Castle bundt pan makes fairy tales come true
Written: Dec 26 '06
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Pros: beautiful castle-shape, easy to clean
Cons: extra care required to enjoy details on cake
The Bottom Line: I recommend this product for anyone who wants to bake a special cake for kids.
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| msmarques's Full Review: NordicWare Platinum Series Cast Aluminum Castle Bu... |
I used the NordicWare castle bundt pan to make a fairy tale winter castle. I enjoy baking cakes, but rely on mixes. I've tried fancy decorations with frosting, but can never get them to turn out well.
About a month ago, when doing some of my holiday shopping in a bakeware store, I saw this beautiful castle bundt pan. I thought this would be perfect for making a special cake for my nieces and nephews. The four-turret castle shape meant that even if some of the small details (like the stone edges in the walls or the roof tiles) didn't turn out, it would still look like a castle.
This is a 10-cup bundt pan. If you make cake from a mix (like I do), check how much cake the mix makes. I used a mix that make two 8-inch round cakes, and found it to be just about the right amount. The very bottom (steps and the rocks around the castle based) were not filled in, but an extra egg in the mix might have solved that issue. I previously tried a mix that makes two 9-inch round cakes, but it overflowed (but that could be a problem in the mix recipe, which called for two much liquid).
Before pouring my mix into the pan, I melted margarine (you could use butter if you prefer), and used a pastry brush to get it into all the crevices. Although the inside of the mold is treated with a non-stick substance, brushing margarine into all the crevices help preserve the detail of the stones, roof tiles, etc, when you remove the cake. When my cake was finished baking, it slid easily out of the mold, and most of the detail work was preserved.
Decorating the cake
I recommend going light on icing (or frosting), so that the beauty of the details shows through. I made a chocolate cake, which looked a bit like dark stone. I made white icing, which I used within the turrets, along the top of the castle walls, and along the bottom edge. Against the dark chocolate cake, it looked as if snow had collected on these edges. I had thick red granulated sugar decoration. To make sure that stuck to the small roof above the door, I first frosted with icing, and then spread the red sugar. This hid the detail of the tile roof, but added color. For the finishing touches, I sprinkled the entire cake lightly with icing sugar. This fine sugar looked like snow dusting the castle. It stuck in crevices of the stone wall, heightening the effect of the details. We also made tiny flags, which we attached to toothpicks and stuck in the turrets.
The kids were impressed and loved the castle! Next time I might try a lemon cake, which would look a bit like a sand castle.
Transporting the cake
If you are searching for something to carry the finished cake, the mold is 9" x 10" (the stairs stick out) and just under 4.5" high. My cake carrier is just over 4.25" high, so I was happy to make a cake that was slightly short.
Cleaning the pan
When cleaning the pan, be careful not to destroy the non-stick surface. I found that most of the cake washed out easily with water and a little soap. A few bits got stuck in some of the crevices, but a little soaking and a nylon sponge easily removed those bits. Just don't let bits of cake dry out on the mold, as they'll be especially hard to remove.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 30
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Epinions.com ID:
msmarques
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Member: Michele Marques
Location: Toronto, Canada
Reviews written: 27
Trusted by: 10 members
About Me:
I love books, movies, and languages.
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