Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

This delicious recipe comes from Cooks Illustrated and is a favorite of mine (and my husband and friends). Their recipe suggests serving it with whipped cream and raspberries which is very tasty. However, I am planning to frost it instead the next time I make it as whipped cream does not hold up well over time (we've never polished off the entire cake in one sitting so there are usually leftovers to be eaten over a few days) and the cake feels lacking without some sort of decadent accompaniment.

Serves 12 to 14

Ingredients

Cake Release

  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa
Cake
  • ¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa (2 1/4 ounces)
  • 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
  • ¾ cup water (boiling)
  • 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
  • 1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), room temperature
  • 2 cups light brown sugar (14 ounces)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 5 large eggs, room temperature
  • Confectioners' sugar for dusting
Directions

1. FOR THE PAN: Stir together butter and cocoa in small bowl until paste forms; using a pastry brush, coat all interior surfaces of standard 12-cup Bundt pan. (If mixture becomes too thick to brush on, microwave it for 10 to 20 seconds, or until warm and softened.) Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. FOR THE CAKE: Combine cocoa, chocolate, and espresso powder (if using) in medium heatproof bowl; pour boiling water over and whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature; then whisk in sour cream. Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda in second bowl to combine.

3. In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, beat butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, mixing about 30 seconds after each addition and scraping down bowl with rubber spatula after first 2 additions. Reduce to medium-low speed (batter may appear separated); add about one third of flour mixture and half of chocolate/sour cream mixture and mix until just incorporated, about 20 seconds. Scrape bowl and repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining chocolate mixture; add remaining flour mixture and beat until just incorporated, about 10 seconds. Scrape bowl and mix on medium-low until batter is thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.

4. Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan, being careful not to pour batter on sides of pan. Bake until wooden skewer inserted into center comes out with few crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes.

5. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert cake onto parchment-lined wire rack; cool to room temperature, about 3 hours.

6. Dust with confectioners' sugar, transfer to serving platter, and cut into wedges; serve with Tangy Whipped Cream and raspberries, if desired.

I'll try to remember to take a picture next time I make this as it's quite pretty - the bundt pan makes a nice mold.

1 comment:

I love makeup said...

Love this cake its so pretty to look at and so tasty. Its worth the effort to make it.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake

This delicious recipe comes from Cooks Illustrated and is a favorite of mine (and my husband and friends). Their recipe suggests serving it with whipped cream and raspberries which is very tasty. However, I am planning to frost it instead the next time I make it as whipped cream does not hold up well over time (we've never polished off the entire cake in one sitting so there are usually leftovers to be eaten over a few days) and the cake feels lacking without some sort of decadent accompaniment.

Serves 12 to 14

Ingredients

Cake Release

  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa
Cake
  • ¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa (2 1/4 ounces)
  • 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
  • ¾ cup water (boiling)
  • 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
  • 1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), room temperature
  • 2 cups light brown sugar (14 ounces)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 5 large eggs, room temperature
  • Confectioners' sugar for dusting
Directions

1. FOR THE PAN: Stir together butter and cocoa in small bowl until paste forms; using a pastry brush, coat all interior surfaces of standard 12-cup Bundt pan. (If mixture becomes too thick to brush on, microwave it for 10 to 20 seconds, or until warm and softened.) Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. FOR THE CAKE: Combine cocoa, chocolate, and espresso powder (if using) in medium heatproof bowl; pour boiling water over and whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature; then whisk in sour cream. Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda in second bowl to combine.

3. In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, beat butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, mixing about 30 seconds after each addition and scraping down bowl with rubber spatula after first 2 additions. Reduce to medium-low speed (batter may appear separated); add about one third of flour mixture and half of chocolate/sour cream mixture and mix until just incorporated, about 20 seconds. Scrape bowl and repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining chocolate mixture; add remaining flour mixture and beat until just incorporated, about 10 seconds. Scrape bowl and mix on medium-low until batter is thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.

4. Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan, being careful not to pour batter on sides of pan. Bake until wooden skewer inserted into center comes out with few crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes.

5. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert cake onto parchment-lined wire rack; cool to room temperature, about 3 hours.

6. Dust with confectioners' sugar, transfer to serving platter, and cut into wedges; serve with Tangy Whipped Cream and raspberries, if desired.

I'll try to remember to take a picture next time I make this as it's quite pretty - the bundt pan makes a nice mold.

1 comment:

I love makeup said...

Love this cake its so pretty to look at and so tasty. Its worth the effort to make it.