Happy Halloween from Cidney the Girl Dog

Happy Halloween from Cidney the Girl Dog!

Cidney just turned two years old, and is the perfect model. She just sat on the lawn for 5 minutes in this pumpkin costume! I picked it up at Target in November for 75% off and waited all year to put it on her! Oh dear, I've become that person who dressed up the dog....

Next year, I'll need to find her a Bundt cake costume.... Just kidding!

Happy Halloween everyone!!!

- mary the food librarian

"Buried Alive" Bundt Cake - Day #15 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

Halloween Grave - Buried Alive Bundt

I Like Big Bundts - Day #15

Happy Happy Happy Halloween! It's Day #15 (Halfway!!) of I Like Big Bundts, my marathon of 30 bundts in 30 days!

We had a Fall Costume Parade at the library on Saturday and lots of cute Batman, Princess, Mario Bros. and Spiderman costumes passed by. What are you going to be? I've been eating way too many candies...next year, I need to wait until Halloween day to pick up the goodies!

The submission info can be found here! Bake a bundt for National Bundt Day on November 15th! Then submit a photo or blog post by November 24, 2011 and I'll send you a button for baking along with me!

Today's bundt again freaks me out! Doll ARMS! After my crazy Doll Bundt, I'm relieved to know that there are many others who find dolls scary. My favorite story was Kirbie's...her parents would put dolls (gifted to her) near things they didn't want her to touch like electrical outlets!!! Hee hee. Perhaps I could incorporate the doll into a diet plan... place a doll in the cookie jar! :) By the way, these arms were NOT cut off the earlier doll bundt (too traumatic). JustJenn gave me a handful of them for this cake - she gets them here.

This Bundt is based on a cupcake I saw on my friend's JustJenn website. She saw it in Clare Crespo's “Hey There, Cupcake!” cookbook (Amazon or Library). I used JustJenn's chocolate cupcake recipe (on her site) in my smaller 6-cup Bundt Pan (I made 1/2 the recipe). Topped with Hershey's chocolate frosting, and crushed Trader Joe's Chocolate Cat Cookies (in the shape of cats, not made of cats!)

Have a safe and fun Halloween! Our house gives our full-size candies so I think we'll be popular! :) See my next post for a greeting from the doggie, Cidney! - mary the food librarian

Recap of I Like Big Bundts 3:
Day #1: Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake
Day #2: Lemon Bliss Bundt
Day #3: Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Day #4: Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Day #5: Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt
Day #6: Maida Heatter's Budapest Coffee Cake Bundt
Day #7: Dark Chocolate Bundt
Day #8: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day #9: Apple Spice Bundt
Day #10: Pumpkin Spice Bundt
Day #11: Doll Bundt Cake
Day #12: Light Chocolate Bundt with Coffee Glaze
Day #13: Spiced Cranberry Bundt
Day #14: Brown Sugar Bundt

Recipe: Cupcake recipe on JustJenn Recipes

Recipe: Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting
(I made 1/2 the recipe):  1/2 cup (1 stick) butter,  2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa , 3 cups powdered sugar,  1/3 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Instructions: Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.

Bundt Pan: Smaller 6-cup Bundt Pan (the traditional bundt pan is 12-cups)

Brown Sugar Bundt - Day #14 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

Brown Sugar Bundt

I Like Big Bundts - Day #14

Happy Sunday! It's Day #14 of I Like Big Bundts, my 30 bundts in 30 days marathon of Bundts! This morning, I'm running in a 5K in Los Angeles!

The submission info can be found here! Just submit by November 24, 2011 and I'll send you a button for baking along with me!

This recipe appears on page 19 of Cake Simple by Christie Matheson. A bit about I Like Big Bundts is on page 82-83 of the book and Christie printed my favorite Fuyu Persimmon Bundt recipe. If you enjoy bundts, you should get this cookbook filled with Bundt recipes!!!

The cake is really simple to put together and I'm sure you have all the ingredients sitting in your kitchen right now. So, go ahead, get up and make it! I'll wait. And take a photo and send it me for the round-up of I Like Big Bundts!

This cake is DELICIOUS. Totally soft and lovely. You should definitely make this lovely, lovely bundt.


I made this in the Nordic Ware/Williams Sonoma Heritage Bundt pan. It's one of my favorites. You can get it online through Williams Sonoma, in the store (although it says it is "online only", I've seen it in every WS I've visited), and on Amazon. (Dude, do you have Amazon Prime? $80 a year for 2-day shipping with no minimum purchase? I love it...sometimes too much, but it's fab.)

