Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
Black Forest Stout Bundt Cake
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
55 mins
1 hour
3 hours
Serves:
One 10-cup bundt cake (14 slices)
Shannon created this dish for Great British Bake Off ™ Series 17. Adapted from Nigella Lawson's own chocolate stout cake, it pairs a dark, moist stout sponge with a hidden seam of really sour cherry compote, a flavor combination both judges loved. This version keeps every flavor and fixes the timing...
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Ingredients
FOR THE PAN: 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
FOR THE CHOCOLATE STOUT SPONGE: 1 cup stout, such as Guinness Draught 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cubed ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 cups granulated sugar ¾ cup sour cream, at room temperature 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1 Tbsp vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp fine salt
FOR THE SOUR CHERRY COMPOTE: 1 jar (24 oz) Morello (sour) cherries in light syrup, drained, ¾ cup juice reserved (or 3 cups frozen tart cherries plus ¾ cup water) 3 Tbsp cornstarch ⅓ cup granulated sugar 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice Pinch of fine salt
FOR THE FROSTING: 8 oz full-fat block cream cheese, cold ⅔ cup powdered sugar, sifted 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup heavy cream, cold
EQUIPMENT: 10- to 12-cup bundt pan Pastry brush Instant-read thermometer Wire rack Rimmed sheet pan Stand mixer or hand mixer Serrated knife Small offset spatula
Method
STEP 1: PREPARE THE PAN
Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the lower third. Stir the melted butter and cocoa powder together to a paste. Using a pastry brush, work it into every ridge of the bundt pan and up the center tube, then chill the pan while you make the batter.
STEP 2: MAKE THE BATTER
Warm the stout and cubed butter in a large saucepan over low heat until the butter melts. Take off the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar. Whisk the sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract together, then whisk into the stout mixture. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together and whisk in until just smooth. The batter is thin; this is correct.
STEP 3: BAKE THE SPONGE
Pour the batter into the chilled pan and bake for 50–60 minutes, until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs and an instant-read thermometer reads 205°F at the deepest point.
STEP 4: MAKE THE COMPOTE
While the cake bakes, whisk the cornstarch into the reserved cherry juice (or the water) until smooth. Heat the cherries, sugar, lemon juice and salt in a saucepan until simmering, then stir in the slurry. Bring back to a full, rolling boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring, until the liquid turns from cloudy to glossy and clear. Do not add more cornstarch; boiling is what sets it.
STEP 5: CHILL THE COMPOTE
Spread the compote on a rimmed sheet pan and refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes. It is ready when a spoonful mounds on a cold spoon without running. Taste it; it should stay sharp, so add no more sugar.
STEP 6: WHIP THE FROSTING
Beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. With the mixer running, pour in the heavy cream and whip to firm peaks. Refrigerate until needed.
STEP 7: TURN OUT THE CAKE
Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for exactly 10 minutes, then invert and turn it out while the crust is still pliable. If it resists, run a thin spatula around the center tube only and invert again.
STEP 8: COOL THE CAKE
Leave the cake on the wire rack at room temperature for 20 minutes, then put it, rack and all, into the freezer uncovered for 15 minutes.
STEP 9: CHECK THE TEMPERATURE
Probe the thickest part of the cake with an instant-read thermometer. Do not cut, fill or frost until it reads 75°F or below. If it is warmer, return it to the freezer for 5 minutes and check again.
STEP 10: FILL THE CAKE
Set the cake on a board, flat side up. With a serrated knife, cut a channel about 1 inch wide and 1¼ inches deep around the middle of the ring, lifting the cake out in short sections and keeping them in order. Spoon most of the cold compote into the channel, then replace the sections on top. Invert the cake onto a serving plate.
STEP 11: FROST AND FINISH
Spread or pipe the frosting over the top of the ring with a small offset spatula. Finish with a spoonful of the remaining compote so the red shows. Serve the same day; keep refrigerated and take out 30 minutes before slicing.
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Instructions
FOR THE PAN:
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder(/interesting-ingredients/unsweetened-cocoa-powder)
FOR THE CHOCOLATE STOUT SPONGE:
1 cup stout, such as Guinness Draught
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cubed
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
(/interesting-ingredients/unsweetened-cocoa-powder)2 cups granulated sugar
¾ cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
(/interesting-ingredients/vanilla-extract)2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp fine salt
FOR THE SOUR CHERRY COMPOTE:
1 jar (24 oz) Morello (sour) cherries in light syrup, drained, ¾ cup juice reserved (or 3 cups frozen tart cherries plus ¾ cup water)
3 Tbsp cornstarch
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Pinch of fine salt
FOR THE FROSTING:
8 oz full-fat block cream cheese, cold
⅔ cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
(/interesting-ingredients/vanilla-extract)1 cup heavy cream, cold
EQUIPMENT:
10- to 12-cup bundt pan
Pastry brush
Instant-read thermometer
Wire rack
Rimmed sheet pan
Stand mixer or hand mixer
Serrated knife
Small offset spatula
Heading 5
Ingredients
STEP 1: PREPARE THE PAN
Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the lower third. Stir the melted butter and cocoa powder together to a paste. Using a pastry brush, work it into every ridge of the bundt pan and up the center tube, then chill the pan while you make the batter.
STEP 2: MAKE THE BATTER
Warm the stout and cubed butter in a large saucepan over low heat until the butter melts. Take off the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar. Whisk the sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract together, then whisk into the stout mixture. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together and whisk in until just smooth. The batter is thin; this is correct.
STEP 3: BAKE THE SPONGE
Pour the batter into the chilled pan and bake for 50–60 minutes, until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs and an instant-read thermometer reads 205°F at the deepest point.
STEP 4: MAKE THE COMPOTE
While the cake bakes, whisk the cornstarch into the reserved cherry juice (or the water) until smooth. Heat the cherries, sugar, lemon juice and salt in a saucepan until simmering, then stir in the slurry. Bring back to a full, rolling boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring, until the liquid turns from cloudy to glossy and clear. Do not add more cornstarch; boiling is what sets it.
STEP 5: CHILL THE COMPOTE
Spread the compote on a rimmed sheet pan and refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes. It is ready when a spoonful mounds on a cold spoon without running. Taste it; it should stay sharp, so add no more sugar.
STEP 6: WHIP THE FROSTING
Beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. With the mixer running, pour in the heavy cream and whip to firm peaks. Refrigerate until needed.
STEP 7: TURN OUT THE CAKE
Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for exactly 10 minutes, then invert and turn it out while the crust is still pliable. If it resists, run a thin spatula around the center tube only and invert again.
STEP 8: COOL THE CAKE
Leave the cake on the wire rack at room temperature for 20 minutes, then put it, rack and all, into the freezer uncovered for 15 minutes.
STEP 9: CHECK THE TEMPERATURE
Probe the thickest part of the cake with an instant-read thermometer. Do not cut, fill or frost until it reads 75°F or below. If it is warmer, return it to the freezer for 5 minutes and check again.
STEP 10: FILL THE CAKE
Set the cake on a board, flat side up. With a serrated knife, cut a channel about 1 inch wide and 1¼ inches deep around the middle of the ring, lifting the cake out in short sections and keeping them in order. Spoon most of the cold compote into the channel, then replace the sections on top. Invert the cake onto a serving plate.
STEP 11: FROST AND FINISH
Spread or pipe the frosting over the top of the ring with a small offset spatula. Finish with a spoonful of the remaining compote so the red shows. Serve the same day; keep refrigerated and take out 30 minutes before slicing.
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