Rich Chocolate Bundt Cake

So I wanted to bake something outstanding for a recent birthday celebration, the recipient is an out and out chocoholic…me!

I figure that it should be something special – this is very important, it should be extremely easy to make and with minimal washing up – which this recipe is.

Also it had the added benefit allowing little hands to help with plenty of chocolate covered spoons to lick.

This cake is alarmingly easy to make, no electric mixers involved, just good old fashioned saucepans and a mixing bowl. The method is simple and there is nothing fancy on the ingredient list.

I love that is isn’t too sweet but so moist and moreish! I promise you that the bundt tin you bought -in my case, at our local German discount store in the reduced to clear basket! – and haven’t really used will come to life with this perfect celebration cake.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients
225g Butter
35g Cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
220ml Water
250g Plain flour
350g Caster sugar
1½tsp Bicarbonate of soda
2 Eggs
140g Sour cream or full fat greek yogurt
1 tsp Vanilla extract

Topping
100g Dark chocolate (minimum of 55% cocoa solids)
125ml Double cream

Method
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas Mark 4.

Grease a 23 x 8 cm (2.8 liters) or 9 x 3 inches (12 cups) bundt tin with butter, shake a little flour into the tin and angle it around so that the flour sticks to the sides of the tin, when the tin is fully coated tip out the excess.

Place the butter, cocoa, salt and water in a small saucepan. Melt over a low to medium heat and stir until the butter is completely melted, do not boil. Set aside to cool.

Place the flour, sugar and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl, whisk to remove the lumps.

Pour half of the melted butter and cocoa mixture into the flour and mix until completely combined, it will be very thick! Add the remainder and combine.

Whisk in the eggs one at a time, add the sour cream/greek yogurt and vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Pour the mixture into the prepared bundt tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Check the cake at 40 minutes, if the skewer doesn’t come out clean give it another 5-10 minutes and check again. Allow the cake to cool in the tin, then turn out onto your serving plate.

Meanwhile make the glaze, place the double cream and the broken chocolate into a small saucepan and melt over a medium heat. Do not boil.

Once the chocolate is fully melted, remove from the heat and allow to cool.

As the glaze cools it will begin to thicken (pictured above) when the cake is completely cool pour the glaze over the cake.

If like me your glaze cooled too much (pictured above) and is not pouring consistency, warm over a low heat until it melts slightly again. Pour it over your cooled and sumptuous cake.