Chocolate Bundt Cake

By KelseyTheNaptimeChef, posted 7 months ago

Photo: Sarah Shatz

Amanda & Merrill's Notes:

If Betty Crocker had a sophisticated, seductive cousin, this would be her signature cake: it's pure deep, dark, fudgy goodness. Because KelseyTheNaptimeChef's cake uses oil instead of butter, plus a fair amount of coffee, it emerges from the oven incredibly tender and moist. In fact, we noted that it has a texture similar to that of a British steamed pudding. The best part is that you can throw this together in 15 minutes, and it will be out of the oven in another 45 -- making your total time to greatness about an hour. - A&M

Knowing my love for chocolate, my friend Hilary made me a version of this cake for my birthday one year. The recipe was inspired by something similar she had tasted in a restaurant during college. I've since made adaptations to her recipe and often take this to friends for special occasions. In the past I've added frosting or glazes, but have come to like it best with just powdered sugar on top.

Serves Bundt Cake

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cups dutch process cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup sour milk
1 cup freshly brewed strong black coffee
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a bundt pan and dust the inside with cocoa powder, set aside.
Sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl. Set aside.
In a mixer on low add the milk, coffee, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla one at a time. mix until everything is incorporated. Then, with the mixer still on low speed, slowly add in the dry ingredients. Once all of the flour mixture is added, mix the batter for a full four minutes on medium speed.
Then, pour the batter into the bundt pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Then, dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Comments (87)Add yours

