Vanilla Ring Cake

Brayden is one hundred and eight weeks old. The cookbook sales have been steady at about eight in the first two weeks. The Singh-family Diwali gathering is two weeks out. The vanilla ring cake is the small celebration-cake I am developing for the Diwali dessert table.

The vanilla ring cake is a tube-pan-baked yellow cake — a tender vanilla cake with a generous amount of vanilla-extract and the cake-batter scraped into a buttered-and-floured ring-pan (also called a tube-pan or a bundt-pan without the fluted exterior). The cake is finished with a simple powdered-sugar glaze drizzle around the ring.

The technique question on a ring-cake is the pan-prep and the bake-time. The ring-pan needs to be thoroughly buttered-and-floured (failure to do this will result in the cake sticking to the pan during the inversion-and-release). The bake-time for a ring-cake is longer than a sheet-cake because of the larger volume of batter (about fifty-five minutes at 350 for a standard ring-cake).

Sunday I made it as a test for the Diwali dessert table. Dustin had two slices. The cake will be on the Diwali table along with the cardamom-pistachio shortbread, the cardamom-rosewater-pistachio brittle, and the new lemon-cardamom-pistachio bar.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 55 min | Servings: 10

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz full-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt or ring pan, making sure to coat all the ridges well. Tap out any excess flour.
Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes, until the mixture is pale, fluffy, and noticeably increased in volume.
Add eggs and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in the vanilla extract.
Alternate dry and wet. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions (flour — milk — flour — milk — flour). Begin and end with the flour. Mix only until just combined; do not overmix.
Bake. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 32–37 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out with just a few moist crumbs. The top should spring back lightly when touched.
Cool completely. Let the cake rest in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then carefully invert onto the rack and allow to cool completely before frosting — at least 1 hour. Do not frost a warm cake.
Make the frosting. Beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until completely smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, and pinch of salt. Beat on low to incorporate, then increase to medium-high and beat for another 2 minutes until light and spreadable.
Frost and serve. Spread the cream cheese frosting over the cooled cake using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Serve as-is for a rustic finish, or garnish with sprinkles. Forks optional — though some guests may insist.

Nutrition (per serving)

Vanilla Ring Cake