Sour Cream Bundt Cake with a Chaga Butter Glaze
Are you over baking a cake, diving in with that knife to cut yourself a large (slightly bigger than you should) slice - phone in hand ready for that very essential Insta snap - and… that slice proves not as resilient as one cake baker would hope. It crumbles, sinks in, sways in its stance. Basically it does anything BUT form that picture perfect, clean cut and you have no idea how to fix it.
Simply, bake a cake with a central hole which allows for extra surface area for that secret ingredient glaze to seep into and over. Ok, I’ll spill the secret because this glaze holds not only a treat for your tastebuds but health benefits for your gut, digestion and also hosts an array of other body benefits. The two key ingredients - a Bundt cake tin (or in simpler terms, ridged cake tin with hole) and Chaga Life liquid.
We all do like a slice of cake - whether that be for an after dinner treat, midnight cupboard snack, coffee co-pilot for a midmorning pick-me-up or maybe a “no one is home, l’m gonna have cake for breakfast”. No matter what time of day, location, individual dietary preferences or your age, I would find it hard to believe if you told me a bite of cake has never entered your mouth. That’s right, I have come to the conclusion that cake is pretty much essential to human existence (ie. we need a little sugar in our lives) it’s just to what degree an individual integrates this desire into their lives.
But let’s be clear, not all cakes have to be detrimental to those hips, tummy and thighs. There CAN be good elements in cake that means positive outcomes on both your inner and outer self. That sugary, buttery being has a time and place in life, but also so does one where certain ingredients are integrated for different, more beneficial, purposes. That’s right, cake doesn’t have to be all fat and sugar.
Chaga Life enables us humans to take advantage of the health benefits found within mushrooms, specifically the Chaga mushroom. You would be surprised how the subtle, slightly nutty flavour that is given when the Chaga mushroom is brewed, can be used in your daily cooking and eating sensibilities. A splash in that cheesy risotto, a good glug into that bolognese (vegan or not) and most surprisingly, into sweets and dessert for that multi-layered flavour palate.
To lay them out blatantly, Chaga mushroom is a nutrient dense super food that hosts a range of health benefits for the human body. It not only is full of;
Zinc
B-complex vitamins
Vitamin D
Fibre
Calcium
Magnesium
Iron
Copper
Amino acids
Potassium
Selenium
Cesium
Rubidium
Manganese
But it also lowers cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure as well as being able to fight immflamuation, supports the immune system by regulating the production of cytokines (important for the communication between cells) and has even shown the ability to slow the growth of some cancer cells - source.
So, now find that ever desirable cake tin with a hole, few bottles of Chaga Life and a nice clean kitchen. That picture perfect snap for the gram is standing ready and waiting . No matter your cooking abilities you will end up with a delicious, healthy Chaga Bundt cake. The aftermath of the state of your kitchen is really resting your own hands (we can’t all be really logistical perfect and clean chefs!). After all, baking is about enjoying the process and experimenting with flavours and textures, no? Let’s bake together, create together and clean together?! At least we can do it while eating cake!
Sour Cream Bundt Cake with Chaga Butter Glaze
Ingredients
125 grams butter, softened
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
1 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cup plain flour, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
3/4 cup sour cream
Glaze
1 cup caster sugar
50 grams butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup Chaga Life
Method
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees. Grease using melted butter and flour, a none stick 6 cup capacity bundt cake tin.
In an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add half the beaten eggs, mixing until incorporated then adding the second half of the eggs plus the vanilla, mixing on slow to incorporate.
In a small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients - sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Add half the dry mix with half the sour cream to the butter mixture. Mix well to combine. Add the second half of each and mix well.
Scoop into the cake tin and level out the surface. Place into the oven for 40-50 minutes (or until golden brown and risen). Remove from the oven and leave to cool (leave in the tin for 5 minutes until tipping out on a cooling rack).
To make the glaze, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and place on medium heat. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the liquid has thickened and turned a deep brown. Remove from the heat and leave for one minute.
Place the cake on a plate or serving platter. Prick the surface and around the edges with a cake tester. Pour half the Chaga glaze slowly over the surface, allowing for some of the liquid to seep into the holes. Leave the glaze for another minute to thicken more then pour the remaining part over the top.
