Triple Chocolate Bundt - I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 11

Triple Chocolate Bundt

I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 11

Chocolate once.
Chocolate twice.
Chocolate three times!

Welcome to Day 11 of I Like Big Bundts 2013! National Bundt Day is Friday, November 15th and I hope you'll bake a Bundt to celebrate. I'm going to do a round-up so take photos and share with me (info coming soon...my weekend has been busy - sorry for the delay). If you make a Bundt, I'm having a little giveaway for bakers too (but it's not a button because that was a mailing/postage fiasco).

Today's Bundt has so much chocolate. It has 10 ounces of chopped chocolate in the cake, Dutch processed cocoa, and a chocolate ganache with 4 more ounces of chocolate. It's a massive chocolate cake.

I used much of the Pound Plus 72% Dark Chocolate bar from Trader Joe's for the recipe. I also used Starbucks Via for the coffee syrup. I don't drink coffee and find the Via packets are convenient when baking.

There were a couple things with this recipe that affected the outcome. If I didn't have to make more Bundts, I would try it again (perhaps after National Bundt Day!)

(1) The recipe says it fits in a 6-cup Bundt, but my 6-cup bundt pan runneth over. So, I think this would be better in a 10-cup Bundt pan. Or, you can use the 6-cup Bundt and make a couple cupcakes too. Because my cake was too full, I baked it a bit longer and I found it a bit dry.
(2) I didn't use all the coffee syrup. It makes 1/2 cup of syrup. I was afraid the cake would get soggy if I used it all. But then it was a bit dry - Was that because I baked it longer (because is went over the top) or because I didn't use all the syrup? Hum. Thus, I would try it in a 10-cup bundt next time (or not fill the 6-cup Bundt as full). If you make it, let me know how it turns out for you.

A coffee/sugar syrup is brushed over the warm cake. Coffee and chocolate go perfectly together!

You can see all those bits of chopped chocolate. This cake is fulllllll of chocolate!

Note: I was making a double batch of ganache for another recipe and didn't follow their recipe. I also didn't wait long enough for the ganache to thicken up before pouring. Therefore, you should get a richer covering of ganache on your bundt if you follow their recipe! :)

The rest of the cookbook looks really good and this was my first recipe. I hope to make more recipes soon!

Hope you are planning your Bundt making! See you tomorrow for another Bundt! - mary the food librarian

I Like Big Bundts 2013
Day 10: Biscoff Speculoos Cookie Butter Bundt
Day 9: Zucchini Bundt with Chocolate Ganache
Day 7: Cranberry Crème Fraîche Bundt
Day 6: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day 5: Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt
Day 4: Moosewood's Fresh Apple Spice Bundt Cake
Day 3: Butterscotch Bundt Cake
Day 2: Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake Bundt
Day 1: Orange Marmalade Jubilee Bundt

Recipe: Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake
Adapted from the Standard Baking Co. Pastries cookbook by Alison Pray & Tara Smith
Find it on Amazon or in your library.

Cake:
1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/4 cup hot water
3 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons (122 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2/3 cup (1 1/3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
2 cups (10 ounces) chopped bittersweet chocolate (I used Trader Joe's 72% dark chocolate Belgium bar)

Coffee Syrup:
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee (I used 1/2 a packet of Starbucks Via)
2 teaspoons sugar

Ganache:
3/4 cup (4 ounces) chopped bittersweet chocolate
1/4 cup half-and-half (I used heavy cream because I didn't have half-and-half)

Directions:
1. Coffee Syrup: Mix together hot coffee and sugar until dissolved. Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. The instructions say to use a 6-cup bundt pan. I used a 6-cup pan and it was too full, so you might want to reduce some of the batter in a 6-cup bundt and make a couple cupcakes too, or use a 10-cup Bundt pan. Prepare by spraying it with Pam with Flour or Baker's Joy, or greasing and flouring the pan.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the cocoa powder and hot water into a paste. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. The instructions said the mixture would be lumpy, but I mine was pretty smooth.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
5. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the flour mixture and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Then add the cocoa mixture and mix on low until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened.
6. Beat the mixture on medium speed for an additional minute to aerate the mixture - it will lighten in color.
7. Fold in chopped chocolate to distribute evenly.
8. Pour into pan and bake 40-43 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking process, until wooden skewer inserted in the clear or with moist crumbs. (My cake came over the top and took longer to bake)
9. Remove cake and let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Then invert on the wire rack.
10. Brush the coffee syrup on the warm cake. (I used about 50% of the coffee syrup). Let the cake cool completely.
11. Ganache: Place chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Heat half-and-half or cream in a small pan until it simmers. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes when stir until smooth.
12. Pour warm ganache over cake.