I have made this chocolate bundt cake from Joy the Baker twice, and it really is delicious. It's a perfect dinner party cake. Dressy enough for company but not at all fussy. It makes for great leftovers. And with the exception of the sour cream, I typically have all of these ingredients in the house. I'd imagine plain Greek yogurt (or even vanilla) would be a reasonable substitute, for that matter.
Doesn't it get your mouth watering?
The first time I made the cake, I poured the frosting on when it was still pretty warm (though the cake had cooled completely). It pooled in the center (not a bad thing, certainly) and covered the cake in a thinner, even layer. I liked it this way, too. More like a Texas sheet cake in bundt form, I suppose.
One thing that was weird/disappointing: the frosting was gorgeous and glossy when I first applied it. As directed, I kept the cake at room temperature covered under a cake dome. When I removed the cake dome, the frosting had lost its glossy sheen. I was so disappointed! The second time I made the cake, I served it the same day I made it, so it didn't have a chance to dull. It didn't affect the taste at all, but I thought it looked prettier shiny. Also, I quickly realized that I really needed to sift the powdered sugar - a step I often skip completely or substitute with whisking - but in this case, it's easy to end up with tiny lumps of powdered sugar that don't completely absorb into the frosting, and I didn't like how that looked.
All in all, this cake is easy and delicious, and I would absolutely make it again for company or just to have in the house!
The Best Chocolate Bundt Cake with Chocolate Glaze (from The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook)
Makes a 10" bundt cake
Cake:
1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon brewed coffee
3/4 cup (2 1/4 ounces) cocoa powder
2 1/4 cups (15 3/4 ounces) sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/8 cups) canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (11 1/8 ounces) flour, sifted
Glaze:
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
3 cups (12 ounces) powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/4 cup brewed coffee, cooled
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F and place oven rack in the center of the oven. Grease and flour a 10" bundt pan and set aside.
Put brewed coffee and cocoa powder in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Remove from the heat and let come to room temperature.
Using the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, mix together sugar, salt, baking soda, eggs, and egg yolk on low for about 1 minute. Add buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix on low for another minute. Add the flour and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the cooled cocoa mixture and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. The batter will be very runny.
Pour into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake completely in the pan and then invert it onto a cooling rack.
When the cake is getting close to cool, make the icing. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and set them in a medium-sized bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. Melt the chocolate slowly and remove from the heat when all the pieces are melted. Melt the butter separately, and then whisk it into the melted chocolate until thoroughly incorporated. Mix in half the powdered sugar. Add the sour cream and whisk to combine. Stir in the rest of the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. The glaze should be thick and shiny. Add the coffee and whisk to create a glossy frosting.
Pour the glaze over the cake. If it is thinner, it will cover the cake completely. Thicker frosting may just cover the top and inch its way down the sides. It's great either way. Store the cake at room temperature until ready to serve.
Print recipe.
Doesn't it get your mouth watering?
These pics are from the second time I made the cake. I think the frosting is so thick because I let it sit longer before frosting the cake, and it thickened as it cooled. However, I actually like the look (and taste!) of the thick frosting; it reminds me of the Creative Cakery bundts we ate growing up.
The first time I made the cake, I poured the frosting on when it was still pretty warm (though the cake had cooled completely). It pooled in the center (not a bad thing, certainly) and covered the cake in a thinner, even layer. I liked it this way, too. More like a Texas sheet cake in bundt form, I suppose.
Here you can see how moist and dense the cake is. Sooo good with a glass of very cold, skim milk (or a cup of coffee, if you like that sort of thing).
One thing that was weird/disappointing: the frosting was gorgeous and glossy when I first applied it. As directed, I kept the cake at room temperature covered under a cake dome. When I removed the cake dome, the frosting had lost its glossy sheen. I was so disappointed! The second time I made the cake, I served it the same day I made it, so it didn't have a chance to dull. It didn't affect the taste at all, but I thought it looked prettier shiny. Also, I quickly realized that I really needed to sift the powdered sugar - a step I often skip completely or substitute with whisking - but in this case, it's easy to end up with tiny lumps of powdered sugar that don't completely absorb into the frosting, and I didn't like how that looked.
All in all, this cake is easy and delicious, and I would absolutely make it again for company or just to have in the house!
The Best Chocolate Bundt Cake with Chocolate Glaze (from The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook)
Makes a 10" bundt cake
Cake:
1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon brewed coffee
3/4 cup (2 1/4 ounces) cocoa powder
2 1/4 cups (15 3/4 ounces) sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/8 cups) canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (11 1/8 ounces) flour, sifted
Glaze:
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
3 cups (12 ounces) powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/4 cup brewed coffee, cooled
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F and place oven rack in the center of the oven. Grease and flour a 10" bundt pan and set aside.
Put brewed coffee and cocoa powder in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Remove from the heat and let come to room temperature.
Using the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, mix together sugar, salt, baking soda, eggs, and egg yolk on low for about 1 minute. Add buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix on low for another minute. Add the flour and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the cooled cocoa mixture and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. The batter will be very runny.
Pour into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake completely in the pan and then invert it onto a cooling rack.
When the cake is getting close to cool, make the icing. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and set them in a medium-sized bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. Melt the chocolate slowly and remove from the heat when all the pieces are melted. Melt the butter separately, and then whisk it into the melted chocolate until thoroughly incorporated. Mix in half the powdered sugar. Add the sour cream and whisk to combine. Stir in the rest of the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. The glaze should be thick and shiny. Add the coffee and whisk to create a glossy frosting.
Pour the glaze over the cake. If it is thinner, it will cover the cake completely. Thicker frosting may just cover the top and inch its way down the sides. It's great either way. Store the cake at room temperature until ready to serve.
Print recipe.
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