Published:
Jump to Recipe Save Recipe
A cake for kids of all ages! Christmas Gumdrop Bundt Cake is moist and delicious and packed full of chewy candy – who wouldn’t love that?
Gumdrop cake has to be one of the most recognizable traditional Newfoundland cakes. And even though it’s probably most popular at Christmastime, it’s a cake that can be found in some homes all year round. Why not? It’s a cake that’s both delicious and fun to eat. Both the young and the old love to eat candy. Cake and candy together – it’s like the ultimate birthday cake, wouldn’t you think?
There are a few recipes floating around for what one might consider an authentic gumdrop cake, and to be honest, I’m not sure which one is legitimate. For example, I’ve seen recipes that have cream cheese as an ingredient, but my particular recipe does not.
CAKE VARIATIONS
My dad loves to make gumdrop cake and makes it quite frequently – Christmastime or otherwise! But, his gumdrop cake is very different from mine. While my cake tends to look a little more rustic and light in colour, his gumdrop cake is darker in colour and slices much better. I think it’s because he bakes his cake a little longer than I do, but also, his recipe is slightly different.
Whenever I make cake, I’m much less concerned about the look of the cake and more apt to focus on the taste and texture. I’m no cake aficionado, but in my humble opinion, cake is meant to be fluffy and moist. Otherwise, it just tastes like a biscuit, and biscuits are just not cake!
WHAT ARE GUMDROPS?
Are you familiar with gumdrops, Dear Reader? Contrary to popular belief, gumdrops are not the same as jube jubes or wine gums. Gumdrops are a type of baking candy. They are brightly colored pectin-based pieces, shaped like a narrow dome with a flattened top. They come in fruit flavors.I usually find them a Fortinos.
Gumdrops are used in baking, candy crafting, decorating, and for eating out of hand to mouth. They are often used for decorating cakes and cupcakes. Around Christmastime, this candy is an ingredient commonly used in the making and decorating of gingerbread houses.
When baked into a cake, such as this Christmas Gumdrop Bundt Cake, the viscosity of the candy changes. Before baking, the candy is chewy and tough. The candy should feel hard to the touch with very little give in it. After being baked into the cake though, the candy transforms into a soft, gooey consistency, yet it holds it’s shape very well.
THE BEST WAY TO ENJOY A SLICE OF GUMDROP CAKE
Everyone seems to enjoy Gumdrop Cake a little differently. I’ve seen some people just eat a slice of the cake just as it is – and there’s really nothing wrong with that. But, I think to truly enjoy Christmas Gumdrop Bundt Cake, you need first a hot cup of tea. Orange Pekoe Tetley tea with one sugar cube and a good splash of milk. Yes, that’s the best!
Then, don’t slice the cake too thick, but not too thin either; about half an inch. Now, this is where I might lose some of you, but to me, Gumdrop Cake, even though it’s already moist and perfectly delicious on its own, needs a good smear of butter. Yes, butter!
And, Dear Reader, if you’re doing things really right, you’re eating your Gumdrop Cake smeared with butter, accompanied by a slice of good cheddar, and sipping your hot tea. Now that, is how to properly eatChristmas Gumdrop Bundt Cake!
Please try this recipe. Get your kids involved. And, if you don’t have kids of your own, borrow the neighbours kids. Kids love to bake and they love to bake even more with candy! And, as I’ve said before, who doesn’t love cake and candy!?
Christmas Gumdrop Bundt Cake
A cake for kids of all ages! Christmas Gumdrop Bundt Cake is moist and delicious and packed full of chewy candy – who wouldn’t love that?
Pin RecipeSave RecipePrint Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Servings 32 slices
Calories 234kcal
Author Lord Byron’s Kitchen
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups salted butter, softened
- 2 cups white sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 cup canned evaporated milk
- 2 1/2 cups gumdrops
- 1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar for garnish, optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Prepare a bundt pan by lightly spraying with non-stick cooking spray and lightly flouring the entire baking surface of the pan. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, using a hand held mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add each egg, one at a time, and incorporate well into the butter and sugar mixture. Add the vanilla and mix well. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again.
Add 1 1/2 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Beat into the butter and sugar mixture.
Add 1/2 cup canned evaporated milk and incorporate well.
Add 1 1/2 cups more flour and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Again, beat well.
Lastly, add the last 1/4 cup canned evaporated milk and beat well.
Toss the gumdrops with 1/4 cup of all purpose flour. Add to batter and fold into the batter using a study spatula. Pour contents into prepared bundt pan.
Bake for 60 minutes. Check at the 50 minute mark by inserting a toothpick into the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. After the 50 minute mark, check the cake for doneness every 10 minutes.
Allow the cake to cool in the bundt pan for 20 minutes before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to continue the cooling process.
Dust with confectioner’s sugar, slice, and serve!
Nutrition
Calories: 234kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 89mg | Potassium: 41mg | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 290IU | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 0.8mg
