Chocolate Bundt Cake
Chocolate lovers will rejoice at the deep, dark cocoa-forward flavors of this ultra-plush Bundt reminiscent of the classic tunnel of fudge cake. A full cup of Dutch-process cocoa powder bloomed in hot water with espresso powder accentuates the chocolate. Instead of adding a filling, we drape the cake in an optional glaze made with butter, cocoa powder, honey and milk — no need to buy separate ingredients for a ganache. This cake can also be made as a loaf, as well as vegan. See the Variations below.
Makes 14 to 16 servings
FOR THE CAKE:
1 cup (95 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 cup (240 milliliters) boiling water
1 cup (240 milliliters) whole or reduced-fat milk
21⁄2 cups (310 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup (220 grams) packed light or dark brown sugar
1⁄2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1⁄2 cup (120 milliliters) neutral oil, such as canola
8 tablespoons (1 stick/113 grams) unsalted butter, softened but cool to the touch
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 large eggs, at room temperature but not to worry. After the liquid has been thoroughly mixed in, stop the mixer, add half the flour mixture and mix again on low until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Repeat with the remaining cocoa mixture and then the remaining flour mixture.
Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl once more. Turn the mixer back on to medium and beat for about 30 seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer, and do one last scrape-andstir with a flexible spatula to make sure there are no dry pockets or slicks of unincorporated butter on the sides
Make the cake: Position a
or bottom of the bowl. The rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 finished batter will be thick
and glossy, almost like a soft degrees. Coat a large (10- to
15-cup/2.3- to 3.5-liter) pudding or mousse. Bundt pan with baking Scrape the batter into spray, or grease thoroughly the prepared Bundt pan with a thin layer of vegetable and smooth the top with the oil. Pay extra attention to back of a spoon or offset the center tube, where sticking spatula. Gently tap the pan is especially likely. a few times on the counter
In a medium bowl or to pop any air pockets in the 4-cup (1-liter) glass liquid batter. Bake for 45 to 50
minutes, or until a cake measuring cup, whisk together the cocoa and espresso tester (or wooden skewer)
inserted into the center powders until combined. Pour in the boiling comes out clean. When water, whisking again until pressed lightly with your thoroughly combined. The finger, the cake should
spring back a bit, but it may mixture will thicken and turn glossy, almost like still feel very soft. That’s
OK; it will firm up as it cools. pudding. Let cool slightly, then whisk in the milk until Transfer the pan to a incorporated. wire rack and let rest for 10
minutes. Use a small, flexible In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the spatula or a roundedged flour, baking powder and knife to loosen the salt. sides of the cake from the
pan and then invert onto In the bowl of a stand the rack. Let the cake cool mixer fitted with the paddle completely. attachment or using a large
Make the optional glaze: bowl and a handheld mixer, In
a small bowl, combine the beat the brown and granulated sugars, oil and butter cocoa powder, honey and on medium speed until salt. No need to stir, as it will lightened in color, creamy come together smoothly and fluffy, about 2 minutes, once you add the remaining scraping down the sides and ingredients. bottom of the bowl and In a 2-cup (480-milliliter) attachment as needed. Still glass liquid measuring cup, on medium, beat in the combine the butter and vanilla extract, then the milk. Microwave on HIGH eggs, one at a time, waiting until the butter has melted, until the first is incorporated 30 seconds to 1 minute. The before adding the second. milk may foam, so keep an Scrape down the bowl eye on it, pausing the microwave again. On low speed, gradually and stirring as needed. add half the cocoa powder Pour the butter mixture into mixture. The batter may the cocoa powder mixture look separated or curdled, and whisk until glossy,
From Becky Krystal, inspired by a 1997 recipe from cookbook author Marcy Goldman.
FOR THE OPTIONAL GLAZE: 3 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 tablespoons honey Pinch fine salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons whole or reduced-fat milk, plus more as needed
1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract smooth and well-combined. Whisk in the vanilla. It’s possible that after whisking, the glaze will cool and thicken enough to not be pourable. If so, just pop it back into the microwave for 10 to 20 seconds on HIGH, or until it’s glossy and thin enough to drizzle over the cake. You can heat it more or less depending on how much you want it to drip down the cake — warmer and it will go all the way down, slightly less hot and it will go slower and not as far. If it still seems on the thick side, thin with additional milk, as needed.
Drizzle the glaze around the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. If desired, use a spoon or offset spatula to push more of it over and down. Let the glaze set for about 30 minutes before cutting and serving, or storing.
Variations: This recipe can also be made as a loaf cake. For two loaves, use the ingredient amounts as written, but you can also halve them to make one loaf. We preferred the height of an 81⁄2-by-41⁄2-inch loaf pan, but a 9-by-5-inch pan will work, as well. Grease the loaf pan(s) with a thin layer of oil, then line with a piece of parchment paper cut to form a sling along the long sides of the pan. Proceed with the recipe as written (if you do two loaves, each pan will need about 720 grams of batter), baking for about 50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before lifting the cake out of the pan using the parchment sling. Glaze, if desired, as above.
To make this vegan, substitute nondairy milk and vegan butter (one-forone swaps) in both the cake and glaze. Leave out the eggs, and beat 11⁄2 teaspoons cider vinegar into the cake batter along with the vanilla. For the glaze, agave syrup can be used in place of the honey.
Storage note: The baked and glazed cake can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 month.