Christmas Bundt Disaster 2025

Christmas Bundt Disaster 2025

 It’s time for the annual Dom in the Kitchen, Christmas Bundt Disaster – no doubt you’ll remember my attempts from 2024 and 2023 but this year I thought I’d invite The Viking to help and he came with the secret sauce.

I thought I’d go for a classic vanilla sponge and add my favourite Christmas flavours such as vanilla and cinnamon and then Opies cocktail cherries and candied ginger for some jewelled festive vibes.

And then comes the magic gloop, it’s a mix of oil flour and vegetable spread and well lets just say you’d have to be pretty determined to hang on with this slippery sucker slathered all over you.

So let’s cut to the chase, did The Viking bring his magic touch as well as his jingle bells?

Well, yes, I think he did… just look at that beauty!

For the non-stick magic sauce (inspired by the amazing Nancy Birtwhistle)

• 50g margarine or vegetable spread
• 50g plain flour
• 50ml plain vegetable oil

For the bundt cake

• 250g golden caster sugar
• The finely grated zest of one clementine
• 250g butter – softened
• 4 large free-range eggs. – lightly beaten
• 250g self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 6 cocktail cherries – chopped (I used these ones from Opies)
• 4 pieces of stem ginger (in syrup) – chopped (these ones are the best)
• 1 tablespoon of the syrup from the stem ginger jar

I am using the Nordic Ware Pine Forest Bundt Pan which measures 24.8 x 24.8 x 11cm / 2.4lt / 9 cups. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C (170ºC fan/375°F/Gas 5)

Start with the magic non-stick sauce:

Place the flour and margarine in a bowl and using an electric hand whisk, beat until smooth.  It goes through a crumbly stage but then becomes smooth.  Then, with the beaters on low, drizzle in the oil until all used up.  Beat for a few more minutes and then set aside.  It will keep in a jar in the fridge for up to a month.

Now onto the cake:

Add the sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and grate in the citrus zest.  Massage the zest into the sugar with your fingers for a couple for minutes..  This will release the essential oils into the sugar. Add the butter and beat in well until light and fluffy.  Roughly 5 minutes.  Now beat in half the flour and half the eggs for 3 minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients and beat well. You may want to add a splash oof milk just to loosen the batter slightly.  It should be thick but fall off the spoon.

Brush the inside of the bundt pan with the non-stick sauce.  Dab it on nice and thick ensuring you get into all the nooks and crannies.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until the cake has risen and is firm to the touch.  Remove from the oven and set aside for 15 minutes.  When you turn it over, the cake should be warm.

Place a cake stand or platter on top of the bundt pan and quickly turn it upside down.  The cake should slide right out.  Allow it to cool and then dust with icing sugar.

For more cake recipes, check these out on Dom in the Kitchen.

Eat and of course, enjoy!