Getting creative in the kitchen isn’t always easy. Sometimes you look around and wonder how to make something new. A great piece of advice I learned from my friend Brian Hart Hoffman of Bake from Scratch Magazine is to turn some of your favorite things like drinks, dishes or even objects into desserts. This not only gets the creative juices flowing, but makes you really think of how to make it happen. My favorite cocktail has always been a Cosmopolitan, so I thought it would be fun to turn it into a show-stopping Bundt cake. I made a cranberry Bundt with orange glaze and lime zest to get all of the flavors of the drink without the alcohol so everyone can enjoy it! Note that if you don’t have cake flour, take out 6 Tbs of the all purpose flour amount and simply add 6 Tbs of Cornstarch. 

 This recipe serves 6-8 people

 For the Cake:

3 Sticks (1 1/2 Cups, 24 Tbs, 339g) Unsalted Butter at Room Temperature

2 Cups (402g)Granulated Sugar

4 Large Room Temperature Eggs

1 Tbs (6g) Freshly Grated Lime Zest

2 Tsp (4g) Freshly Grated Orange Zest

3 Cups (390g) Cake Flour

2 Tsp (8g) Baking Powder

¾ Tsp (4g) Baking Soda

1 ½ Tsp (9g) Salt

1 Cup (236g) Cranberry Juice

1 ½ Tsp (7g) Red Food Color

½ Cup (118g) Cranberry Juice

1 Cup (237mL) Vodka

2 Tbs Simple Syrup

 For the Glaze:

3 Cups (390g) Confectioner’s Sugar

6 Tbs (88g) Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice

1 Tbs (15g) Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice

1 Tsp (2g) Orange Zest

½ Tsp (1g) Lime Zest

¼ Tsp (2g) Salt

Optional: lime zest for the top of the cake

 Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F (175 C) and liberally grease a 12 cup Bundt cake pan with cooking spray (spray works best with this cake, and if you’re using a pan with a more intricate design, make sure you liberally grease all the corners and creases. 

2.     In a large bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. 

3.     In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. 

4.     Add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next one, then add the lime zest and orange zest.

5.     Combine the cranberry juice and food color in a liquid measuring cup, then with the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture with the juice mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Do it in about 3 parts. Stop mixing once the last bit of flour is barely absorbed, and finish mixing with a silicone spatula, being sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is evenly mixed. 

6.     Pour the batter into the prepared pan, then tap the pan on your counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the top of the cake springs back when lightly touched, or a cake tester comes out clean when inserted all the way into the center of the cake. 

7.     Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the cranberry juice, vodka and simple syrup. Once the cake is on the cooling rack and is still a little warm, slowly and gently pour it all over the cake. The cake will absorb the juice while it is still warm. 

8.     For the glaze, combine the confectioner’s sugar, salt, orange juice, lime juice, orange zest and lime zest in a bowl with a whisk until thick and nicely combined. If the glaze seems too thick, add 1 tbs more cream, or if it’s too thin, add more sugar by the tablespoon. Once the cake is completely cooled, pour the glaze all over the cake, then top with lime zest if desired. 

-Store in an airtight container or tightly wrap with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also freeze this cake for up to 2 months, just make sure its tightly wrapped in plastic and then put in an airtight container.