Have a great Sunday and we'll see you again tomorrow! Happy Pre-Halloween! - mary the food librarian

Recap of I Like Big Bundts 3:
Day #1: Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake
Day #2: Lemon Bliss Bundt
Day #3: Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Day #4: Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Day #5: Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt
Day #6: Maida Heatter's Budapest Coffee Cake Bundt
Day #7: Dark Chocolate Bundt
Day #8: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day #9: Apple Spice Bundt
Day #10: Pumpkin Spice Bundt
Day #11: Doll Bundt Cake
Day #12: Light Chocolate Bundt with Coffee Glaze
Day #13: Spiced Cranberry Bundt

Recipe: Click here for printable recipe
Adapted from Cake Simple by Christie Matheson

Bundt Pan: Nordic Ware Heritage Bundt Pan

Spiced Cranberry Bundt Cake - Day #13 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

Spiced Cranberry Bundt

I Like Big Bundts - Day #13

Happy Saturday! It's Day #13 of I Like Big Bundts...my crazy marathon of 30 Bundts in 30 days! I hope you celebrate National Bundt Day on November 15th!

Today's Bundt is really special! It's Dorie Greenspan's Spiced Cranberry Bundt. I made it with Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet when I visited her earlier this month in Connecticut (see my BlogMary post here). It's fitting that we made a Dorie Greenspan recipe because Dorie, without knowing it, brought Mary and I together!

In 2008, Mary and I were both in the online group Tuesdays with Dorie...baking our way through Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook. Mary wrote me an email starting with "I'm in Tuesdays with Dorie too..." asking for Los Angeles restaurant recommendations...and a friendship was born. Thanks Dorie for not only your delicious recipes and wonderful cookbooks, but for helping two people named Mary meet!

The submission info can be found here! Just submit by November 24, 2011 and I'll send you a button for baking along with me!


We made our cake by pulverizing some slivered almonds for the almond flour, and toasted some almonds for the batter. East Coast Mary had a bag of cranberries in the freezer (something I must do this year) so we had frozen cranberries and dried cranberries. This bundt has a delicious combo of spices: Chinese five-spice powder, ground ginger and ground cinnamon.



Recap of I Like Big Bundts 3:
Day #1: Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake
Day #2: Lemon Bliss Bundt
Day #3: Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Day #4: Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Day #5: Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt
Day #6: Maida Heatter's Budapest Coffee Cake Bundt
Day #7: Dark Chocolate Bundt
Day #8: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day #9: Apple Spice Bundt
Day #10: Pumpkin Spice Bundt
Day #11: Doll Bundt Cake
Day #12: Light Chocolate Bundt with Coffee Glaze

Recipe: Click here for recipe on Bon Appetite site

Bundt Pan: Traditional 12-cup Bundt Pan

I Like Big Bundts 2011 - Round-Up & Button Submission Info

Whoo Hoo! National Bundt Day is coming up! November 15, 2011 is right around the corner and I hope you have your Bundt recipe picked out. Let's share a lot of Bundt love this year!

This year, I developed a form to help me keep track of things...last year I got kinda lost in all the emails. Please click here to submit your bundt information, photo and mailing address. If you have a blog and post on National Bundt Day (Nov 15th), then give me the URL so I can link to it in the Round-Up.

Here are the last two round ups: 2010 and 2009.

Hope you join me in celebrating the awesome, simple and fun Bundt this November 15th!

SUBMISSION FORM HERE:
      http://thefoodlibrarian.wufoo.com/forms/i-like-big-bundts-2011-submission-form/

Submission deadline: November 24, 2011

- Mary the Food Librarian

P.S. This button is custom-made and not available in stores. If you want to buy I Like Big Bundt buttons and cards for your friends, please see JustJennDesign's online store. She has great stationery, birthday cards, and holiday gifts!

Light Chocolate Bundt with Coffee Glaze - Day #12 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

Light Chocolate Bundt with Coffee Glaze

I Like Big Bundts - Day #12

We are on Day #12 of my crazy and exhausting adventure of posting 30 bundt cakes in 30 days...all leading up to National Bundt Day on November 15th. I hope you bake along and spread lots of Bundt love around town!

When I saw this on one of my favorite blogs this summer, I immediately knew it was destined for I Like Big Bundts! Tracey's Culinary Adventures is filled with tons of delicious treats and such beautiful photos!

