Animal, Nature, and Travel: Taste-bud Journey: Cinnamon Walnut Mini Bundt Cake

During the pandemic, I am taking taste-bud journeys as I self-isolate rather than physical journeys. Here is my adapted recipe for making a Cinnamon Walnut Mini Bundt Cake. It was inspired by seeing a mug cake recipe by Beth from Budget Bytes; however, per usual, I adjusted the recipe to suit my particular taste-bud preferences. Additionally, she made her recipe using a mug and a microwave. I cooked my cake in my tiny DASH Bundt Cake Maker to give this its first trial-run.

Truth be told, I got a case of the 'munchies' at 2:00 in the morning. I did a quick web search for intriguing recipes. Then, about 20 minutes later, I had a small cake all ready to eat and enjoy. What fun!

Conclusion: It tasted like a moist cake-type donut. It lacked a cinnamon taste. I only added 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. I think I should have added an entire tablespoon. So, I have adjusted the recipe below.

I ate half the Bundt cake, but ended up adding cinnamon sugar to it to compensate for the lack of cinnamon flavor in it.

When I got hungry enough to eat the second half of this cake, I mostly followed Martha Stewart's recipe for making a brown sugar glaze to put on top of the cake. I don't think I made it just right as the texture was rather strange and the aftertaste was not great. I would not make this glaze again; however, I definitely would make the cake again, only with additional cinnamon.

(Both of those recipes are linked near the end of my blog.)

Recipe for the Bundt Cake

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp ground flax meal
3 tbsp milk
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Martha Stewart's recipe for topping

6 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup tightly-packed brown sugar
2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt

My adjusted topping recipe since I only have half of a Bundt cake to cover.

1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp sea salt

Procedure for making the Bundt cake

Step 1: Chop nuts. Set aside. Melt butter. Set aside.

Step 2: Mix all dry ingredients together with exception of nuts. Stir.

Step 3: Add wet ingredients. Stir.

Step 4: Stir in walnuts. Then, let sit for 5 to 10 minutes while Bundt Maker is preheating, seasoned with cooking spray, and your ingredients have a chance to gel (due to the addition of the flax seed which acts like a binding egg).

Step 5: Place batter into preheated DASH Bundt Maker. Set timer for 8 minutes.

Step 6: Pull out finished cake and allow it to cool on a wire rack.

Step 7: If desired, make the buttery-cinnamon swirl mixture to drizzle on top of the cake. Then, serve and enjoy!

Procedure for making the topping

Step 8: Heat butter and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved. I think the butter should have been room temperature rather than straight out of the refrigerator.

Step 9: Add cream, vanilla, and salt. Bring to a boil. I think the cream should have been room temperature, as well.

Step 10: Remove from heat. Dribble over the cake right away before it has a chance to crystalize.

In case you are interested, the link to the Target Bundt Maker will open in a new window.

Dash Mini Bundt Maker - Aqua from Target

The two recipe source links, that inspired me, will both open in a new window.

Cinnamon Nut Swirl Mug Cake made by Beth from Budget Bytes

Brown-Sugar Glaze by Martha Stewart

Cooking Sites that have inspired me:

Books written by Debbie Dunn:

Here is the Amazon Link to all anti-bullying curriculum books plus all children’s books written by Debbie Dunn (both paperback and Kindle). It will open up in a new window.