This picture-perfect finale, starring on the cover of this issue, features a unique fusion of loose-leaf chai and honeynut squash in a moist Bundt cake, with a surprisingly delightful cream cheese center.
Honeynut & Masala Chai Bundt Cake with Walnut-Maple Glaze
Serves: 1 (10-cup) Bundt cake
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 3 honeynut squash
- 1 tablespoon loose-leaf masala chai*
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 2⅔ cups granulated sugar, divided
- 4 large eggs, room temperature, divided
- 2¾ cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided 1
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon lightly packed fresh orange zest
- Walnut-Maple Glaze (recipe follows)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Place a wire rack on oven rack. Lightly brush a rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil.
- Using a large sharp knife, cut squash in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scrape seeds from squash. Place squash, cut side down, on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake until squash is tender, approximately 45 minutes. Let cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, scoop out 1 cup pulp. Using a fork, mash pulp. Let cool completely.
- In the container of a blender or spice grinder, place loose-leaf tea. Blend until finely ground, approximately 1 minute.
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese with a mixer at medium speed just until creamy, approximately 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl. Beat in ⅔ cup sugar. Beat in 1 egg and 1 tablespoon flour just until smooth. (Do not overbeat, or mixture may become too thin.) Transfer mixture to a large piping bag. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 325°.
- In a large bowl, beat together butter, vanilla extract, and remaining 2 cups sugar with mixer at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Beat in remaining 3 eggs, one at a time.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together tea, baking soda, salt, and remaining 2¾ cups flour.
- In another medium bowl, whisk together squash, milk, and orange zest.
- With mixer at low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with squash mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Spray a 10-cup Bundt pan** with baking spray with flour. Spoon three-fourths of batter into prepared pan. Using the back of a spoon, make a deep moat in center of batter. Cut a ½-inch hole in the tip of piping bag. Pipe cream cheese mixture into moat. Gently spoon remaining one-fourth of batter onto cream cheese mixture, spreading until smooth. Lightly tap pan twice on counter.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out with a few moist crumbs, approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack, remove pan from cake, and let cake cool completely.
- Just before serving, spoon Walnut-Maple Glaze onto cake. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Notes
*We used Chicago Teahouse Masala Chai, chicagoteahouse.com.
**We used Nordic Ware Swirl Bundt Pan, nordicware.com.
**We used Nordic Ware Swirl Bundt Pan, nordicware.com.
Walnut-Maple Glaze
Serves: ⅔ cup
Pure maple syrup, honey, toasted walnuts, butter, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt combine in this sumptuous topping for our beautiful Bundt cake.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ cup toasted coarsely chopped walnuts
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, whisk together syrup and honey. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Immediately remove from heat, and add walnuts, butter, vanilla extract, and salt, stirring until butter melts.
- Transfer mixture to a small heatproof bowl. Let cool until mixture begins to thicken, approximately 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use immediately.
