About the Recipe
I love the elegant simplicity of Bundt cakes. You don't need to do much in terms of decorating a Bundt on the outside to make it a show stopper (the mould takes care of that). That is why I wanted to have a bit of fun with the cake batter itself. What better way than with Selefina's natural dyes?! I decided to make a classic Lemon Bundt recipe that I thought the light citrus lemon flavor would pair perfectly with the various aromas of the natural dyes.
To make the rainbow marble effect I used Purple Sweet Potato Powder, Butterfly Pea Flower Powder, Beetroot Powder and Cranberry Juice Powder. I made a few versions of this cake as the intensity of the dyes desaturated in baking on the first couple of tries (especially the Beetroot Powder). So after a couple of trials I decided to mix in a bit of the Cranberry Juice Powder to the Beetroot Powder to keep some of the pinky red color but not to add too much Cranberry flavor.
The powders flavors are very subtle, their strength really does lie in their color (with exception to the Cranberry Juice Powder, this one has more of a punch but works very nicely with the lemon flavor of the Bundt.
So, if you are looking for a fun way to jazz up a classic Bundt and want to do so naturally, this is the recipe for you!
Ingredients
3 CUPS all-purpose flour
1 TSP baking powder
½ TSP baking soda
½ TSP salt
1 CUP unsalted butter, softened
2 CUPS granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 TSP vanilla extract
1 CUP buttermilk (tips on how to make your own in blog)
zest of 2 lemons
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
2 TSP Purple Sweet Potato Powder
2 TSP Butterfly Pea Powder
2 TSP Beetroot Powder
1 TSP Cranberry Juice Powder
powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Preparation
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice until well incorporated.
Divide the batter into 4 small bowls. Add the beetroot and cranberry powders into the same bowl, the butterfly pea into its own and the purple sweet potato into its own as well. The last bowl of batter will be left as is. Mix the powders into each bowl until the dyes are well incorporated.
Alternate pouring in the colored batters into the prepared Bundt pan and use a knife or cooking skewer to zig-zag through the batter to create a marble effect. Smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Once the cake has cooled, dust with powdered sugar.
Slice, serve, and enjoy your delicious Rainbow Bundt cake!
Tips
If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can easily make a substitute using milk and lemon juice or vinegar:
Measure out 1 cup of milk (whole milk or 2% milk works best).
Stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar.
Let the mixture sit for about 5-10 minutes to allow it to curdle and thicken slightly.
After it has thickened slightly and looks somewhat curdled, it's ready to use as a substitute for buttermilk in your recipe.