Chardonnay Cake

I love to read cookbooks, and I when stumbled across this recipe I knew I had to try it. The book was made for single ladies who are trying to be cosmopolitan and fancy, but I guess it'll be fine if this Nebraska housewife uses it, too.

Cake:
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 c. sugar (for reals)
4 large eggs, room temperature
3.5 oz box of regular or instant vanilla pudding (side note: I could only find a 3.4 oz box...)
1/2 c. Chardonnay
1 c. whole milk, warned in the microwave for 20-30 seconds
1 tsp. vanilla (I only use the real stuff, not imitation)
3 c. cake or all-purpose flour (I used cake)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder

Glaze:
4 Tbl. unsalted butter
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. Chardonnay

Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan or 9x9 pan.

In a large bowl beat together all the ingredients butter through vanilla. In a separate bowl mix flour, salt, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and mix just until moistened. Do no overmix. (Side note: my two baking mantras are: do not overmix and do not overbake.)

Scrape batter into pan and bake @50 minutes. Here's where individuality comes into play. The bundt pan I own is as old as dirt and is a little smaller than a normal bundt pan, I think. As such, I filled the bundt pan 3/4 full and then had some extra batter for cupcakes. Since I had never made this cake before, I didn't know how it would bake, and I didn't want to overfill the bundt pan. I baked the cupcakes about 18 minutes and the bundt cake about 45 minutes.



Make the glaze: While the cake is baking, combine all glaze ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. WATCH OUT! Do not walk away from the glaze even if you have to wipe your child's poopy butt. It will foam up out of the pan. It will also help to use a "medium" sauce pan as called for in the recipe and not a "baby" saucepan which is all I had clean. Let the glaze simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes until it reduces by one fourth.



When the cake has finished baking, remove it from the oven and pierce it several times with a carving fork. Or a bamboo skewer. Or a toothpick. Whatever. I set my bundt pan on a plate because I figured glazing would get a little drippy. Immediately pour hot glaze onto the cake and let stand 15 minutes. I did not pour all the glaze on at this point.



If using a bundt pan, carefully turn cake out onto a plate. I dumped the rest of the glaze over the top. Mine even came out in one piece!!!

I haven't had a chance to eat a piece yet because I am waiting for it to cool. I can't wait!