If you make a bundt along with me for National Bundt Day, I'll send you this coooooool JustJennDesigns small button. It is perfect for your apron, backpack or bulletin board! It proclaims that you too like Big Bundts (and plants the Sir Mix-a-Lot tune in your head for the rest of the day) - who doesn't want that?! :) Submission info on the next post.

This simple recipe, from the folks at Cook's Illustrated, features both bittersweet chocolate and Dutch-processed cocoa. Since I don't drink coffee (I'm a tea girl), I used Starbucks Via coffee to make the coffee used in the glaze. Starbucks Via is now a staple in my kitchen cabinet. It's perfect for baking and brewing just a single cup of coffee.

For the glaze, it is a combination of powdered sugar and coffee. If you use the optional instant espresso powder, I suggest dissolving the instant espresso in the coffee before combining it with the powdered sugar for a smoother finish.

Have you picked out your recipe for Bundt day?! See you tomorrow for, you guessed it, another bundt!

Recap of I Like Big Bundts 3:
Day #1: Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake
Day #2: Lemon Bliss Bundt
Day #3: Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Day #4: Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Day #5: Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt
Day #6: Maida Heatter's Budapest Coffee Cake Bundt
Day #7: Dark Chocolate Bundt
Day #8: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day #9: Apple Spice Bundt
Day #10: Pumpkin Spice Bundt
Day #11: Doll Bundt Cake

Recipe: Click here for recipe on Tracey's Culinary Adventures blog

Bundt Pan: Traditional 12-cup Bundt Pan

Doll Bundt - Day #11 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

[OMG This is so freaking scary] Doll Bundt

I Like Big Bundts - Day #11

We are on Day #11 of I Like Big Bundts 3. My crazy 30 day marathon of Bundts.

Um, today's bundt freaks me out.

If you read my blog, you may know a few things about me. I love the bundt cake, UCLA, George Clooney, fuyu persimmons...and I'm totally afraid of dolls. Dolls flat-out scare me...I think they come alive in the middle of the night and try to kill you...or do bad things like steal one of your socks, add calories to your body so you never lose weight, and want to hurt you in a very bad and painful way. Yes, I am very scarred by the Twilight Zone.

Growing up, I was all about the stuffed animal toy. Bears, koalas, baby seals, Hello Kitty...all types of plush toys and never a doll. I know some of you LOVE dolls and may think bundt is cute, but it was totally frightening for me to make. So scary, I knew I couldn't do it alone! I invited my friend JustJenn over for moral and piping support.

Let's celebrate the Bundt on November 15th, National Bundt Day! If you make a bundt and send me a photo, I'll put together a round up and send you this custom-made, JustJennDesigns small button! (Submission info tomorrow)


This uses HALF a doll. What?! Yes, you don't have to cut off legs (that would have been so traumatic)...Wilton sells these "doll picks". Oh, how I screamed when I opened the Amazon box. I'm still recovering from that. (That's JustJenn providing some modesty)


Where did the idea come from? Oh, that's another great story. Last year, I got an email from Dulcey, a librarian and master beader from Minnesota. Dulcey visited the Nordic Ware factory store (one of the benefits of living in Minnesota) and had a conversation with the staff. In the course of the casual conversation, she said "my friend" celebrated the bundt with I Like Big Bundts. We've never met. When she was leaving the store, the sale person ran over with a book (Bundt Entertaining), put it into her hands and said, "Please give this to your friend!" Dulcey described this to me in an email, and I responded...you are my best friend forever! When I picked up the book at the post office, it fell to the Doll Bundt page. I almost passed out laughing and cringing, right there in the post office (oh, the things the poor postal staff must see every day). Thanks Dulcey for the great bundt book...and for being my new BFF.

To make the doll bundt, just bake a Bundt in the Nordic Ware Chrysanthemum Bundt pan. Glaze the cooled cake with a powdered sugar, milk or water, and food coloring mixture. Then pipe a butter & powdered sugar frosting with a little dye. Place two large marshmallows in the center of the bundt so you can stick the pick in the center.

My friend JustJenn came over to pipe clothes on a naked half-doll. You know, your regular Sunday morning. JustJenn recently went to a Wilton Food Blogger Workshop, and was a piping queen. She did such a great job! Thanks so much Jenn! Edible candy pearls top the dress.

