Cinnamon Swirl Bundt Cake

Last night I made a couple of cinnamon swirl bundt cakes, and told my facebook friends about it.  My friend Donna (from those late teens/early 20s years!) and I have reconnected on FB and she's requested the recipe.  It's pretty simple, pretty delicious, and pretty to look at.  Can't do any better than that!  This photo is from Flikr, not from me, but you get the idea. 


CINNAMON SWIRL BUNDT CAKE
350 degrees F

Ingredients:

Cinnamon mixture:
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark) mixed with 2 teaspoons cinnamon.
Optional - you can add chopped pecans or walnuts (1/2 cup) if desired (makes it even better).
Set this aside for now.

Cake mixture:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sour cream or thick Greek yogurt (plain)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Glaze

Directions:

Beat butter with sugar for five minutes or until very light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time.  Add sour cream and vanilla extract.  Beat until very well mixed.

Mix dry ingredients together.  Add to butter mixture.  Mix completely, scraping sides of bowl.

Prepare bundt pan:  spray well with non-stick spray or generously grease, making sure to get all the nooks.

Sprinkle a few tablespoons of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture in bottom of pan.  Put half the batter on top, smoothing with a spatula.  Sprinkle half of the remaining brown sugar mixture (about half a cup) over the surface.  Cover with remaining batter.  Smooth.  Sprinkle remaining cinnamon mixture over top.

Making the swirl:  With a spoon, go in and turn over the batter in a continuous motion all the way around the pan, digging in to the bottom and gently  flipping over around the pan until you return to where you started.  Smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 50 minutes or until cake tests done, or until it springs back when gently pressed in the middle.  Ovens vary, so start checking around 40 minutes for doneness (is that a word?).

Remove from oven and cool on rack for 15 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool completely. If it needs a nudge, I find a grapefruit knife is great at removing baked goods, with its curvy flexibility.  Just a little baker's knowledge to share with you...

Glaze:  when cake is cooled, drizzle this glaze over top:

Glaze:

2 cups confectioners sugar
water

In medium sized bowl, keep adding water, a teaspoon or two at a time, and mix with a fork until the glaze is silky smooth and the consistency of Elmer's glue (!) -- it's the only way I know how to describe it!  Drizzle it over the top of the cake, allowing the glaze to run down the sides.  You might want to do this on a rack, over paper towels or waxed paper, to catch any drips. 

Photo credit:  http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2279/2302511269_2a2871884b.jpg?v=0