Mix it up with Mani

Time for cake?

Some of us love winter, especially now that the days are longer and spring seems, well, not just around the corner but maybe within sight. Some of us just have the winter blues. Any way you look at it, it’s time for cake.

You can both celebrate the wonderful days of winter or beat the winter blues with a freshly baked cake. I like something soothing, sweet, earthy yet rich. Wintery, by that I mean what the season has to offer naturally, such as dried fruit, dates, nuts and citrus.

Nut oils are being touted for their low saturated fat nutrition profile while cooks love the taste of the oils. Walnut is a particular favorite, smooth and rich with none of the tannins often present in the nuts themselves. I prefer the expeller pressed, roasted walnut oil, especially for baking. Hazelnut oil will also work well in the walnut bundt cake. Store the oil in the refrigerator after opening.

I first tried sticky toffee pudding in England and went bonkers for it. This style is not typical, with half the caramel baked on the bottom of the pan, yet is my favorite. In researching this recipe I tried to seek out the most authentic ingredients to duplicate the wonderful taste. The purists among you will note I did not call for some things that are standard in a British kitchen, such as Devon cream, treacle, demerara sugar, etc. I realize that not all these ingredients are possible so I suggest substitutions when necessary. For the Devon cream, I recommend organic cream or any cream that has not been ultra-pasteurized, if available. (It may have the cream on top - go ahead and use the solid cream too! However, any whip cream will work). I used unsulphured molasses instead of treacle. But if there is one thing you can seek out, it is the demerara sugar for the caramel sauce. The flavor is incomparable, yet brown sugar will work also.

Sticky Toffee Pudding
Pure heaven as is, but you may want to serve with ice cream or whipped cream to accentuate and cut the richness.

Walnut Bundt Cake with Orange, Rum and Brown Sugar Syrup
Walnut oil is rich in polyunsaturates and omega 3’s. Besides that, it tastes great. Feel free to use all vegetable oil if walnut oil is unavailable.