I am not sure there is anything more gorgeous than a glazed Bundt cake. I particularly love making one because it is almost impossible to mess up.

This was not always the case, however. Years ago, greasing the pan with butter and flouring it afterward took forever and, if you missed one or two of the indentations, the cake would stick and part of the baked cake would stuck to the pan.

These days my pantry I stocked with two cans of Pam, one in the yellow can for savory dishes and the other in the blue can, which greases and flours the pan you use for desserts. (Baker’s Secret brand also works beautifully.)

I also make sure I have espresso powder. It is often in the baking aisle, but if it is not, get it from Amazon. It lasts forever and saves me from making a pot of coffee and figuring how I have to change the liquid in the batter. Math was never my strong suit.

In any case, I love all the flavors of this particular cake and, as with most other Bundt cakes, it is a showstopper whether I make it for a card game, dinner party or just a family dinner.

Coffee Crème Bundt Cake

From “Fine Cooking,” October/November 2019

Serves 10 to 12

Cake

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons freshly ground cardamom

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons instant expresso powder

1 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

3/4 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs at room temperature

3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature

Glaze

3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large egg yolk

1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon espresso powder

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using floured baking spray, cover the inside of the Bundt cake.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cardamom, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

In a large bowl, combine espresso powder and vanilla. Add dark brown sugar, granulated sugar and bitter and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well combined.

Reduce speed to low and alternate adding flour mixture and sour cream, starting and ending with the flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Transfer batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake until puffed and set and a skewer inserted into the center comes out with most crumbs attached, 50 to 55 minutes. Transfer cake to a wire rack to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then flip the cake to cool completely.

Prepare the glaze: in a small saucepan, heat the condensed milk, butter, egg yolk, salt and espresso powder over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 4 minutes. Drizzle the warm glaze over cooled cake. Top with walnuts. Serve warm or at room temperature.

On the Side

Am I the only person who cannot use a handheld can opener to open sweetened condensed milk? I use it for many dessert recipes, especially Key lime pie, and I recently needed it for a cheesecake. After three different can openers failed, I used a magnetic church key and more profanity than seemed necessary.

I finally got most of the silky liquid into a mixer bowl. I washed the counter of the sweetened condensed milk that didn't make it into the bowl and put the sticky church key into the sink. Later that day, I did the dishes and turned on the garbage disposal.

Guess what was in the disposal? It still works but after it grinds garbage it sounds like an International Harvester.

I drove to the supermarket for a few more cans of sweetened condensed milk and found that Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk uses a key-ring type of can. Guess what brand I am recommending?

Eagle Brand (Borden) Sweetened Condensed Milk

Available in most supermarkets

Lee White lives in Groton. She can be reached at leeawhite@aol.com.