Churro Bundt Cake

This is my churro bundt cake {swoon}. Traditional churros are something my whole family loves. Seriously, what’s not to love, we’re talking sweet fried dough with a soft inside and crispy outside coated in sugar. With some similarities to another friend dough favorite, funnel cakes, churros, I’ve learned, can be more than just a treat at a street fair. And since street fairs, as we know them, may never exist again thanks to COVID, this recipe may just become your new favorite.

Like many other well-known foods, the history of churros, and where they came from, is a bit unclear. Some believe churros were invented by Spanish shepherds. These Spaniards, who lived high in the mountains, lacked access to local bakeries, so for them churros were said to be a substitute for fresh bread. Tied to this theory, the name “churro” itself, is apparently a breed of Spanish sheep called “Navajo-Churro” which are descendants of the “Churra” sheep who have horns that look similar to beloved fried pastry. The story seems plausible to me.

Yet others believe churros are a descendant of a Chinese pastry, called youtiao, a pastry fried in oil and looks like two long, conjoined breadsticks but lack the sugar coating. This theory supports the idea that the Portuguese explorers were the ones who brought Youtiao back to Iberia where it then took on its distinct, star-edged shape and sweetness as the pastry gained popularity throughout Spain.

Despite their origin, churros are loved around the globe and rightfully so. In Spain, churros con chocolate is a common breakfast. Mexican churros are filled with our served with dulce de leche. In Brazil, you’ll find churros for dipping in doce de leite, their version of caramel. Cuban churros are stuffed with a fruity guava-filling. And there are savory versions as well, such as cheese-filled churros de queso found in Nicaragua.

Churros, if you’ve never made them from scratch, need to be fried to become crunchy, but the sugar coating is considered optional. The surface of a churro is ridged from a “churrera“, a syringe-like tool with a star-shaped nozzle. This tool allows the churros to become prism-like in shape, but can be straight, curled or spirally twist in form.

For my churro bundt cake recipe I used a special 6 cup spiral bundt pan to make the cake look star-like in shape, but that’s not a requirement. And the real good news is, there is no frying required to make this churro-inspired cake taste authentic or delicious.  But for this recipe, the sugar coating is an absolute must.

Churro Bundt Cake

May 17, 2020

Servings: 8

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 25 min

Total: 40 min

Difficulty: easy

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By: simmerandsauce

Ingredients

• For the Cake:
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• dash of salt
• For the Topping:
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions

• Step 1 For the Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 6-cup bundt pan and set aside.
• Step 2 In a medium mixing bowl add the sour cream, egg, vanilla, oil, butter and sugar, mix well to blend.
• Step 3 Add the flour, baking soda, salt and mix well to incorporate.
• Step 4 Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until firm tot he touch. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for a few minutes before removing it.
• Step 5 While the bundt cake is cooling making the topping.
• Step 6 For the Topping: In a small bowl add the cinnamon, sugar and brown sugar, mix well.
• Step 7 When the cake is cool, remove it from the pan and place on a serving platter. Using a pasty brush, generously brush the cake all over with the melted butter. Immediately sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Slice and serve.