Banana Bundt?

Sometimes I window bake with intent. This week is a great example, two of my younger sisters have birthdays in October. This means cake is in order! Since we all have busy grown up and college student lives they decided to share a cake this year. I originally planned to make two types of cupcakes a modified carrot cake and a banana cake both with cream cheese frosting. I was able to spend two weeks window baking up great recipes
For a lighter Carrot Cake twist I was going to use some combination of these recipes:
http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/03/carrot-cake-cupcakes-with-dulce-de-leche-buttercream/
http://cakecrazed.blogspot.com/2008/03/shortcut-carrot-cake.html (not typically a fan of cake mixes, but they are nice when life gets busy)
http://forkthis.blogspot.com/2010/04/carrot-cake.html
http://willowbirdbaking.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/barefoot-contessas-carrot-pineapple-cake/
I planned to only add pineapple and carrots in an effort to make a lighter cake or at least simpler flavor.


But once again life changed my plans and my sisters decided to go with only banana cake. So I thought it was time to try my hand at a bundt cake.


I have previously window baked banana cake. My mother has a go to recipe found in The Mennonite Cookbook I grew up eating. Typically she smothered the 9X13 sheet cake in a Crisco/butter frosting that left a greasy feeling on the top of my mouth. I have made her recipe, but a while ago I went browsing for a new and improved version. I found quite a few but loved this one: http://orangette.blogspot.com/2006/10/big-bad-banana.html my girl and I fell in LOVE with the cream of coconut cream cheese frosting. So good.
But this recipe tends to be fickle, for me it likes to come out just shy of dry.


So, I went window baking for a new recipe. I used my standard method of going to http://foodblogsearch.com/ and typing in banana bundt cake. The first three finds were all different blogs about Dorie Greenspan’s Banana Bundt Cake. I took this as a sign and went for it. Here are links to the blogs:
http://foodlibrarian.blogspot.com/2009/08/classic-banana-bundt-cake-tuesdays-with.html
http://www.bigcitylittlekitchen.com/2009/04/14/banana-bundt-cake/ 
http://andreasrecipes.com/2009/05/21/banana-bundt-cake/


My bundt pan is a vintage find from a thrift store ($4.00), it is also a spring-form pan with three interchangeable bottoms. I love this thing!


<picture coming soon>


As my pan is a bit shallow compared to a traditional bundt pan I was able to make six little cupcakes that were eaten before they cooled (I had help, promise). This cake is delicious! It is very moist and has a tender crumb with just the right amount banana flavoring. Do note, that if you plan to use this cake with frosting cut back on the sugar a bit as it is plenty sweet on its own.


Dorie's recipe has definitely become my go to banana cake, however I will keep Orangette's recipe on hand for when I am short on ingredients.

What is Window Baking?

My name is Deese and I like to window shop. Especially at Antique Malls and small Vintage Shops. I can browse forever without getting board, there are endless treasures to be admired even if I can't afford them or don't have the space for them. The same can be said for recipes. I have quite a few cookbooks, and 100s if not 1000s of recipes bookmarked on my computer. I love to read the recipes and stare at the pictures, I may even plan to make a few dishes, but sadly due to life I'm lucky to bake once a month, so mainly I simply Window Bake. 

I believe my love of window baking is what has made me a big fan of food blogs. I love that the recipes for delicious desserts come with amazing pictures and even better stories. I don't pretend that this blog will ever be on the same level as True food bloggers, but I want a place to document the desserts I do get around to making. I may also include my window baking list so I can browse anytime anywhere. 

So if anyone is reading this, enjoy Window Baking with me!