Vanilla Bean Malt Bundt Cake

Oh dear... it's been a month since my last post. It's getting tough trying to keep up with blogging with work & endless weekend errands. But I don't intend to give up, not just yet.... it will probably be slower but the show must go on! ^-^

Actually, there are a few unfinished posts in the folder, but tonight, I'm posting the pictures & recipe of the Vanilla Bean Malt Bundt Cake that I made on Saturday. This is a superb cake! It has awesome flavour, thanks to the vanilla & Horlicks! The texture is wonderful too, it's moist & moderately spongy with fine crumbs. Of course, the cakes are beautiful too since they're baked in my favourite Nodic Ware pans!

Vanilla Bean Malt Bundt Cake

CAKE
Ingredients:

1 vanilla bean - I used 1 tsp (2g) ground vanilla bean.
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract - The original recipe uses bourbon.
1 1/2 cups (200g) all-purpose flour - I used cake flour.
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (45g) malted milk powder - I used Horlicks.
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
14 tablespoons (200g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar - I used 120g.
1/4 cup packed (45g) dark brown sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1/2 cup (125ml) buttermilk, at room temperature

GLAZE
Ingredients:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. (I baked mine at 170 deg C.) Spray a 6-cup bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray with flour. (I greased & floured the pan & baked the cake in mini bundt pan. I made 9 mini bundt cakes.)
2. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and use the back of a small paring knife to scrape the seeds from the bean. Add the seeds and the vanilla extract to a small bowl and stir to combine.  Set aside. (I added my ground vanilla & vanilla extract straight to the butter.)
3. Whisk the flour, malted milk powder, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. One at a time, add the eggs and then the egg yolk, beating well after each addition, and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. 
5. Mix in the vanilla mixture, beating until well combined. With the mixer on low, alternately add the dry ingredients in two additions and the buttermilk in one, starting and finishing with the dry ingredients and beating just until combined.
6. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread in an even layer. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for 45 minutes, then turn it out onto the rack to cool completely.
7. To make the glaze: Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla together in a medium bowl until smooth. (Adjust the consistency as desired – add milk to thin and confectioners’ sugar to thicken.) Drizzle over the cake letting it run down the sides. Let the glaze set for about 15 minutes.

Original recipe is from Baked Elements by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.

Source: Tracey's Culinary Adventures.

Notes:

1. I measured the volume of ingredients (as in original recipe) & noted the metric measurement in brackets.
2. According to Tracey,  a 6-cup bundt pan is not big enough for the whole cake. She's right, mine filled up slightly more than 8 cups in total. You can also use a 9- or 10-inch square pan but do adjust the baking time.
3. I only made a quarter of the glaze recipe & dripped on 3 of the cakes. The glaze was quite watery, so it got absorbed by the cake as soon as it's poured onto it. Anyway, we like the cake just as it is, without the glaze as we find the glazed cake quite sweet.
4. I noticed some holes at the bottom of the baked cakes. In future, I must remember to run through the mixture in the pan using a skewer & give the pan a gentle tap to pop any air bubbles in the batter.