Dining With Mimi

Mimi’s Never Fail Spirited Blueberry Bundt Cake

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In May, the weather is lovely in Baldwin County with a good mixture of warm sunshine and when lucky breezes to caress. Nature too appreciates the weather. Birds sing about the beauty and bounty growing in trees, bushes, vines and plants. As soon as I saw the blueberries arrive, I knew I wanted to create Mimi's Never Fail Spirited Blueberry Bundt Cake.

Sharing a love of cooking

Creating an amazing cake would be essential for me to start my new gig as a Food Writer for Gulf Coast Media. Please look for my new Food Column in your paper whether its The Courier, Baldwin Times, The Islander and The Onlooker. Truly, I am grateful for the opportunity to share my love of food, flavors and entertaining ideas with Baldwin County readers. For a couple of years, I have been sharing my writing, recipes and ideas on my web site at www.diningwithmimi.com.

Writing a food column is a dream come true and I hope to share my passion for food with you. Where did it all start? First of all, my kitchen training began under the watchful eye of cooks I love and cook books that I have read. Tossed in with my love of food, joy of eating and recipes created help to make a solid cooking foundation.

Can anyone learn to cook and bake?

Can anyone learn to cook or bake? Yes and yet with the wins, I have also learned important cooking lessons from my mistakes. For instance, dropping a cheesecake will teach you to approach the hot oven with care and full attention. Trust me when I say, “Do not try this at home!” Or Adding 1 tablespoon of baking soda when the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon will remind you to read the recipe before you start and often while cooking. As with everything, spending time in practice of cooking will yield ease in the kitchen, increased skill, tastier dishes and cakes to love.

Everyone should have a cake recipe that is dependable, easy to make, adorns a cake plate well and offers unique flavor. Even better if it is a cake that will make your friends sit up and take notice. Truly I am convinced that anyone could make this recipe and deliver a cake they would be proud to serve for any occasion.

My occasion arrived with the blueberries in our garden which deliver annually with an abundance of fresh fruit. A few bushes will produce fresh dark blueberries that yield a sizeable amount to eat fresh or bake. Blueberries also freeze well to be used as needed. In our home, blueberries show up often in a bowl of cereal or in a blender for a smoothie.

This time I decided to introduce the blueberries to baking. I pulled out my recipe for Mimi's Never Fail Spirited Fig Pecan Bundt Cake and decided this would be a good place to start. What could possibly be better than a slice of homemade cake filled with blueberries and covered in a buttery wine glaze? Blueberries offer a sweet pop of flavor in addition to a healthy dose of antioxidants. So, let them eat cake!

Mimi's Never Fail Spirited Blueberry Bundt Cake is simple. Glazing a cake is easier to handle than creating and decorating an entire cake. Recipe preserves well if you need to make something a few days ahead prior to serving. Buttery wine glaze will lock in the moisture though out the cake. Also, blueberries leave a beautiful purple polka dot within the cake to dazzle your eyes as well as taste buds. Not to mention the reduction in calories with this glaze versus an iced cake.

Remember this recipe when planning for your next dinner party, Memorial Day or July 4th BBQ. Serve a couple of strawberry's sliced fresh and plated beside the cake. Nothing says Summer to me more than a dessert loaded up with fresh fruit from the garden. Please try this cake recipe and let me know what you think.

Mimi’s Never Fail Spirited Blueberry Bundt Cake

Servings: 12-16 Slices

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients Glaze

• 1 stick Butter

• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

• 1/4 Cup White Wine (any drinkable leftover white wine)

In a small saucepan on medium high, heat all glaze ingredients. Once melted allow to boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Ingredients Cake

• 1/2 Cup Pecans chopped

• 2 Cups Blueberries

• 15.25 oz Yellow Cake Mix

• 3 oz Vanilla Pudding Dry

• 1/2 cup Coconut Oil Unrefined

• 4 eggs

• 1 cup White Wine (any drinkable leftover white wine)

• 1 Teaspoon Pecan Liqueur or Vanilla

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Using coconut oil grease bundt pan well. Sprinkle flour over greased bundt pan. Shake off excess flour into the sink. Sprinkle pecans in the bottom of bundt pan. Set aside pan until needed.

In a colander, add blueberries and wash. Remove any stems and toss. Allow berries to drain.

In a mixer or large bowl, add cake mix, dry vanilla pudding, coconut oil and blend. Into a small bowl, crack open egg, remove any shell before adding egg to batter. Blend for a minute and repeat with remaining eggs.

Slowly combine wine and pecan liqueur into batter until blended. Fold in blueberries into the batter bowl. With spatula add all batter into the bundt pan slowly turning pan until all batter is added.

Bake on 350 degrees for 45 minutes and cake is golden light brown. Remove cake from oven. With a serving fork gently poke holes in the top of the cake all over. Pour half of glaze all over the top of the cake and allow for it to settle into the cake for a couple of minutes.

Select a cake plate with an edge to contain glaze. Place cake plate upside down on top of bundt pan. Then add hot pads to sides of cake, while holding bundt pan and cake plate flip so that cake is on cake plate. Slowly remove bundt pan.

Gently poke holes on top of cake. Pour remaining glaze on top of cake. Allow cake to cool uncovered. Serve warm or set aside to enjoy later.

How may I help you in your kitchen?

I would love to hear from you and look forward to serving up recipes that will delight your palate. Over time I hope to share my love of flavors and introduce you to some of my favorites. Please let me know how I may help you in the kitchen whether it's a recipe question, cooking or entertaining.

Love from Mimi’s Kitchen

www.diningwithmimi.com