coconut ginger calamansi bundt cake

I found a basic bundt pound cake recipe and decided to replace some of the ingredients with what I have available. It's in the upper 90's again and I didn't really feel like going out to pick up just a few items at the grocery store. I run out of lemons so I harvested some calamansi (calamondin citrus) and juiced them instead. I also run out of sour cream but I have leftover coconut milk in the fridge from the Thai chicken curry I made the other night. We also have a some crystallized ginger that has been neglected in our pantry so I finely chopped a few pieces. I tried my best to make the cake lighter and healthier. I replaced half of the butter with canola oil. I noticed that the recipe was missing a key ingredient, baking powder. I wasn't sure why but I decided to add 1 teaspoon of baking powder to the flour. After all these alterations, I'm amazed the cake still turned out quite good :-)

The calamansi flavor wasn't as intense as I hoped but there was a noticeable hint of coconut flavor. Overall, there wasn't anything too overwhelming in this cake. All the flavors blended well together and the result was a light mild tasting dense and moist cake.

As I sliced my first piece, the chopped crystallized ginger glistened under the kitchen light like tiny jewels imbedded in the cake. It was a sweet treat for a relaxing afternoon tea time.

COCONUT GINGER CALAMANSI BUNDT CAKE
1 stick butter (softened)
1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup fresh calamansi or lemon juice
2 tablespoons lemon zest (optional)
1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 cup coconut milk

Use a non-stick baking spray for the bundt pan. With a pastry brush, spread the baking spray evenly. Preheat oven to 350F. Combine coconut milk and calamansi juice and stir. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and chopped ginger in a bowl. Beat butter, oil and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one a time beating well after each addition. Alternately add coconut milk mixture and flour mixture. Mix well. Bake for 55-60 minutes. Cool the cake for about 20 minutes before inverting onto a cake platter or serving tray. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

I was very happy with this Nordicware bundt pan. One of the best in the market. I used a cake release baking spray and spread it evenly with a pastry brush. The shape came out well defined.