Baked Good: Bundt Cake Featuring Beet, Carrot, Zucchini, Hazelnuts, and Vanilla-Brown Sugar
Go ahead and whip up a mind-blowing, multi-dimensional dessert cake that's unlike any other! This irresistible beet, carrot, zucchini, and hazelnut cake is infused with the delectable flavors of browned butter and cardamom. Here's what you'll need for this zany culinary adventure.
Ingredients (A Wild Ride)
- 10 tablespoons (5 oz) unsalted butter (8 tablespoons for browning)
- 2 cups (8.5 oz) all-purpose flour or whole-wheat pastry flour, plus extra for greasing your pan
- 3/4 cup (2.3 oz) very finely ground hazelnuts, keeping the skins on
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2.5 teaspoons vanilla, half for browning the butter
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup (4.5 oz) coarsely grated beets
- 1 cup (5 oz) coarsely grated carrots
- 1 cup (4 oz) coarsely grated zucchini
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Toasted, husked, chopped hazelnuts to garnish (optional)
Instructions (Game On)
- Start by browning 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Let it cook until it's a beautiful golden brown and those heavenly solids don't stick to the bottom or burn. Set the browned butter aside in a heatproof bowl and set aside. Decide whether you want to enjoy your senses with an extra pinch of vanilla by adding it into the saucepan.
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, hazelnuts, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom, setting it aside.
- Wait a few minutes for the browned butter to cool, then whisk the sugars into the beard-of-Zeus-worthy browned butter. Follow that by adding the eggs and 2 teaspoons of vanilla (again, if you're feeling frisky).
- Stir in half the dry mixture, followed by the buttermilk, and then the remaining dry mixture. Fold in the grated veggies. Pour this enticing, steaming concoction liberally into a 10- or 12-cup bundt pan that you've greased and floured. Smooth that golden goodness with the back of a spoon.
- Bake your little heart out in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 45 to 55 minutes. Or, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then flip that sucker onto a rack and let it cool completely. Your patience will be rewarded.
- Once the cake has cooled, you'll make a lust-worthy glaze to drizzle over this moist masterpiece. Throw 1 cup of powdered sugar into a bowl and melt the last 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Cook that gorgeous glob of butter until it turns golden brown. Whisk the melted browned butter, milk, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, and a pinch of salt into the powdered sugar. Set the cake on a plate, and drizzle that glorious glaze over the top. If you're into that whole "more is better" vibe, sprinkle some toasted, husked, chopped hazelnuts on top. Give the glaze some time to set before slicing and devouring your labors of love.
This cake is a veritable rollercoaster of flavors, blending the sweet, the savory, and everything in between. So grab your aprons, people, because life's too short for ordinary cakes!
In the given recipe, nutty flavors are introduced through ground hazelnuts, both in the cake batter and as a garnish. A heatproof bowl is suggested for browning the butter. Additionally, the dessert cake itself is a unique blend of beets, carrots, zucchini, and hazelnuts.
