Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake - Day #19 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake with Vanilla Glaze and Strawberries 

I Like Big Bundts - Day #19

TGIF!! Really, this week was epic long! Glad it's Friday!! And it's also Day #19 of I Like Big Bundts! I'm posting 30 bundts cakes in 30 days...all leading up to National Bundt Day on November 15th. I seriously love the Bundt cake! I love cake and don't care for frosting so the bundt is the perfect ratio of cake to frosting. I hope to inspire you to make a bundt for your friends, family, and random folks on the street.

I made this vanilla bean bundt in the Heritage Bundt...definitely one of my favorite bundt pans. A vanilla glaze covers the cake and it's served with a side of strawberries. I'm lucky to live in Los Angeles and can still find fresh strawberries in local farmer's market.

 

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 cute 1 1/4" button for baking along with me! The submission info can be found here!

Thanks to American Library Association's AL Direct eNewsletter for a shout out this week! Here is the newsletter (Nov 2nd - scroll to the bottom). I hope we have a good contingent of librarians and library staff participating in National Bundt Day! :)

I used vanilla paste instead of vanilla beans. Have you used vanilla paste? One of my favorite things in the kitchen because it is less expensive than vanilla beans and gives you all the seeds of the beans. This paste is incredible on a bit of ice cream...just sayin'.

Hope you have a great weekend planned! 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
Day #11: Doll Bundt Cake
Day #12: Light Chocolate Bundt with Coffee Glaze
Day #13: Spiced Cranberry Bundt
Day #14: Brown Sugar Bundt
Day #15: Buried Alive Bundt Cake
Day #16: Leftover Halloween Candy Bundt
Day #17: Lemon Bundt Cake
Day #18: Ultimate Streusel Bundt Cake

Recipe: Click here for printable recipe on Bon Appetit
by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, April 2010

Bundt Pan: Traditional 12-cup Bundt Pan

Strawberry Upside-Down Cake

Strawberry Upside-Down Cake with Cardamom

Recipe from the awesome blogger and author (cookbook is a-brewin'), Joy the Baker

Strawberries, cake, spices, brown sugar. You don't need anything else in life.

I picked up these smaller Albion strawberries at the farmers market. They are small, but they were sooooo delicious. Firm and sweet. Sliced strawberries are placed on top of a brown sugar butter mixture. I used a 9-inch x 2-inch round pan, or you can use an 8-inch x 3-inch round.

I made a bunch of upside-down cakes (again, no frosting = awesomeness) and I like the cake of this one because it has a hint of spice.

Pick up some straweberries and make this precious strawberry upside-down cake!

Recipe:
Strawberry Upside-Down Cake with Cardamom from Joy the Baker

Strawberry Cake - Martha Stewart

Strawberry Cake

When you get pick up a pint of strawberries for less than the cost of a latte, make this cake. Baked up in a pie shell, it is perfect for breakfast or tea. And you know it is one of my favorites because it has (a) no frosting (b) has fruit and (c) quick and easy!!!

I walked through the library right before it opened...it was still warm and totally fragrant...staff actually followed me to the "buffet" (the countertop where I put all the treats).

A super easy batter that is topped with slices of strawberries. I like that it is baked in a pie pan...it's pie cake!

Have a bite of edible summer!

Recipe:
Strawberry Cake from Martha Stewart

Mozzarella, Tomato and Strawberry Salad - French Fridays with Dorie

Mozzarella, Tomato and Strawberry Salad

This week, the French Fridays with Dorie group made Mozzarella, Tomato and Strawberry Salad from Dorie Greenspan's cookbook Around my French Table.

I love food on a stick. Corn dogs, Okinawan dangos from Obon festivals (which are starting now!!), Mango with chili powder. Of course, Pocky is the edible stick food too. Nom nom. Dorie makes her salad on a plate...but I went for the portable salad.

Unlike my dad, I don't have a very green thumb. I kill plants often with neglect (what? I have to water the plant?!). But I was at Trader Joe's this morning and saw that a box of basil was $3 and the basil plant was also $3. I decided to try my hand at "gardening" again and picked up the plant. Don't be expecting bushels of pesto from me, but I hope I can keep it alive during my dad's upcoming tomato season.

This recipe is so simple... strawberries, tomatoes, mozzarella, salt, pepper and a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Couldn't be easier and more tasty. The sweetness of the strawberries goes perfectly with the cheese and tomato.

Be sure to check out my fellow French Fridays with Dorie members and see their creations!

Please note: French Fridays with Dorie will not be posting recipes. Please support Dorie and purchase the book or find it at your library.