As soon as the theme for October was announced in my Bundt A Month group, I knew I would be baking my bundt cake for the elementary school carnival cake walk. Why? Because the theme is candy, and who likes candy more than kids? Plus, I had a sneaking suspicion I would use M&Ms, since they are my favorite baking candy, and I liked the idea of a bundt cake with a riot of colors at the cake walk.
Amusingly, the day after the carnival this cake popped up on my Facebook wall, posted by a mom across town whose child goes to a different elementary school. She wanted to know was it my cake because it sure looked like one I would make! How funny is that? Her daughter happened to be attending the carnival with a friend and won the cake. As soon as she got it home, her mom suspected it was mine. Do I live in a small town or what?!
For a base, I started with a cream cheese pound cake I found at one of my favorite blogs, Beantown Baker. I did not use the glaze, as I wanted to the M&Ms to show through, and I also added some baking powder, to make sure that the M&Ms did not mess with the structural integrity of the cake. I added salt because I never make dessert without salt–it’s against my religion (that’s a joke-as far as I know there are no religions requiring one bake with salt, but I always do). As always, I baked my cake in a smaller bundt pan and also baked some mini loaf cakes so that I could “evaluate” the cake for tastiness. It passed! With flying colors, no weird M&M puns intended. Seriously, John and I almost had to throw down when I realized he had finished the last mini loaf.
Here’s how you can be a part of Bundt-a-Month:
- Simple rule: Bake us a bundt using your favorite candy
- Post it before October 31, 2013
- Use the #BundtaMonth hashtag in your title. (For ex: title could read – #BundtaMonth: Fancy Bundt)
- Add your entry to the Linky tool below
- Link back to our announcement posts
Even more bundt fun! Follow Bundt-a-Month on Facebook where we feature all our gorgeous bundt cakes. Or head over to our Pinterest board for inspiration and choose from hundreds of Bundt cake recipes. For candy inspiration, check out all of our announcement posts!
Banana Butterfinger Bundt Cake by Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
Candy Corn Bundt Cake by Holly at A Baker’s House
Caramel Apple Milky Way Bundt Cake by Heather at Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Chocolate Coconut Cake by Kate at Food Babbles
Chocolate Hazelnut Candy Bundt with Nutella Glaze by Anita at Hungry Couple
Chocolate Mini Bundts with Candy Coated Chocolates by Alice at Hip Foodie Mom
Coconut Almond Bundt with Chocolate Drizzle by Kathya at Basic N Delicious
Honeycomb Crunch Honey Bundt Cake by Stacy at Food Lust People Love
Kit Kat Cream Cheese Bundt Cake by Anuradha at Baker Street
M&M Cream Cheese Pound Cake by Laura at The Spiced Life
Pumpkin Bundt with Salted Caramel Chocolate Sauce by Lora at Cake Duchess
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Bundt Cake by Felice at All That’s Left Are The Crumbs
Snickers Bundt with Chocolate Caramel Peanut Sauce by Tara at Noshing With The Nolands
Twix and Tween by Sandra at Sweet Sensations
- 1 1/2 cups butter 3 sticks- softened
- 1 8 ounce package cream cheese- softened
- 2 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 T vanilla
- 1 t almond extract optional
- 6 eggs at room temperature
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1/2 t baking powder
- 1/2 t fine sea salt
- 1 cup baking M&Ms
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
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Preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease and flour your pan/s--you can use 1 10-inch/12 cup bundt pan or you can use 1 9-inch/10 cup bundt pan plus some mini loafs or bundtlettes. Set aside.
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Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
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Cream together the butter and cream cheese until well combined, about 2-3 minutes. Add the sugar in 3 additions, creaming the whole time. Cream for a final 3 minutes on medium high speed, until light and fluffy. Be sure to keep scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
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Beat in the vanilla and almond extract if using.
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Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and lightly whisk them.
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With the mixer on the lowest speed, add the flour and the eggs alternately, beginning and ending with the flour, in 4 and 3 additions, respectively. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Do not over-mix.
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Fold the M&Ms and mini chocolate chips into the batter.
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Scrape the batter into the prepared pan(s).
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Bake at 325 F for 70-75 minutes (for a 12 cup pan), 60-70 minutes (for a 10 cup pan) or around 25 minutes or longer, depending on the pan size, for small pans, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (or smeared with melted chocolate). You will also see the edges of the cake pulling away from the sides of the pan.
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Let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes (5 minutes for small pan), before turning out onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely before sprinkling with powdered sugar (if desired) and slicing.
You may live in a small town, Laura but the flavors and colors in your cake are big and bold! I’d definitely like to give the cream cheese cake a try. Also, next time I use M & Ms, I’ll try experimenting with the baking powder.
P.s. The Ninja Baker is alive and well…No need to draw a line through my submission =)
P.s. 2. I do understand that technology is a mysterious creature sometimes.
I love the specks of color scattered through out from the M&Ms! Makes it so festive. And it also makes you want to shove a slice in you’re mouth…at least if you’re me!
How funny that the mom recognized it as yours on site! You must have a signature way of making bundts. 🙂
Riot of color, indeed! How wonderful to be so well know that your cake gives you away!
I love the story of the Cake Walk, Laura. How funny that your friend recognized your style! That is one pretty cake with all the colors poking out. I’ll bet the little girl that won it was THRILLED.
This is great and I love how the candy looks in the baked cake!
So cool !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The M and M’s look so pretty baked into the Bundt!
We were swaying towards M & M’s. Now I know how colorful it would’ve been. Such a fun cake for our candilicious theme!
Very festive and I love the M&M’s peeking through. My family would go crazy for this!
Looks so happy, I bet it taste even better.
I love that you are recognized by your cakes. I bet this was the BEST prize on the cake walk at the carnival. Our school hosts a similar event and I know what cake to make for it next year!
So, did they like the cake? You left us hanging. . 🙂 what a great story! love that you baked this for the school carnival cake walk. It’s gorgeous!!! only down side, you did not get to try it!!
LOL that is because I forgot to go back and ask! And don’t worry, I did get to try the cake. I just wanted more of it than I got… 🙂
My kids will go nuts over this! Love the idea!
Your cake is just perfect. I love how you can see the M&M’s, and I think you made an excellent choice in not using the glaze so we could see your true colors shining through ;). I am so coveting that cake pan – it is so pretty. I’d be pretty excited to win one of your cakes too.
How pretty is that with the specks of color all the way through, love it!!
This is a beautiful cake, Laura! So glad it was such a hit 🙂
Love how beautiful this cake is with those little M&M’s peeking out. Great choice! Love that you didn’t glaze it. 🙂
wow, is this beautiful!
wow – I love this mold. So festive!