Baking Across the Pond

Living in England gives lots of opportunities for talking about differences between England and the United States.  When you're "separated by a common language" there are always similarities and differences, sometimes very minute ones, to discuss.  A funny minute one we discovered in recent months came when talking to a friend about a splashback she wanted to install in her kitchen.  "You mean a backsplash?" I asked.  We laughed a lot over that one because it seems so characteristic, just gotta be a little bit different, just enough to throw you off a bit.

Cooking offers a chance for new vocabulary and a learning curve, using a "fan oven" instead of electric, heating things up on the "hob" instead of the "stove."  Most of the time it seems we just use the same words differently.  For instance, the southern American use of casserole would probably be called a bake here in North Yorkshire.

Last Easter we had our church over for lunch, and I made a Pound Cake for dessert.  I didn't realize until I did that the Bundt pan and bundt cake were not as common on this side of the ocean.  At my Christmas time meeting with my Book Club, I rediscovered that fact when one of the ladies brought up seeing a bundt cake made on a cooking show and how she really wanted to try one.  I told her I would bring one to our next meeting, and I settled on this Cinnamon Roll Bundt Cake, mostly because I had all of the ingredients on hand.  Instant pudding mix is harder to find on this side of the pond, but I happened to have some in the pantry.  This cake comes highly recommended by my book club.  That buttery, cinnamon sugar filling is amazing.  I didn't get a picture of the finished product, so check out the original post for all the delicious details, and go forth and make bundt cakes!