Perfect coupling: Chocorange

MINI MARMALADE BUNDT CAKES WITH CHOCOLATE GLAZE 

I don't think I am alone in my affinity for ring-shaped foods: Doughnuts (who can resist them?); Polo Mints (I believe they're the British version of the American candy, Lifesavers); streusel-topped coffee cakes (usually made in a plain or fluted ring pan); pineapple rings (so pretty); the Indian savoury "bangle" called ulunthu vadai, made with black gram; another South Indian sweet snack called athirasam – my favourite, which is made with raw rice and jaggery; and cheese-flavoured snack Cheezels.

Food with holes simply say fun to me, but some can look elegant too. Bundt cakes, for example, need no creamy topping to look classy. It's all down to the mould that is used. Some have elaborate designs but even the ordinary fluted ones add interest to cakes.

I thank whoever thought of shrinking bundt cake tins into mini ones. They produce delightful looking cakes that can beat the pants off cupcakes anytime! My pan is actually for 12 little cakes but I didn't want so many and made just six quarter-cup servings. 

The recipe I've provided here is in no way original – many cooking sites/blogs have something similar for marmalade cake. I simply used the baker's percentage of equal amounts by weight of flour, butter and eggs, but made adjustments with the sugar since I was adding marmalade to the cake mix.

I admit the chocolate glaze was an afterthought. The cakes looked a little pale with just a sugar glaze and I thought they needed some extra dressing. Well, chocolate and orange go well together but all I had was Nutella so that is what's on top of the mini cakes. An inspired choice if I do say so myself.

Chocolate and orange go well together

Mini Marmalade Bundt Cakes with Chocolate Glaze

Makes 6 (¼ cup) cakes

60g cake flour

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp table salt

60g unsalted butter, softened

40g caster sugar

1 medium egg

60g marmalade (store-bought or homemade)

½ tsp vanilla extract

60g icing sugar, sifted

1-1½ tbsp milk

3 tbsp Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 6 mini bundt moulds well. 

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together.

Cream butter and sugar together until pale and light. 

Add egg and beat until well combined. 

Beat in the marmalade and vanilla extract.

Fold in the flour mixture.

Spoon batter into the bundt pan. Each mould will be about ¾ full. Bake until golden and springy, 18-22 minutes. The cakes should just be coming away from the sides of the moulds.

Remove from the oven and leave bundt cakes in the pan for 5 minutes before removing and cooling completely on a wire rack. 

Stir milk a little at a time into icing sugar. Use just enough to get a thick and smooth but pourable glaze. Mix Nutella with a few drops of hot water so that it is pourable. Drizzle the mini bundt cakes with sugar glaze and then with the Nutella glaze. Fish out a strip or two of orange rind from the marmalade, snip into pieces and garnish the top of the mini cakes.

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