Double Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake

I really like bundt cakes. And not just because with the right pan, they pretty much decorate themselves.

No, I like bundt cakes because they’re typically a dense and moist cake – which is my preference. They also ought to be able to stand on their own without much frosting.

What I don’t like about bundt cake recipes, however, is that they often require a trip to the grocery store since nine times out of ten, the recipe calls for sour cream. And since I didn’t plan ahead and I’d already been to several stores this week, I really didn’t want to make another trip. So I was pretty stoked to stumble across a recipe that I could make with items I almost always have on hand. Will be keeping this one in my back pocket, so to speak.

Admittedly, y’all might not have powdered buttermilk as part of your on-hand baking arsenal. I mean, you should, though. Most recipes calling for buttermilk will work just fine with this stuff, and it keeps a long time so long as you store it in the fridge. (I learned that tip from much internet reading). Bury the tub on a back shelf of the fridge and then be delighted when you don’t have to run out and buy a quart when you only need a cup!

I also used a mixture of regular Hershey’s cocoa and Hershey’s Special Dark – which I tend to do a lot of the time, since I prefer a deep chocolate in my baking. But whatever cocoa you have on hand will be just fine. It might not come out as midnight dark as the picture, but I’m pretty sure it’ll still taste just as yummy.

Double Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake (adapted from Dinner then Dessert)

Grade: A

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups cocoa powder (I used 2/4 cup regular and 1/4 cup special dark)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 Tablespoons powdered buttermilk + 1 cup water; OR 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

For the ganache:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli 60% dark) or 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate

Note: this recipe makes more batter than is appropriate for most standard bundt pans. I didn’t trust my gut, and poured it all in. The cake baked well over the top of the pan and *almost* dripped down the sides. So I’d recommend reserving at least a cup of batter and just toss it in a ramekin or something for a mini cake.

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Spray your bundt pan with cooking spray. I’m a fan of Baker’s Joy spray, as it has flour in it. But I never have good luck greasing bundt pans with butter and flour – too many nooks and crannies. So spray the sucker thoroughly.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or just a big mixing bowl), add the flour sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and powdered buttermilk. Mix on low speed until combined, or whisk together by hand.

In a second bowl (or a two-cup measuring cup), combine the 1 cup water OR the buttermilk, the oil, eggs, and vanilla, and whisk together until reasonably well combined.

Add the wet ingredients to the stand mixer on low, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides and bottom with a silicone spatula. Once the mix is well incorporated (no lumps/pockets of flour), scrape the sides one more time and then add the coffee to the mixture until just combined. This will be a very thin/runny mix.

Fill the bundt pan to 3/4 full – leaving roughly an inch and a half of space at the top. You should have some extra batter, which I’d recommend pouring into a ramekin or maybe using to make a couple of cupcakes. Or be wasteful and toss it. Either way is better than overfilling the bundt pan.

Bake for 50-55 minutes until toothpick inserted somewhere in the middle of the tube comes out clean.

Let the cake cool completely before making the ganache. Or eat it warm with some ice cream and skip the ganache entirely. Just don’t try to pour ganache onto a warm cake!

For the ganache:

Pour chocolate chips into a heatproof measuring cup. This will make it easier to drizzle straight onto the cake, but a heatproof bowl is fine, too.

Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until steaming but not quite boiling. (Sorry, this is one of those things that I tend to eyeball/guesstimate).

Pour the warm cream over the chocolate, and let it stand for a few (no more than 5 minutes). Then gently stir the chocolate and cream together until no lumps remain. You can immediately drizzle the ganache over the cake or let it cool a little bit longer. If you wait too long, though, it’ll turn to frosting and you’ll have to spread it on.

Refrigerate an hour or two to set the ganache. Or eat it immediately. It’ll be good regardless! But it’s better at room temperature, so take it out of the fridge 30-40 minutes before you plan to serve.