Foodland Ontario Calendar - December (Apple and Pear Bundt Cake with Caramel Sauce)

Guess what time it is!? It's time for the December (and last) recipe from the 2011 Foodland Ontario Calendar.

I waited until Christmas before making this particular recipe because it was a perfect dessert to serve for the holidays. I made it last night for Christmas Eve and everybody really enjoyed it. In fact, most of us were scraping some extra caramel from the serving dish to spread onto our slices of cake.

Apple and Pear Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil (I used homemade Ontario applesauce)
• 3 Ontario eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 each Ontario apple and pear, cored and chopped

Caramel Glaze

• 1/2 cup Ontario butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp Ontario milk

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until creamy. Using a wooden spoon stir in flour, baking soda and salt until well blended. Stir in apple and pear. Spoon batter into greased and floured 3L bundt pan. Bake at 350F for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool on rack for 20 minutes.

Caramel Glaze: In a medium saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar and milk; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 2 minutes while stirring. Remove cake from pan; spoon warm glaze over warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Well, that's it... This year I blogged my way through all 12 months of the 2011 Foodland Ontario Calendar recipes. At first I thought that I would end it here but then once I saw the new 2012 calendar I knew that I'd have to blog the next one too. Have you seen the new calendar? It looks GREAT!! (check out the online version here: http://www.foodland.gov.on.ca/english/calendar/2012/index.html) Note: getting your hands on a hard copy is well worth it though--the pictures are beautiful.

The first recipe for January 2012 will be Turkey Pasta Soup - I'll have to remember to freeze some of my turkey so that I'll still have some available in the first week of January.

For an electronic version of Foodland Ontario's 2011 calendar see: http://www.foodland.gov.on.ca/english/calendar/2011/index.html

If you'd like to view the previous Foodland Ontario Calendar recipes I've made this year click on the 'foodland ontario' label on the left side-bar.

January - veggie chips
February - parsnip, apple and brie soup
March - breakfast ham 'n' cheese egg wrap
April - potato toppers
May - grilled proscuitto and asparagus bundles
June - strawberry cheesecake shake
July - spicy garlic bok choy stir-fry
August - grilled chicken salad
September - Grilled Trout with Tomato Salsa
October - Pumpkin Ravioli
November - Savoury Onion Scones