I think I might be allergic to spending money on myself. Every time I want to buy myself something, whether it’s a chai latte, a book, or a new pair of shoes, I have to go through hours of overly dramatic rationalizing about why I should be allowed to have this thing in exchange for paper money. I work really hard at my job, so why don’t I think I deserve nice things every now and then just like everyone else? Could have something to do with my crap wage. There’s no telling.
It’s probably just because I’m just a neurotic freak who’s too cheap to pay for therapy. Either way, I’ve been wearing the same clothes for more than ten years, and I’m still riding this bus with people who may or may not have had a shower in the past week.
When I do finally decide to splash out, I can’t quite bring myself to by real vanilla beans, but I did pick up some vanilla bean paste, which is still pretty gorgeous. This Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake is a superstar. It’s tender and moist, and the vanilla really shines through.
This cake comes together easily, and the glaze can be made in one bowl with a whisk. Make your glaze just barely drippy. It will boost the sweetness and cover up any bits that might have stuck to your pan. Beautiful in so many ways.
If you want something simple and sweet and a little bit splashy, make this Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake for your friends. It’ll be awesome.
- 3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 9 ounces (255 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1-3/4 cups (350 grams) sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 2-4 tablespoons milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Preheat your oven to 350F and butter and flour your favorite bundt pan.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about five minutes.
- Turn your mixer down to low and beat in the vanilla bean paste, then add the eggs one at a time, combining completely before adding the next egg. Scrape the side of your mixing bowl, and give it another quick mix.
- With your mixer on its lowest speed, add a third of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the buttermilk, a second third of the dry stuff, the rest of the buttermilk, and finally what's left of the dry ingredients, combining well before each addition. Scrape your bowl and mix for a few more seconds to get everything well mixed.
- Pour your cake batter carefully into your waiting bundt pan. Make sure there are no bubbles and and try to spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour until a skewer or cake tester comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for an hour, then turn it out onto a rack to cool completely before glazing.
- Whisk together vanilla bean paste and two tablespoons of milk in a measuring cup.
- Put your powdered sugar into a mixing bowl and whisk in your vanilla and milk mixture. Add some extra milk a splash at a time until you reach the desired consistency. I recommend keeping it on the thicker side.
- Coax your glaze from it's bowl and pour it evenly around the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Slice generously and serve to happy friends.
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