A story of a man and his bundt pan

Sit down and read a yarn about how Paul used to leave me slices of bundt cake at my desk when we used to work together. Yes, bundt cake.

As it goes, I would be sitting at my desk in the business news department during the holidays, minding my own business and suddenly a hand would sweep down and deliver to me a slice of cake. Kahlúa bundt cake to be exact.

Truth be told, I was a bit weary. Here was a coworker I hardly knew and now he was presenting me with strange cake he produced himself AND with hard liquor. Was he trying to take advantage of me?

Apparently something worked because over a decade later, here were are married and me washing his delicates. Bundt cakes — even if they are from cake mixes — are magic.

Happy Holidays from the Horns!

Mr. Horn’s Kahlúa Cake

Cake

1 18 oz. packet of yellow cake mix (preferably Pillsbury – Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker are lousy)
1 5.1 oz. packet instant vanilla pudding
4 jumbo eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup Kahlúa
1 tablespoon Mexican vanilla (U.S. vanilla is fine)

Glaze

1/4 lb. butter
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup Kahlúa

1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

Heat oven to 325° F. Mix all cake ingredients. Pour into a greased and floured 10-inch bundt pan.

Bake for 45-55 minutes until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

While cake is cooling, melt butter over medium heat in saucepan. Stir in sugar and water. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and mix in Kahlúa.

Chill glaze until it thickens.

Invert cake into plate and perforate top with chopstick. Drizzle chilled glaze over cake.

Sprinkle with pecans if desired.

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Glaze v.2 (as shown in the photo)

6 tablespoons butter
2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1/3 cup Kahlúa

Melt butter over medium heat in sauce pan. In large bowl mix confectioners sugar, melted butter and Kahlúa until combined. Add additional Kahlúa if necessary. Drizzle over cake.