Black Pepper and Red Wine Bundt Cake - #BundtBakers

It has been so long that I participated in Bundt Bakers that I feel like a newbie. I'm checking the to-do list not just twice but thrice. And I am still sure that I have forgotten something. I almost skipped this month also since things were even more uncertain in my life. However, a couple weeks ago I was visiting a friend and she insisted that I do some baking. I went through the list of themes for upcoming group posts and decided to tackle this one.

June of How to Philosophize Cake challenged us to bake a cake with an unusual flavour combination that though seemingly strange, tasted great. This is a really fun theme but it was really difficult choosing a pairing. I kept thinking of flavours that just were not that strange. Eventually,  I asked my friend to pick an ingredient - she chose red wine - and I then looked for an unexpected complement. Red wine and black pepper is actually not that unusual. It's just very unlikely to see both show up in cake.

I had no idea how this would turn out and several times thought that maybe I should make something else and avoid wasting the wine. But my friend encouraged me to go for it. Neither of us drink much alcohol but we really love alcohol in desserts. If I hadn't used the wine in the cake, then the wine would have just sat there untouched for a very long time. That would have been wasting it.  When I tasted the batter, I realised it wouldn't be a waste of ingredients afterall. It was really good. In the final product, you taste a lovely wine flavour when you first bite into the cake, you almost forget that there should be black pepper but then it hits at the end. The heat lingering in your tongue for a bit.

Be sure to check out all the other strange but good Bundts below and a huge thank you to our host, June at How to Philosophize with Cake!

Black Pepper and Red Wine Bundt Recipe by: Kelly   Adapted from: Baked Element's Triple Rum and Black Pepper Bundt

Yield: 1 standard Bundt cake

Ingredients Cake 3 cups flour 3 teaspoons black pepper 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup butter, room temperature 2 cups granulated sugar 3 eggs 1 yolk  1 cup milk  3/4 cup red wine Syrup 1/2 cup butter  1/3 cup sugar  1/4 cup red wine Glaze  1 cup confectioner's sugar 4 tablespoons butter, melted 3 tablespoons red wine

Directions Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and  flour a 10 - 12 cup Bundt pan thoroughly. Whisk together flour, black pepper, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the whole eggs and yolk one at a time beating for about ten seconds after each addition. Scrape down the bowl then beat again for another ten seconds.  Whisk together milk and wine.  Alternate adding the flour and wine mixture to the butter mixture. Start and end with flour. Mix for about ten seconds after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for another ten seconds.  Pour into prepared Bundt pan and bake for 50 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes then remove and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.  When the cake has cooled, make the syrup.  Gently stir together butter, sugar, and 3 tablespoons of water over medium heat. Keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted. Increase the heat to high and let the mixture boil for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat if the mixture starts to reach the top of the pan. Remove from heat and whisk in the wine. Whisk thoroughly.  Return the cake to the Bundt pan and use a long skewer to poke several holes into the cake. Slowly drizzle the wine syrup over the cake. Let sit in Bundt pan for at least three hours then invert onto a plate.  Whisk together confectioner's sugar, melted butter and wine. Pour over cake.

Notes

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• Black Pepper and Red Wine Bundt Cake by Passion Kneaded
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• Chocolate Banana Bacon Bundt Cake by The Freshman Cook
• Chocolate Lemon Bundt Cake by I Bake He Shoots
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• Coconut and Rose Syrup Bundt Cake by I Camp In My Kitchen
• Coconut, Cardamom, and Orange Cake by Baking Yummies
• Dark Chocolate Beet Cake by All That's Left Are The Crumbs
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• Peanut Butter Sour Cream Bundt Cake by Basic N Delicious
• Six Flavor Bundt by Making Miracles
• Sweet Potato and Marshmallow Bundt by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Triple Rum Black Pepper Bundt Cake by How to Philosophize with Cake

#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.