I thought it would help to put a bag over the doll's head... you know, out of sight...less likely to hurt me. However, when you ask an architect to make a "bag", you get this measured out, architecturally accurate bag! :)

Of course, I couldn't keep her in the house. JustJenn popped her on the front seat of her mini-van and drove through the Starbucks drive-thru. The staff cracked up. I'm still sleeping with the lights on.

I hope you are planning to make a bundt to celebrate National Bundt Day on November 15th. Tomorrow, I promise to post submission info. Also, you don't need to have a blog to participate, and I mail the custom-made button internationally. I'll post a round up of the awesome bundts made in celebration. Here's a look at last year's collection!  See you tomorrow for another Bundt! - mary the food librarian

Recap of I Like Big Bundts 3:
Day #1: Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake
Day #2: Lemon Bliss Bundt
Day #3: Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Day #4: Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Day #5: Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt
Day #6: Maida Heatter's Budapest Coffee Cake Bundt
Day #7: Dark Chocolate Bundt
Day #8: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day #9: Apple Spice Bundt
Day #10: Pumpkin Spice Bundt

Bundt Pan: Chrysanthemum Bundt Pan

Pumpkin Spice Bundt - Day #10 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

Pumpkin Spice Bundt

I Like Big Bundts - Day #10

Whoo Hoo! 1/3 done! It's Day #10 of my third I Like Big Bundts celebration! We are only 20 days away from National Bundt Day on November 15th.

You probably see lots of pumpkin (fresh and canned) in the stores now...so why not make a pumpkin bundt?! This one is very soft and has a nice fall spice collection.

This recipe is from the beautiful book, The Art & Soul of Baking by Sur la Table and Cindy Mushet. The original recipe makes a round cake with Maple Cream Cheese frosting...but isn't a Bundt just better?! :) I glazed it with a powdered sugar, milk and vanilla mixture of goodness.

Man, I can eat pumpkin food every day. In Los Angeles, we don't really have "fall" weather or changing leaves (palm trees don't change colors) so we need to use foods as seasonal indicators. I think kids know the seasons when Starbucks Pumpkin Lattes are available.

Isn't this a pretty Bundt pan? It's one of my favorites - Bavarian Nordic Ware Pan. Just be sure to spray it very very well with Pam with Flour, or make sure you grease and flour the pan thoroughly.

Yes, you guessed it, come back tomorrow for yet another Bundt!  - mary the food librarian

Recap of I Like Big Bundts 3:
Day #1: Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake
Day #2: Lemon Bliss Bundt
Day #3: Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Day #4: Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Day #5: Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt
Day #6: Maida Heatter's Budapest Coffee Cake Bundt
Day #7: Dark Chocolate Bundt
Day #8: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day #9: Apple Spice Bundt

Recipe: Click here for printable recipe

Bundt Pan:  Bavarian Nordic Ware Pan

National Bundt Day - I Like Big Bundts 2011 Button!

I Like Big Bundts 2011 button! 
(Um, not actual size)

Last year, if you helped celebrate National Bundt Day, I mailed you a JustJennDesigns I Like Big Bundts button. You were busy in the kitchen, and I was busy in the post office. I mailed out over 90 buttons around the world!

This year, I have something extra special! It's a limited-edition, not available in stores I Like Big Bundt 2011 button! The font color is different than last year, and it has a "2011 Baker" banner. Yes, you now have proof that you are serious about the awesome Bundt!

The actual size is about 1 1/4" round so it'll look swell on your apron, backpack or in your cubicle at work. What a conversation starter as you walk around town... "Oh, you like big bundts?"  "I cannot lie. I like big bundts too."

This year, I'm going to have you submit the photo, link and mailing address info on a form (I got kinda lost in all the emails last year). I'm working on setting that up now and will give you details soon. Just plan on baking a Bundt by November 15th, posting it to your blog (if you have one) and sending me a photo/link by November 24th. Remember, it needs to be a new bundt and a tube pan doesn't count (Bundts need to be inverted and have some sexy curves or designs! ;)  I do hope you bake along with me this year and celebrate all that is good about the Bundt!

Finally, if you are interested in the original I Like Big Bundt button or card, check out JustJennDesign's online store. She has great cards for all occasions, custom stationery, and buttons!

Thanks and Happy Bundting! - mary the food librarian

Apple Spice Bundt - Day #9 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

Apple Spice Bundt

I Like Big Bundts - Day #9

An apple a day. Or at least an Apple Bundt a Day.

It's Day #9 of my I Like Big Bundts extravaganza - 30 days of bundts leading up to National Bundt Day! Thanks for following along. I love, love hearing that you are planning to make a bundt for National Bundt Day (November 15th). What are you planning on making? Remember, I'm doing a round-up and sending you a special something if you bake along with me.

