Cake #2 - Raspberry Lime Bundt Cake with Lime Glaze

The second cake I made was a rich, very dense, and very fine cake.  I had bought a bunch of big firm raspberries, so I used closer to four cups because it seemed like there weren't many berries in the three cup measure.

I had read that when using fruit in cake it helps to dust it with flour, so it doesn't all sink to the bottom.  I did that, even though the recipe didn't call for it.

As I folded the raspberries in to the batter they began to break apart and I was concerned they were just going to become distributed throughout the batter.  Once the cake was baked I realized that it didn't matter that much, because they don't appear whole in the final product.  The thing I should have done was to press the batter down into the bundt pan a bit - there were a few gaps where it didn't completely fill in the pan.

(I have one of those silicone bundt pans, which I like - it seems that since you can't line a bundt pan, it's more important to have the flexible pan in order to help loosen the cake and turn it out once it's cool.  I do still butter and flour the pan as an extra precaution.)

This was a delicious cake and made lots, so it would be good for a big party or taking to a pot luck.  I gave a slice of this to my mom and she joked about having it for dinner with a slice of a blueberry pie she had made - an all dessert, but lots of fruit, dinner!

Raspberry Lime Bundt Cake with Lime Glaze

All-purpose flour, as needed

3½ cups cake flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more as needed

2¼ cups granulated sugar, divided

6 large eggs

1 cup whole milk (I used 2%)

4 teaspoons freshly grated lime zest, divided (I used all the zest from four large limes)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups fresh or frozen raspberries (I used about four cups, because they were large berries)

½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1.       Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.

2.       In a small bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt.

3.       In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until it is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Reduce the speed and pour in 1¾ cups sugar and cream it with the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

4.       With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk in three additions, ending with the flour.  Beat in 2 teaspoons of the lime zest and the vanilla extract.  Turn off the mixer and use a rubber spatula to carefully fold in the raspberries. 

5.       Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use a spatula to press the batter into the pan and smooth the top.  Bake the cake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes and then turn it out onto a plate or cake stand.

6.       In a saucepan, combine the remaining ½ cup sugar, 2 teaspoons lime zest, and lime juice and bring to a boil over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.  Remove from the heat and let stand for at least 5 minutes (or while the cake bakes).  Strain out the zest, and then brush the lime mixture over the warm cake and let cool completely before serving. 

From The Naptime Chef: Fitting Great Food into Family Life by Kelsey Banfield