Caramel Apple Bundt Cake

The moment I saw this bundt tin beaming at me from the shelves of my local TK Maxx, it was love at first sight.

Ever since that fateful day, I've been looking for any excuse to whip up a bundt cake. Birthdays, Christmas, Wednesdays - you name it. In my opinion, of all the cake options out there, a bundt is one of the most fun. It's fun to say (say it out loud to yourself...*bundt*...), fun to decorate, fun to slice into, and creates an all-round "Well isn't this a bit fun?" vibe. SUCH fun.

Unfortunately, with there only being two of us in the house (not counting the animals of course), bundt opportunities don't come around too often. After all, there's nothing more tragic than a 'Serves 10-12' bundt going to waste, for as it turns out, there really is only so much bundt you can load into a child before they're practically begging for a piece of fruit.

But I'll stop saying 'bundt' now and lead you to the recipe you've come here for, presumably.

Caramel Apple Bundt Cake

With warming cinnamon, comfortingly squidgy apple, and thick, oozing caramel, this particular bundt is literally (not literally) a cakey hug. The caramel is made with honey, but if you don't like the taste of honey you can make a classic caramel sauce using butter, double cream, brown sugar and a touch of vanilla.

I entered this into our office Bake Off where it faced some pretty tough competition. But (as I believe I've stressed by the point), no-one can resist a just-here-for-a-good-time bundt, and I'm proud to say it won the main prize. For which there was no actual prize, just fame and glory. 

If you'd like to earn some serious office kudos and put a half-bundt-shaped smile on the faces of your co-workers, here's everything you need to know, courtesy of the lovely folk over at Canadian Living:

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cups light-tasting olive oil

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup liquid honey

3 free-range eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups plain flour

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups diced cored peeled apples

Caramel:

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup mild liquid honey 

3 tbsp double cream 

2 tbsp butter

In large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients - that's the oil, sugar, honey, eggs and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

Stir this into the egg mixture just until combined, and fold through the apples. Scrape into greased 10-inch (3-litre) bundt pan.

Bake in a 160ºC oven for 40-50 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean. FYI your house will smell amazing in the meantime.

Leave to cool in the pan, on a rack for 10 minutes; transfer from pan to rack and let it cool completely.

To make the caramel: In a heavy saucepan, bring the sugar, honey and 2 tbsp water to the boil over a medium-high heat. Use a pastry brush dipped in cold water to brush any liquid from the sides. Cook until the mixture turns a deep amber colour, which will take about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

Standing well back and being careful of your beautiful face, stir in the cream and butter. Cool for around 15 minutes, until the caramel has thickened enough to coat back of spoon, then drizzle the warm caramel over cake (*cue Homer Simpson drooling*), saving some for additional pouring later.

If you were looking for your next bake to fend off the impending gloom of winter,  I think you've just found it!