Spiced Bundt cake - recipe & guest post by @DollyBakes

I am delighted to introduce @DollyBakes who I have followed on Twitter for quite a while now. I have never met 'Dolly' but I know she can cook and likes to bake; she lives a couple of miles away from me, although we have never met face to face; she is a cat owner/lover and equally a lover of all things involving Cath Kitson and fine food/dining. I know this because I have seen a good number of her tweets and also seen photos of various meals from fine dining locations 'Dolly' and her husband have eaten at recently. These guys like the good stuff, and worship at the tables of some fantastic and well renowned chefs.

Anyway, 'Dolly' made a really gorgeous bundt cake over Christmas, she tweeted pictures of it and I asked if she would share the recipe with us all, so here it is, in 'Dollys' words and pictures, not mine. 'Dolly' does not have her own blog I don't know why as I think she'd make a great food blogger...don't you agree? Thank you 'Dolly' for doing a guest post and sharing such a lovely bake...here is her guest post...

I love baking, but I'm totally OCD about things turning out just the way I had planned. For years I stuck to cakes I was really good at; like muffins and fruit cakes. However, times are a changing. I've decided to jump out of my comfort zone this year, and make things that are more of a challenge. This means I will make each new thing about three times before I'm totally happy with it,as I always customise my recipes and will not settle until my OCD is satisfied. This cake is a perfect example of this new venture. I found a really pretty fluted bundt tim, and was determined for the cake to come out perfectly. Needless to say, first time it did not. Although utterly devastated by my cake's betrayal I soldiered on...I was determined to make this cake perfect!

Making this cake taught met these three tips for bundt cakes bliss:
1. Prepare the mould with Dr Oetker cake release spray and dust with a little flour.
2. Use an oven thermometer - the devil is in the detail.
3. Let the cake cool completely  in the tin, before turning it out.
This is now my favourite cake ever, it works a dream every time, is super moist and looks really impressive!
This recipe makes 12 generous slices (for greedy girls like me)
Ingredients:
250g unsalted butter (softened in the microwave)
650g golden caster sugar (the finer the better)
5 medium free range eggs - beaten
240ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 tsp mixed spice
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
400g plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
Icing sugar for dusting
Bundt tin, savarin tin or ring mould - about 25cm in diameter
Pre heat the oven to Gas 3 or 170c.
Method:

1. Mix the butter and sugar until it is well combined (I use a hand mixer, but elbow grease and a wooden spoon is just as good). Add the beaten egg a little bit at a time until light and fluffy).

2. Add the extracts to the milk and again add to the cake batter a little at a time.

3. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, spices, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Add the dry ingredients to the cake batter a little at a time. Mix everything until its light and creamy looking, taking care not to beat the living hell out of it!
4. Put this bad boy into the prepared cake mould and level off with a quick shake of the tin.
5. Check your oven temperature is correct before popping it in the oven for about 60 minutes.
6. At the 60 minute point take it out for a nosey. Its stable enough to not sink so don't panic! If a skewer comes out clean, your work here is done. If not pop it back in for about another 10-15 minutes (Note for other OCD sufferers - this is a very forgiving cake and is very hard to over-bake). The top will look quite dark, but this is a beautiful firm base to the cake when finished.
7. Once cooked through leave the cake to cool in the tin fully. I mean fully.
8. When cooled dust with icing sugar to decorate, I find a tea strainer quite useful here!

I am quite happy to answer any questions, just tweet me @DollyBakes x
UPDATE: DOLLY HAS HER OWN BLOG NOW CALLED 'DOLLY BAKES'