Sprucing up Christmas with Nigella

While doing some Christmas shopping last week, I decided to purchase a little treat for myself--a copy of Nigella Christmas by Nigella Lawson.

Nigella Christmas was so appealing, that I just had to have a copy. The traditional red and green color theme permeates the book, and Nigella does a fine job of covering everything from holiday baking and mass catering to homemade presents and edible antidotes for those who overindulge. Her recipe for Spruced-Up Vanilla Cake was what sealed the deal for me.

Just this morning, I decided to make the Spruced-Up Vanilla Cake featured on page 198. Nigella uses a Holiday Tree Nordic Ware Bundt pan and funnily enough I had found one at Goodwill a few weeks ago. When I found the pan I wasn't sure what I'd do with it, but since it is the season for holiday decor and evergreen trees, I decided to fork over the 99 cents indicated on the sticker. 

In the recipe introduction, Nigella offers variations on the theme and discusses how she uses a standard 2 1/2 quart bundt pan at other times of the year. She also discusses how she likes to serve the dense cake dusted with confectioner's sugar and a mixed berry compote. The recipe itself gives directions for making the batter in a stand mixer or in the food processor. I opted for the food processor method and was careful to spray the intricate pan thoroughly with a baking spray.

I just removed my Spruced-Up Vanilla Cake from the oven. It unmolded beautifully, and a preliminary taste test indicates that this simple holiday cake will be enjoyed by all, including Santa!

--Melissa A. Trainer