Food The Bite:

Blood Orange Bundt Cake with Orange Bitters Glaze

Blood Orange Bundt Cake with Orange Bitters Glaze
Bourbon, Bitters & Blood Orange

How do you know you’re a truly obsessive baker? When you sip a delicious new cocktail and your first thought is, “These flavors would be even better in a cake!” That’s what happened when I discovered the explosively tasty combination of bourbon, blood orange, and bitters recently—and the result is this perfectly moist and fluffy Bundt. Developing the recipe took some trial and error: On my first attempt, I burned the cake. And then I had to experiment with the flour to fat ratio to get just the right texture. But try, try again paid off: This spiked sweet is sophisticated, indulgent, and a seriously winning winter dinner party dessert.

Recipe from Cook Beautiful

Photography by Johnny Miller

Blood Orange Bundt Cake with Orange Bitters Glaze

Athena Calderone, Cook Beautiful

Ingredients

Serves 8-10

FOR THE CAKE
Butter, for greasing the pan 3 or 4 blood orange
1⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for the pan
1⁄2 cup almond meal
1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt
5 large eggs
1 3⁄4 cups granulated sugar
3⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄2 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons bourbon

FOR THE GLAZE

1 1⁄2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 teaspoons fresh blood orange juice
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon bourbon
6 drops orange bitters
1 teaspoon blood orange zest

Method

Make the cake: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 12-cup Bundt pan (or two loaf pans) with butter and dust it with flour, tapping out the excess. Set aside.

Using a Microplane, grate the zest of 3 of the oranges. Squeeze 1⁄2 cup juice, using the fourth orange if necessary. Combine the orange juice with the lemon juice.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until just combined.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs on medium-high speed until they’re frothy and evenly colored. Slowly add the granulated sugar, beating until the mixture is thick and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and alternately add the flour mixture and oil, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing just until each addition is incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary. With the mixer still on low speed, add the yogurt, bourbon, orange and lemon juices, and orange zest, mixing just until everything is incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, leaving about 1 inch between the batter and the top of the pan. Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a knife or cake tester inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs still clinging to it. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and allow it to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before unmolding and cooling it completely on the rack.

Make the glaze: Over a medium bowl, sift the confectioners’ sugar through a sieve to remove any lumps. Whisk in the orange and lemon juices, bourbon, and bitters. Stir in the zest. If the glaze is too runny, you can add more sugar; if it’s too thick, add more juice.

When the cake has cooled completely and is still sitting on the rack, drizzle it generously with the glaze and then transfer it to a serving platter.

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