Caramelized Mango Tropical Bundt Cake #BundtaMonth

Somehow I´m always surprised by the first day after a long hot summer when I open the cold water and it actually comes out cold. Though this might seem a rhetorical sentence, it´s not, since the water tends to be a tepid tone the whole summer, a thing I really despise. So something as simple as cold water makes my day. Gotta give me credit for having learnt how to revel in the little details.

So, while taking advantage of the last fruits of summer and getting ready for the cooler days ahead, we´re having a tropical Bundt a Month, the group created by Baker Street and Cake Duchess.
We bundt cake lovers post once a month with a theme, and create some fan.tas.tic bundt cakes, the list of which you will find at the end of this post. Aren´t we the sweetest? Instant vacation in over a dozen posts.

And in a way I usually like to feel tropical more than be in a tropical climate. You know, million % humidity and mosquitoes are not my idea of a good time. But a caramelized mango bundt cake that has some coconut milk and rum in the batter sure is. The afternoons are perfect now to be out, have a cup of coffee or tea and some cake.

Again, I turned to my basic vanilla bundt cake that has yet to turn me down. There was a mango rolling around in my fridge. We have two kinds of mangos here, with different skin colors. The truth is I never know which one I´m buying, and they may be ripe, but that doesn´t mean they taste great. Pretty much like haas avocados (in my opinion the only ones worth eating) and those big, beautiful ones that are pure water and taste like nothing. It´s the same with the mangos. 

So, even though it tasted fine, caramelizing has never bothered a tropical fruit, and inside a cake they turn into a sort of jammy paste. But with a lot of flavor. I was surprised when I cut it, the mango was so smooth and a burnt ocre in color. Rum colored. 
It reminded me of warm tropical nights. Now, isn´t that a good idea or what?

TROPICAL CARAMELIZED MANGO BUNDT CAKE

adapted from Kiss MyBundt, by Christa Wilson

Makes 1 big bundt cake

Ingredients

For the cake:

1 mango

1 Tbs butter

2 Tbs sugar

2 ½ cups (325g) flour

2 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

¾ cup (175g) unsalted butter

1 ½ cups sugar

3 eggs, room tº

1 cup whole milk

¼ cup coconut milk

½ teaspoon vanilla

2 Tbs dark rum

For the rum glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 Tbs dark rum

Toasted coconut flakes, for sprinkling

Directions

For the cake:

Peel mango and cut in cubes. In a skillet melt butter, add sugar and when it´s dissolved, add mango cubes. Cook for 2 or 3 mintues, stirring so that they caramelize. Reserve.

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a bundt pan with vegetable spray and coat with fine dry breadcrumbs. Set aside.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside

In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Slowly add sugar and beat 2 minutes.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, and then beat for 2 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix milk, coconut milk, rum and vanilla.

Beginning and ending with dry ingredients, add them in three parts alternating with liquids in two parts. 

Pour 2/3 of batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Scatter mango pieces on top. Cover with remaining 1/3 of batter.

Bake about 40 minutes for a big cake. Wait 5 minutes and invert onto wire rack. Cool completely.

For the rum glaze: Mix sugar and rum in a bowl. Drizzle over cooled cake, letting it run down the sides. Sprinkle with coconut and serve. 

Here are the amazing bundt cakes we baked, especially for you:

Bananas Foster Bundt by Anita from Hungry Couple
Blue Hawaiian Bundt Cake by Tara from Noshing With The Nolands
Chocolate Bundt With Coconut Cream Cheese Filling by Karen from In The Kitchen With KP
Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake by Kim from Cravings Of A Lunatic
Coconut and Rum Tea Cake by Anuradha from Baker Street
Coconut Banana Bundt Cake with Rum Glaze by Lora from Cake Duchess
Coconut Bundt Cake by Holly from A Baker’s House
Coconut Lime Bundt Cake by Kate from Food Babbles
Hummingbird Bundt Cake by Heather from Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks
Hummingbird Bundt Cake by Jennie from The Messy Baker Blog
Lime Glazed Bundt Cake by Carrie from Poet In The Pantry
Caramelized Mango Tropical Bundt Cake by Paula from Vintage Kitchen
Mini Pineapple Bundt Cakes with White Chocolate Ganache by Alice from Hip Foodie Mom
Pina Colada Bundt Cake by Renee from Magnolia Days
Pineapple Bundt with Kuih Tat Filling by Stacy from Food Lust People Love
Strawberry and Banana Bundt Cake by Veronica from My Catholic Kitchen
Vanilla Orange Bundt Cake with a Hint of Coconut by Laura from The Spiced Life
White Chocolate Guava Cake by Kim from Ninja Baking

If you want to join us in our bundt baking adventures, go to Baker Street or Cake Duchess. You have the rest of the month to go tropical or next month to make a bundt cake with cherries.

Here are the amazing bundt cakes we baked, especially for you:

Here's how you can be a part of Bundt-a-Month:

-Simple rule: Use any tropical fruit - and bake us a Bundt for March

-Post it before March 31, 2013.

-Use the #BundtAMonth hashtag in your title. (For ex: title should read #BundtAMonth: Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt)

-Add your entry to the Linky tool below

-Link back to Lora (Cake Duchess) and Anuradha's (Baker Street) announcement posts. 
Follow Bundt-a-Month on Facebook where we feature all our gorgeous bundt cakes. Or head over to our Pinterest board for inspiration and choose from over 350 Bundt cake recipes.  

Link to BundtaMonth on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/BundtaMonth 

Link to BundtaMonth on Pinterest - https://pinterest.com/bakerstreet/bundtamonth/