As you know, I bring in my baked goods to the library and that has established a lot of goodwill! :) I'm very lucky to work with a great group of people.

The other day, I was writing my To Do list: Apples, buttermilk, Brita filter, Dog toy. 

Then, magically, my co-worker Ruth Ann came up to me with a 3-pound bag of apples from Oak Glen (near Los Angeles). Amazing!

I immediately went back to my list and wrote "George Clooney."

Sadly, he hasn't popped by the library yet. But the apples were put to good use.

This is a Martha Stewart recipe. I've made it before and it is a great Bundt. Definitely something to keep in your recipe book. It is made with veg oil and no butter so the cake is dairy-free (dairy in the caramel sauce).

A caramel sauce is poured over the top. I didn't let it go very long because last time I made this, I let it go too long and ended up with a crazy tough caramel that would have ripped out fillings. So, the sauce should be somewhere in-between. Martha's website also has a video of Dorothy Mae Brown making the cake on her show. She's a sweetie.


I'm keeping "George Clooney" on my list...just in case...

Recap of I Like Big Bundts 3:
Day #1: Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake
Day #2: Lemon Bliss Bundt
Day #3: Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Day #4: Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Day #5: Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt
Day #6: Maida Heatter's Budapest Coffee Cake Bundt
Day #7: Dark Chocolate Bundt
Day #8: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt

Recipe: Click here for Martha Stewart recipe

Bundt Pan: Traditional 12-cup Bundt Pan

Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt - Day #8 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt

I Like Big Bundts - Day #8

We all have great intentions. Like exercising everyday. Putting away the dishes as soon as they're dry. Making your bed. And eating all the bananas you bought.

This cake may not help with the exercise bit, but it will take care of those bananas!

Whoo hoo! We are on Day #8 of my marathon bundt making adventure because I Like Big Bundts! November 15th is National Bundt Day and I hope you make a bundt to celebrate!

This bundt is based on Dorie Greenspan's awesome Banana Bundt in her book, Baking: From my Home to Yours. That was my pick for Tuesdays with Dorie and it was well loved by the bakers! I promise you'll love it. I added one cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips to the recipe for an even more delicious treat.

This bundt can be eaten plain or with just a touch of powdered sugar. With bananas, sour cream and butter or yogurt? It is so moist!

Happy Monday! If you have some bananas sitting around, be sure to make this deliciousness.

Recap of I Like Big Bundts 3:
Day #1: Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake
Day #2: Lemon Bliss Bundt
Day #3: Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Day #4: Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Day #5: Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt
Day #6: Maida Heatter's Budapest Coffee Cake Bundt
Day #7: Dark Chocolate Bundt

Recipe: Click here for printable recipe

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours (page 190) (Find it in your library here or on Amazon - really, everyone should have this book and it makes a great holiday gift!)

Bundt Pan: Traditional 12-cup Bundt Pan

Food Librarian Bundt Favorites

Bakers are pulling out their bundt pans to get ready for November 15th National Bundt Day! Kimi asked me on twitter for my favorite bundts. I said, "That's like picking my favorite child!" I love them all, but the following are the ones I make repeatedly or have received great reviews from eaters and bakers.

Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt 

My go-to Bundt. Completely simple to make with ingredients you probably have on hand. Don't even need a KitchenAid mixer - just a big bowl and whisk.

Buttermilk Butternut Squash Bundt with Spiced Vanilla Icing

Shredded butternut squash makes this cake delicious! You can count it as a vegetable ;)

Pumpkin Spice Bundt with Buttermilk Icing
This cake got great reviews from those who made it and enjoyed it. Everyone needs a pumpkin bundt in their recipe box.

Fuyu Persimmon Bundt
This one got me in the book, Cake Simple! Fuyu persimmons are at the farmer's market now (at least in California) and this cake is a favorite.

Brown Sugar and Chocolate Chip Bundt with Maple-Espresso Glaze
Brown sugar makes cakes moist and this one sure is! The maple espresso glaze is a perfect topping.

Classic Banana Bundt
Always a winner. This recipe from Dorie Greenspan is delicious... and look for a twist on it tomorrow!

Orange-Ricotta Pound Cake Bundt with Marmalade Glaze
This cake has a terrific crumb and subtle taste. Love it!

For a listing of more bundts, see the I Like Big Bundts page and my Recipes page!