Coconut Orange Bundt Cake

I have been really excited about trying my new silicone bundt pan and I've been reading some awesome vegan food blogs and wanting to try out tonnes of recipes.

So I chose this recipe from Veganyumyum where she made it with the pinkish blood orange juice in mini bundt cake tins. I made it with regular store bought minute maid orange juice in my new silicone bundt pan and the cake came out beautifully-don't you think?

Unfortunately in my excitement I took the pan straight out of the dishwasher and the cake ended up tasting of soap :(

Coconut Orange Bundt Cakes

Makes 1 small bundt cake, six mini (1 Cup) bundt cakes, or 12 cupcakes

Recipe Source: Slightly adapted from Veganyumyum here

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cups Flour ( I used all purpose flour)
• 3/4 Cups Sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/3 Cup Coconut Cream (refrigerate a can of coconut milk until the cream floats to the top and solidifies)
• 2 Tbs Blood Orange Juice (I used regular store bought minute maid orange juice though fresh squeezed would definitely taste better. But hey when there's a short cut I will take it!)
• 3/4 Cup Soy Milk ( Next time I would like to use rice or almond milk for a fluffier texture)
• 2 Tbs Water
• 1-2 tsp Vanilla Extract ( Next time I will use orange extract instead)
• Zest from one Orange ( Although the recipe didn't call for this I would highly recommend it)

Method

• Preheat oven to 400º F.
• Grease a regular bundt pan, mini bundt cake pan or cupcake molds.
• Whisk dry ingredients together.
• Beat wet ingredients together in a separate bowl until well combined.
• Add the orange zest.
• Gently fold wet ingredients into dry until just combined, don't overbeat.
• Fill your pan but not all the way, leave some room for the cake to rise.
• Bake a regular bundt for about 40 minutes, a mini bundt for 25-30 minutes, or cupcakes for about 20- 25 mins or until lightly browned on top and a skewer inserted in the top comes out clean without any batter sticking to it.
• Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Veganyumyum suggests cooling under plastic wrap to keep the outsides nice and soft.

Meanwhile prepare the orange syrup.

(Makes about 1 Cup)

• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Water
• 1/4 Cup Blood Orange Juice, strained ( I used regular minute maid orange juice though fresh squeezed would definitely taste better)

Combine sugar and water boil until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in juice. To make a thicker syrup, boil again until the sugar begins to expand greatly in volume (230º F, thread stage) then remove from heat.

Soak the cakes in the thin version of the syrup for a moister cake. As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, poke them with a fork and pour 1/2 of the syrup evenly over the tops. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before unmolding. Then thicken the leftover syrup for decoration.

Verdict:

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the silicone pan. It is a dream to use and the cake was beyond easy to unmold. I just pulled the flexible sides a little and then placed a plate over the top, held the plate and pan together and turned them over to unmold.The cake was a beaut even if I say so myself :)

However, since this cake uses no oil or eggs it was a little harder and less moist than regular cakes. I was also a little disappointed that the taste of the coconut didn't come through at all. I would definitely soak the cakes in the syrup next time I try this. And yes, definitely, definitely rinse off my pan next time too!