Mandarin Orange Bundt Dessert

Coconut Layer Cake Murder

## Ingredients

* 2 twenty-ounce ***(approximate weight)*** loaves of sliced bread ***(I used Oroweat white sandwich bread)***
* 2 fifteen-ounce net weight cans of Mandarin orange segments ***(I used Dole brand)***
* 2 cups golden raisins ***(I used Sun-Maid brand)***
* 1 and ½ cups white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1 cup salted butter ***(2 sticks, 8 ounces, ½ pound)***
* 7 large eggs
* 2 cups heavy ***(whipping)*** cream
* Sprinkling of grated nutmeg ***(freshly grated is best, of course)***

**Hannah's 1st Note: Lisa and I always use sandwich loaves of white bread because it's easier and faster to cut off the crusts. There are usually 22 l ices per loaf, but you won't use the end pieces.**

## Directions

* Dot not preheat oven. This dessert must "settle" for 30 minutes before baking.
* Prepare your baking pan before you begin by generously buttering and flouring the inside of a Bundt pan and dumping out the excess flour. Alternatively, you can use Pam Baking Spray, which contains flour. If you use the baking spray, spray the inside of the pan, let it sit for 5 minutes, and then spray it a second time.

**Hannah's 2nd Note: Through experience, I've learned some tips for buttering and flouring a baking pan You can make this task easier by buttering it *(don't forget to butter the middle part),* dumping in a quarter-cup of flour, and sealing the open top of the pan with plastic wrap. Then you can shake it every which way to Sunday and your flour won't fall out on the floor. *(Just make sure the plastic wrap is on tightly, it certainly won't hurt to hold it over the sink or kitchen wastebasket as a precaution.)***

* Divide your loaves of bread into thirds. ***(I used 7 slices, 7 slices, and 6 slices per loaf.)*** Stack the slices of bread on a cutting board and cut off the crusts. Then cut the slices into 4 triangles. ***(Just make an "X" with your knife and that'll do it.)*** Repeat until all the slices, except the end pieces, are cut.
* Arrange one-third of the crust-less bread triangles in the bottom of your Bundt pan, covering as much of the bottom as you can.
* Open the two cans of Mandarin oranges and drain them in a strainer placed over a bowl. ***(You will use some of the juice for the Orange Soft sauce you'll make later.)***
* Scatter HALF of the Mandarin orange sections in your strainer over the bread triangles in the Bundt pan. ***(You'll use the other half of the orange sections later on in the recipe.)***
* Measure out ONE cup of golden raisins and spread them out on top of the orange sections in the pan.
* Sprinkle only ONE-HALF cup of the sugar on top of the raisins in your pan.
* Sprinkle the sugar with 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. ***(That's half of the cinnamon.)***
* Unwrap ONE stick of butter ***(½ cup)*** and heat it in the microwave for 45 seconds on HIGH. Pour it over the ingredients in your Bundt pan.
* Repeat the whole thing with the second part of the bread, placing the triangles on top of the ingredients in your Bundt pan.
* Scatter the remaining Mandarin orange sections on top of the bread triangles.
* Sprinkle the remaining golden raisins on top of the Mandarin orange sections.
* Scatter a HALF-CUP of the sugar over the raisins and top it with ONE teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
* Unwrap and melt the second stick of salted butter for 45 seconds in the microwave and pour that over the second layer in your Bundt pan.
* It's time for the final third of the bread triangles. Place them on top of the ingredients that are already in the Bundt pan.
* Press the bread down a little with your impeccably clean hands to make it fit in the pan.
* Sprinkle the top with the remaining HALF-CUP of sugar.
* Get out a mixing bowl large enough to hold 7 eggs and 2 cups of heavy cream.
* Crack the eggs into the bowl and whip them up with a wire whisk ***(or with an electric mixer).*** Be careful not to over-beat the eggs. You're making custard, not sponge cake.
* Add the heavy cream to the bowl. Mix it in thoroughly.
* Place your Bundt pan on a cookie sheet with sides, or another shallow pan that can hold any spills. This will be your drip pan.
* Pour the egg and cream mixture SLOWLY over the ingredients in the Bundt pan. You may have to stop pouring several times so that the Bundt pan does not overflow.

**Hannah's 3rd Note: It will take time for the custard mixture to soak into the bread, so don't hurry with the pouring. If the liquid threatens to spill over the top or run down the fluted tube in the middle of your Bundt pan, just wait a minute or two to let it soak in. When the liquid level goes down, add more custard mixture.**

*Warning: You may not be able to add all of the custard mixture to the Bundt pan. That depends on how much the kind of bread you bought will soak up. Don't overfill and risk spillage.*

**Hannah's 4th Note: I was able to use all of my custard mixture. The Oroweat white sandwich bread soaked it all up.**

* Once you've added all the custard mixture that you can, grate a little nutmeg over the top of your Bundt pan and let it sit on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes. ***This standing time is very important!***
* When 30 minutes are up, preheat the oven to 350°F, rack in the middle position.
* When your oven comes up to temperature, place your Bundt pan AND the pan you're using for spills in the oven. Bake at 350°F for 70 ***(that's seventy)*** minutes.
* Take your Mandarin Orange Bundt Dessert out of the oven and place it on a cold stovetop burner or a wire rack.
* Let your dessert cool for 25 minutes and then place a cake platter over the top of your Bundt pan.
* Using pot holders or oven mitts, flip the Bundt pan and the platter over so that the platter is on the bottom.
* Give the Bundt pan and platter a gentle shake and set it on a towel on the counter.
* Carefully lift the Bundt pan. The Mandarin Orange Bundt Dessert should fall right out of the pan and rest on the platter. If it does not, pick it up again and give it another little shake. Keep repeating until the dessert has loosened from the pan and is resting on the platter.
* If you don't plan to serve your dessert until much later, or even the next day, let it cool completely on the platter.
* When your dessert is cool, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it. Mandarin Orange Bundt Dessert will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
* To serve: Dust your Mandarin Orange Bundt Dessert with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and then pour a bit of Hard Sauce ***(with alcohol)*** or Soft Sauce ***(without alcohol)*** over the top and let it drizzle down the sides. You can decorate the top with more Mandarin orange slices if you wish, but it's pretty just as it is.
* Carry your Mandarin Orange Bundt Dessert to the table so your guests can admire it. Then slice pieces, just as you would with Bundt cake, place on dessert pates, and pass the Hard Sauce and the Soft Sauce. Make sure your guests have cups of strong coffee or icy-cold glasses of milk to drink.

**Hannah's 5th Note: This dessert is best served slightly warm or at room temperature. I pour Mandarin Orange Hard Sauce and my Mandarin Orange Soft Sauce into separate gravy bowls and tie a ribbon on the handle of the gravy boat with the Soft Sauce. I do this so that my nieces, Bethie and Tracey, know which sauce to use on their slices of dessert.**