'All Things Nice' Bundt Cake

'Sugar and spice and all things nice...' that's what a tasty cake is made of.

Ooh shiny... This month's cake club theme was 'My Hero', so I decided to tip my hat to Nordic Ware's founder, David Dalquist. Inventor David and his wife Dotty founded Nordic Ware in 1946, and within a few years were manufacturing bundt pans. I wonder what he would have made of a bundt addict from Bolton making a cake in his honour?

I've been waiting for a special cake to give my American Star tin its maiden voyage, and this seemed perfect. I think this may be one of my new favourite tins already! And as for flavour, well then it had to be a take on the traditional American spiced pound cake. This is one of my favourite flavours - a warming cocktail of ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. I really didn't want to lose any of the pretty detail on the tin either, so chose to use a simple glaze with a few sugar pearls round the rim.

Dried fruit works a treat with this recipe too. If you're a fan you could add whatever you fancy really. I used 150g of plump sultanas and 50g of dried apricots in one I made earlier in the week. Delicious!

 Ingredients:

• 225g butter
• 450g golden caster sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract
• A few drops of sweet orange extract (optional)
• 350g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 tsp ground ginger
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 250ml vanilla yoghurt
• 200g dried fruit (optional) 
• 6 tbsp apricot jam
• Sugar pearls (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to gas 3/160 c
2. Prepare a regular sized bundt tin - 2.4l, 10 cup, 10 inch with Cake Release spray and dust with flour.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
5. Add the vanilla and lemon extracts.
6. In a separate bowl, measure out the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices. Stir in the dried fruit if you are using it.
7. Pour the yoghurt into a jug.
8. Sift in a third of the flour mix followed by half the yoghurt. Repeat this until everything is combined. The fruit will be trapped in your sieve but covered in flour - this helps to stop it from sinking.
9. Stir the fruit into the cake mix.
10. Give everything a quick mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds.
11. Pour the mix into your prepared tin. 
12. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. 
13. Leave the cake to cool for ten minutes before removing from the tin.
14. When completely cool, warm the apricot jam and paint over the cake. Sprinkle with sugar pearls in a fancy fashion if you so wish.

Bloggers: Please respect the fact I am sharing my own ideas and basic recipe. Blood, sweat and many tears have gone into getting this right, so you may enjoy a perfect bundt. If you wish to re-blog a recipe from these variations, please credit my blog and link to this original post rather than pasting the recipe on your own page.

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Salvi's Cucina, Manchester

Every so often I find somewhere that blows my little socks off. I have been aware of the existence of Salvi's Cucina for some time, yet it had slipped under the radar because I am generally nonplussed with Italian food. This is partially my own fault as I always have the same thing whenever I go to an Italian restaurant. The only one to ever really wow me was the long departed Italia, and I have been bereft ever since.

Last weekend my friend Lee and I may have got a little drunk at the food festival gala dinner, and started grilling Gordo about his favourite places to eat. He recommended Salvi's Cucina, and despite being slightly inebriated, I remembered.

Cue the line 'where do you fancy eating on Saturday?' And there she blows, Salvi's popped right into my head. We arrived nice and early and were given a pretty little spot in the window. We had drinks in hand within five minutes and a jolly chap with a strong Italian accent brought us some menus. I liked him. The dining room is small, but was filled with the scent of sauce and fresh bread, and is home to many bottles of wine, hams and vegetables in crates.

Everything on the menu sounds delicious, but it didn't take us long to decide what we were ordering.

Carpaccio di Manzo Rucola e Grana - beef, rocket and parmesan  drizzled with olive oil and balsamic, finished with freshly squeezed lemon: So simple yet unbelievably heavenly.

Bruschetta con Taleggio: Home baked bread with beautifully melted Taleggio cheese. I could eat this all day.

Home made potato and ricotta gnocchi with Italian pork sausages in a light Mediterranean tomato sauce: Eat these if you are starving, hung over, cold or sad. As you chew the gnocchi imagine them spreading happiness from the inside, because that is what is happening.

Lamb ravioli: This was one of the 'ravioli of the day', the other being mushroom. I would never normally pick pasta from a menu, but I had to give it a bash. I can honestly say that this was the best pasta I can ever remember eating. Little parcels of fragrant lamb in a creamy tomato sauce with miniature lamb meatballs. I'm doing that thing again where I get angry that it's no longer in front of me. I ate every scrap.

Almalfi lemon tart: Half cake, half tart, smothered in rich chocolate sauce. We shared this because the pasta nearly killed us, yet we still polished the whole thing.

My husband has declared Salvi's Cucina to be his new favourite place in Manchester. I have to say that I agree. Go for a relaxed dining experience, and expect fresh, authentic Italian food served by people who love what they do. Adored it.

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Bill's, Manchester

I've always fancied trying Bill's when we've been in London, but with so many exciting shiny restaurants, it's always been missed off the list. To be honest I've been pretty busy with work recently too, so didn't even know that they had opened a restaurant in Manchester until we drove past on our way to the Botanist. I had to give it a go.

Serving 'breakfast to bedtime' you'll be right at home whether you want a fancy fry up or a meaty burger. My husband is a big fan of the former, myself the latter. Luckily for us we could have both! The restaurant itself is huge, but has been split into smaller dining spaces so it's neither loud or invasive of personal space - I'm not a fan of either. 

Dried chillies hang on the walls, there's an array of oversized lampshades, and quintessential kitsch accessories fill every available space. Many of the shelves are decorated with the brightly coloured jars, packets and bottles of Bill's signature produce too. 

We were greeted by a friendly face and seated next to the window overlooking busy John Dalton Street. It was really weird, because despite being sat in the middle of Manchester city centre, we both got a feeling like we could have been in a burger bar in San Francisco. Not sure why...

Bill's breakfast - cumberland sausage, fried free range eggs, beans, black pudding, smoked streaky bacon and toast (sans tomatoes and mushrooms): It's a thing of beauty. As far removed from the greasy spoon with a milky brew as you can get. His only complaint? They forgot his sausage! However, this was dealt with swiftly and it had half gone before I even got change to snap the bugger.

Bill's hamburger with monterey jack cheese, red onion, tomato, lettuce, horseradish mayonnaise and skinny fries: Remember in 1999 when Burger King did ace fries? No? Maybe just the Middlebrook one then - you'll have to trust me, they were outstanding. Well these fries hit the nail on the head. Perhaps these legendary fries only exist in a clouded vodka-infused memory. Anyway, a rather pleasant burger with crisp, salty chips. My only criticism was it came well done when I ordered pink. Still tasted pretty good though.

Bill's is the ideal spot for a lazy brunch. In all honesty I'd still go to the likes of Almost Famous for a burger, but that breakfast was fantastic. I can't believe there are still enough punters around to fill all these new restaurants, but with a new food blogger springing up weekly, I think we'll keep them in business for some time yet! They're not doing anything groundbreaking or causing a ruckus on Twitter, but we enjoyed it all the same.

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