Chocolate and Coffee Bundt Cake

Intense and moist, I think these are the two words that describe this coffee and chocolate bundt cake, whose recipe has been tested and revised to bring you an exceptionally tender and moist cake, full of flavor and ideal for starting the day or accompanying your afternoon coffee.

If you've never tried making a coffee cake before, I definitely encourage you to start with this recipe. Despite incorporating only a small amount of its star ingredients, you enjoy their intensity in every bite.

75 years of Nordic Ware

Nordic Ware celebrates 75 years and does it in style! To kick off the celebration of its 75 years of history, the brand specializing in bundt-style molds has launched two beautiful new molds that combine the shapes of its tradition (we can't help but think of its popular Heritage mold), while adapting to very modern and timeless lines.

They've named this new mold Braided, and its shape reminds us of a braid, symbolizing unity and strength, two values that have undoubtedly been part of the brand's journey to reaching 75 years of history.

The new Braided design is available in two formats: the traditional 12-cup bundt format (it's a large bundt mold), or as individual small cakes, which you can see as the Braided Bundtlelette.

To debut the mold, we bring you an intense recipe that combines two great lovers, coffee and chocolate. You surely won't want to miss this chocolate and coffee Bundt cake.

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 130 ml freshly brewed coffee
• 50 g + 230 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 90 g couverture chocolate
• 230 g granulated sugar
• 4 XL eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 310 g cake flour
• 200 ml whole milk

For the chocolate ganache:

• 2/3 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (150 gr)
• 1/3 cup cooking cream

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. Prepare the Braided Nordic Ware Bundt mold with baking spray, use a pastry brush to evenly coat the entire interior of the mold.
3. In a saucepan, add the coffee, the 50 g of butter and the chocolate, and heat over low heat, stirring until the butter melts and all the ingredients are incorporated, obtaining a thick dark liquid. Stir so nothing sticks and remove from heat when ready. Let it cool down.
4. In the KitchenAid mixer, mix the remaining butter (the 230 g at room temperature) with the sugar, at speed 4 using the whisk attachment, until you obtain a light and airy mixture.
5. Add the vanilla, continuing to mix.
6. Add the eggs, beating each one lightly before adding it. Add them one at a time, and do not add the next until the previous is incorporated. Keep mixing at all times.
7. Using the KitchenAid sifter, add the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda to the mixture. The sifter adds them progressively. Meanwhile, add the milk as well. If you don't have the sifter accessory, add the flour little by little, alternating with the milk, until everything is incorporated and you have a homogeneous batter.
8. Finally, add the chocolate and coffee mixture, which should have cooled. Mix until homogeneous.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared mold. Tap the mold gently on the countertop to help release air from the batter (after a few taps, you'll see some bubbles on the surface of the batter).
10. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the Nordic Ware thermometer indicates it's done.
11. When the cake is baked, let the mold cool for 10 minutes before inverting it onto the cooling rack. That rest is important because this is a very tender cake and it will break otherwise. After unmolding, also wait before handling it or it will break.

For the chocolate ganache:

1. Heat the cooking cream in a small saucepan until it begins to bubble lightly. At that moment, pour the hot cream over the chocolate in a glass bowl or another heatproof container. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then whisk until smooth. Pour the ganache over the cake once it has completely cooled and serve.

Notes

• This cake, without topping, is really delicious as well. Just prepare it and dust with icing sugar on top.
• Because of its coffee and chocolate flavor, if you serve it with whipped cream it's a truly winning combination.
• You can add some nuts, like chopped almonds or hazelnuts on top; they also pair wonderfully.
• We used the new Nordic Ware mold but you can use other brand molds of 12 cups -that is important, because with the quantities in this recipe you get a large cake.