tynitown 12 days ago: Excellent! I ate it for breakfast!
Lena S. about 1 month ago: I made this cake last weekend and I was thrilled when it looked like the picture ( which is what seduced me in the first place). It was a big hit! I would recommend making it the day before - it was even more moist and delicious on day 2 and 3 (I wrapped it up and stored it in the fridge)
Whats4Dinner 2 months ago: All I can say is Yummmm! Kids love it, adults love it, I made it twice in one week toward the end of school for various occasions.....I've never seen cake disappear SO quickly!!
lapadia 2 months ago: Hi Kelsey, I was MIA from this site for a short time and missed this cake...YUM, can't wait to get the opportunity to make it!
jeneric 3 months ago: Just to add to the general chorus...made this last night, and it was dark and luscious chocolate goodness. Could not believe how incredibly easy it was. The texture is outstanding, soft and melts in the mouth.
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 3 months ago: I am so glad you like it!
drbabs 3 months ago: I made this for a friend's birthday and iced it with Amanda's sour cream--chocolate icing from her chocolate dump-it cake. It was amazing and special with the icing (although it is wonderful without, too)!
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 3 months ago: I love the idea of adding Amanda's frosting, I am a big fan of the Dump-It cake, too, I best it was delicious!
mtrelaun 3 months ago: I've made this twice now (the latest cake is in the oven as I type) and I just wanted to add two things. First, it is incredibly moist and delicious! Second, my bundt pan (which has two parts) leaks during the initial 10 minutes of baking as the batter is very liquidy. I recommend placing a cookie on the lower rack to catch the drips.
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 3 months ago: Yes, the batter is very liquidy, great idea to add a drip pan!
Teri 3 months ago: I made this this week for a friend's birthday and it got rave reviews. I used a cup of whole yogurt instead of buttermilk; it seemed to work fine. i think next time I might scatter some chopped dark chocolate on top of the batter before it goes in the oven. Thanks for the recipe!
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 3 months ago: Mmm, I love the idea of scattering some chocolate on top!
nsmith001 4 months ago: Hi! I'm thinking of making this for my college grad party. 2 questions: to frost or not to frost? And what is a light frosting or glaze you've used that you recommend, ifa ny? And secondly, is the recipe adaptable for a regular cake size pan, in the case that I want to frost and write on it?
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 4 months ago: Hi! Congrats on graduation! I've never made it into a layer cake so I'm not sure how it would go. When I frosted it in the past I used a basic cream cheese frosting. I liked the tang of the cream cheese with the rich chocolate. I also did a chocolate glaze once but personally felt like it was too much chocolate in one bite. A nice vanilla glaze or orange glaze would probably taste really good. Does this help? Good luck, enjoy it!
CarlaCooks 4 months ago: Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful, delicious cake! I've made it three times since I first came across the recipe 2 months ago. I plan on making it for my own birthday cake! I love how dark and moist the cake is, without being achingly sweet. Keep up the excellent cooking!
Susan B. 5 months ago: I was sucked in by the picture but then I read the recipe and realized how similar it is to a cake I grew up on - only that recipe has no eggs! My recipe came from the 1973 American Heart Association cookbook and it has been made so many times the book naturally opens to the page - cocoa spatters and all! The name of that recipe is Black Devil's Food Cake and has similar amounts of flour, sugar, cocoa powder, cooking oil, buttermilk and coffee. It has salt and baking soda but no baking powder and no eggs! The mixture is extremely soupy, as the last step is to pour boiling coffee over the top of the cake batter, but the baked cake is wonderful! It's very moist and has great mouth feel. My family has made it for all of our birthdays since 1973! And today even my kids like it. I can't wait to give this one a try to see how it compares. I'm thinking it will be a little less moist but I'll have to find out!
dymnyno 6 months ago: I accidently submitted a recipe that was on a can of condensed milk (first time using condensed milk) that I thought was my mother's original recipe...I was sooo embarrassed and luckily immediately removed it soon after submittal. I google and do everything I can to make sure that I am not submiting anything that is close to another recipe!
swsos55 6 months ago: Great cake, but I've been making it for years... http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipes/detail.asp?id=4754&page=1&per=25&keyword=black%20magic&omnituresearch=true&rectypecat=
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 6 months ago: Dear Friends, I assure you that this is a case of recipes being handed down from person to person that may have had origins about which I was unaware. I believe that the passing down of recipes often means that something like this occasionally happens - a recipe from one friend is similar to a printed recipe found elsewhere, especially when it has passed through 3 people written on paper and recipe cards. I just got off the phone with my friend Hilary and she described in detail the way this cake started for us - she tasted something at restaurant and the chef gave her a basic ingredient list stating "oil is better than butter, beat the batter for a full 4 minutes, bake in a bundt pan." She worked on the recipe and then gave it to me - we still have our spattered copies. If this was in fact the origin than I assure you I had no idea, we thought it was the chef's recipe but now have no way of knowing where he found it since the restaurant is long gone. I wish I didn't have to write a comment like this, but I assure you I submitted this recipe with the full understanding that Hilary and I had worked out a recipe tasted elsewhere that I thought would be wonderful to share with the Food52 community and nothing more than that. -Kelsey
