Spiced–Citrus Bundt Cake (Reduced Sugar)
By America's Test KitchenPublished on April 19, 2020
Time
1½ hours, plus 2½ hours cooling and 1 hour setting
Yield
Serves 12
Sugar
25 grams (down from 43)
Ingredients
Cake
3 cups (15 ounces/425 grams) all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons ground allspice 1½ teaspoons ground anise seeds 1½ teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon grated orange zest plus ¾ cup juice (2 oranges)1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1¼ cups (7 ounces/198 grams) Sucanat 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened3 large eggsGlaze
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (3½ ounces/99 grams) Sucanat 1 ounce (28 grams) cream cheese, softened4 teaspoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon grated orange zest plus 2 tablespoons juiceBefore You Begin
You can learn more about Sucanat in this article. If you don't have baking spray with flour for greasing the Bundt pan, mix 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter with 1 tablespoon flour to make a paste and brush it into the pan using a pastry brush. Do not skip grinding the Sucanat in steps 2 or 5, or the cake will contain large air pockets and the glaze will be gritty.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan heavily with baking spray with flour. Whisk flour, allspice, anise, ginger, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in large bowl. In separate bowl, combine orange zest and juice and vanilla.
- Working in 4 batches, grind Sucanat until fine and powdery, about 1 minute. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat ground Sucanat and butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with juice mixture in 2 additions, scraping down bowl as needed. Give batter final stir by hand.
- Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake until skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
- Let cake cool in pan for 30 minutes. Using paring knife, loosen cake from sides of pan and invert onto wire rack. Let cool completely, about 2 hours, before glazing.
- Working in 2 batches, grind Sucanat until fine and powdery, about 1 minute. Whisk ground Sucanat, cream cheese, cornstarch, and orange zest and juice together in bowl until smooth. Pour glaze over top of cake, letting it drip down sides. Let glaze set, about 1 hour, before serving.
for the cake
for the glaze
Time
1½ hours, plus 2½ hours cooling and 1 hour settingYield
Serves 12Sugar
25 grams (down from 43)Ingredients
Cake
Glaze
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Cake
Glaze
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Cake
Glaze
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We wanted a simple, low-sugar Bundt cake that would be bursting with citrus flavor. For a light and even crumb, we creamed the butter and sugar, which aerated the batter and contributed lightness to the final cake. Although our traditional recipe called for four eggs, we found that using only three kept the cake from being too rubbery. As for the citrus, we added a hefty amount of orange juice as well as a tablespoon of zest to the cake batter to create bold, unmistakable flavor. But while the orange flavor came through loud and clear, our cake was tasting one-dimensional. To round out the flavor profile, we added complementary spices: potent allspice, anise seeds, and ginger. Finally, we created a low-sugar glaze that incorporated even more orange juice and zest for a final hit of citrus.
Before You Begin
You can learn more about Sucanat in this article. If you don't have baking spray with flour for greasing the Bundt pan, mix 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter with 1 tablespoon flour to make a paste and brush it into the pan using a pastry brush. Do not skip grinding the Sucanat in steps 2 or 5, or the cake will contain large air pockets and the glaze will be gritty.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan heavily with baking spray with flour. Whisk flour, allspice, anise, ginger, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in large bowl. In separate bowl, combine orange zest and juice and vanilla.
- Working in 4 batches, grind Sucanat until fine and powdery, about 1 minute. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat ground Sucanat and butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with juice mixture in 2 additions, scraping down bowl as needed. Give batter final stir by hand.
- Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake until skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
- Let cake cool in pan for 30 minutes. Using paring knife, loosen cake from sides of pan and invert onto wire rack. Let cool completely, about 2 hours, before glazing.
- Working in 2 batches, grind Sucanat until fine and powdery, about 1 minute. Whisk ground Sucanat, cream cheese, cornstarch, and orange zest and juice together in bowl until smooth. Pour glaze over top of cake, letting it drip down sides. Let glaze set, about 1 hour, before serving.
for the cake
for the glaze
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