Welcome to the December edition of the Crazy Ingredient Challenge!  I guess you could call it the holiday edition because the ingredients selected this month are just perfect.  If you haven’t visited before, this challenge is to create a recipe with two truly unique ingredients that are not traditionally cooked together. I’m always so excited to share with you the results of the challenge and each month and just keeps getting better and more creative. Spearheaded by the lovely Dawn at Spatula’s On Parade, this is one group of talented chef’s who come up with these recipes each month. You all ROCK!

So I know you’re on the edge of your couch… or chair… or park bench…. December’s ingredients are…… Cranberries and gingerbread!

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Cranberry Bundt Cake with Gingerbread Glaze

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Ingredients

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• zest of one orange
• 1 1/2 stick butter, salted
• 3 Large eggs (room temperature)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon gingerbread spice
• 3-4 tablespoons water

Directions

Step 1

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour your bundt pan generously.

Step 2

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and orange zest.

Step 3

In a large mixing bowl of your stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar on low to medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla bean paste and beat well again.

Step 4

With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients and buttermilk by alternating until just blended. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Stir in cranberries by hand. You'll have a nice thick batter which means all the cranberries won't fall to the bottom.

Step 5

Pour the batter into prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake for 5 minutes in the pan. Place a cake plate over the top of the pan and carefully flip it upside down. If the cake won't release right away, tap it around the top and it should loosen. Cool cake completely before glazing.

Step 6

To make the glaze, place the powdered sugar in a mixing bowl and add the gingerbread spice. Add 3-4 tablespoons of water and mix until pourable. Pour over the cake, decorate with more fresh cranberries.

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As you know, hubby is usually very skeptical when I do these challenges, but this one was cake. I don’t know about your spouses, but mine can eat cake for breakfast!  He dove right in and hasn’t looked back. My anti cranberry hubby devoured it.  My friend Penny likes to sample any of the Crazy Ingredient Challenge recipes and this one was no exception. She also thought it was amazing. I did too. I think the blend of the cranberry and gingerbread makes this a perfect holiday dessert.

To see past challenges and the creative recipes our chefs have come up with, click on over to my Crazy Ingredient Challenge Pinboard and look around. These ladies are amazing!!!

Follow Lori’s Culinary’s board Crazy Ingredient Challenge on Pinterest.

Do you want to up your kitchen adventure and be a part of the Crazy Ingredient Challenge? Ready to challenge your culinary mind? Shake it up a bit and have a new adventure in your kitchen in 2015. If you want to be a part of this group, you can request to join our Facebook page or send me an email lorisculinarycreations@hotmail.com.

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