 60th anniversary, kicked off in back May when Nordic Ware challenged bakers across the nation to put their best bundt forward and submit original recipes for creative and great-tasting bundts.
Innovative spins on the traditional cake came in from Massachusetts to Hawai‘i and nearly every state in between. Charged with baking a bundt that best represented their individual state, entrants put local ingredients and themes to good use.
The bundt cake recipes submitted for the contest came in a variety of shapes and sizes. While many participants chose to use the classic pan, the depth and variety of the bundt line, which includes nearly 40 shapes was well represented with shapes including the star, rose and sunflower bundts.
Even mini-bundts made their pint-sized presence known in a variety of the recipes.
As a state winner, Valley received a $100 gift certificate for Nordic Ware products.
The top 10 recipes moved on to the final level of the contest judged by a panel experts including Betsy Wray, editor of Cooking Pleasures magazine, Barb Strand, author and professional food consultant, Dorothy Dalquist, co-founder of Nordic Ware, creators of the bundt pan and the editor of numerous bundt recipe books and her son, David Dalquist, president of Nordic Ware.
The “Bundts Across America” grand-prize winner will be announced live on The Martha Stewart Show Wednesday, National Bundt Day.
The winner will receive a family reunion party for up to 50 people, in the winner’s hometown, including an assortment of Bundt cakes for dessert.
The winner’s kitchen will be outfitted with $1,000 worth of Nordic Ware products of his or her choosing.
In addition, he or she will be provided a trip to New York City to be an audience member during The Martha Stewart Show when their winning recipe is announced.
Hawaii 5-OH!
Spice Cake
2 boxes French vanilla cake mix
2 boxes instant coconut cream pudding mix
8 eggs
11/2 cup oil
2 cup water
3 tablespoons Chinese 5-spice
2 cup coconut
1 cup chopped toasted macadamia nuts
1 teaspoon coconut extract
Coconut cream cheese glaze:
4 ounce cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
Powdered sugar added to establish smooth consistency for drizzling.
Use a 12-cup classic bundt pan and 6 cup rose pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease and flour classic bundt pan and a mini bundt pan (or mini roses).
Fill bundt pan to 11/2 inches from the top, plus 4 to 6 mini bundts or mini roses.
Bake for about one hour, until cake tests done.
Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before releasing from pan.
Release and cool. Drizzle with coconut cream cheese glaze and sprinkle with toasted chopped macadamia nuts.
Makes approximately 24 servings.