food52 6 months ago: Here at food52, we want to celebrate recipes and their history. As we note in our “About the Contests” page, recipes often get passed down and the original sources lost. This doesn’t mean that people don’t personalize these recipes, making them their own. The instructions in this recipe are quite different from the Hershey’s recipe, and bear the marks of experience. Recipes are not created out of thin air, but from lots of influences, and we encourage our community to share the stories behind their recipes. Because of the way recipes are shared and passed down, we’re not in favor of public accusations of plagiarism. Obviously, we don’t want plagiarism on the site, and that’s why we have a “Flag” button on every recipe. If you click on this, you can let us know if you’ve seen a recipe before, and this message will be sent directly to Merrill and Amanda, who will look into the situation and handle accordingly. So far, this system has worked very well.
Midge 6 months ago: Sadly, just finished the last slice of this cake. It was ridiculously tasty (with a dollop of barely sweetened whipped cream). Thanks for a great recipe!
saraivry 6 months ago: I made this cake, finally, this weekend and it was a fantastic success (especially two days later with a dollop of coffee ice cream). Thanks for the recipe!
KLL5 6 months ago: I couldn't find any dutch processed cocoa- can I substitute natural, unsweetened cocoa powder and then should I leave out the baking powder and baking soda?
CarynCooks 6 months ago: I was so excited to see this recipe that I went out and bought a bundt pan so I could make it. A Valentine's day present to myself! I do plan on sharing the cake, however.
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 6 months ago: That is an excellent valentine's day gift! :)
Jennifer Ann 6 months ago: Nice bundt! I made this for friends last night and it was so perfectly moist and chocolaty. Will definitely make again.
wanderash 6 months ago: Congratulations Kelsey! This looks really fantastic.
melissav 6 months ago: Congrats! Looks like you are making a clean sweep of all the sweet contests. :-)
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 6 months ago: Thanks! And congrats to you, too! Clearly my sweet tooth and my love of baking are on full display here at food52!
EmilyMcKhann 6 months ago: Congratulations, Kelsey! The cake looks beautiful (your photography too) and I can't wait to make this for my family. They're going to love it!
Feeding the Saints (A. C. Parker) 6 months ago: Congratulations, Kelsey! Brava! I love the cake, love you for entering it here on Food52... despite the gazillion extra calories in my week. This recipe's gonna get a lot of mileage.
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 6 months ago: THanks! I hope you enjoy it, it is definitely worth the calories!
spinthebottleny 6 months ago: Congrats!
bakingwithluv 6 months ago: Delicious - great flavor and texture. Wonder if it will be even better tomorrow..... it took more like 30 minutes to make batter, but it was worth it. is buttermilk a reasonable substitute for sour milk? and have you ever added some semi-sweet choc chips for texture. thanks for a great bundt cake for chocolate lovers!
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 6 months ago: I've toyed with the idea of adding mini-chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate, I bet it would be great! I think buttermilk might work as well as sour milk, but I've never done it before.
Maria Teresa Jorge 6 months ago: YES! You did it! Well done, congratulations! It's a terrific recipe of which I have become a fan! Really really good. Well done Kelsey, I am very happy for you, you really deserve it!
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 6 months ago: Thanks Maria! I am so glad you like it and have added it to your repertoire!
nannydeb 6 months ago: Congratulations! It's a delicious cake!
Mardi@eatlivetravelwrite 6 months ago: Kelsey - congratulations! Wonderful recipe!
THEToughCookie 6 months ago: This cake sounds divine. MUST try. Have you tried it as a layer cake or just as a bundt? Either way, it really sounds good. VERY good. Happy to vote for it.
sarahdecker 6 months ago: I made this cake yesterday with soy milk because it was all I had in the house and it turned out great. I added a little lemon juice and yogurt to sour the soy milk. Yummy and easy although I think I would frost it next time.
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 6 months ago: That's great to know that soy milk will work. Thanks for letting us know!
liamoran 6 months ago: Kelsey, I love this recipe. This is really wonderful and I know it will be a hit at the party. I realized that I've never cooked with chocolate before so I was a little apprehensive, but this was easy and quick, and people who don't bake often (me) will be successful!
Maria Teresa Jorge 6 months ago: Kelsey, made your cake on Sunday, it's absolutely delicious. Congratulations!
liamoran 6 months ago: I've been asked to bring a dessert for a dinner party on Tuesday. I know I will be short on time, so this sounds like it will be perfect. I can't wait to try it.
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 6 months ago: I am glad the A+M pointed it out, the batter really does come to together quickly so this is a wonderful decadent dessert to make when you don't have a lot of time to bake. It also looks pretty for serving with the powdered sugar on top, and you can put a fresh dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of good vanilla ice-cream on the side for a finishing touch. Enjoy!
monkeymom 6 months ago: I did something very wrong in making this cake as it really imploded in the middle and started to spill out the edges. But it tastes really great...I'm eating it straight out of the pan and can't stop!
monkeymom 6 months ago: Okay, I think I figured out my mistake. I used about 1/2 cup creme fraiche and 1/2 cup whole milk instead of the 1 cup 'sour milk'. I assume the vinegar in the sour milk has some reaction with the soda which my concoction lacked. Thought it might be useful for others to know.
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 6 months ago: I've had baking implosions when experimenting with recipes, too! In this case, this recipe definitely needs an acidic component for the leavening which is the reason for the sour milk. I make sour milk using plain vinegar, but a lot of people use the lemon juice method which is equally as successful. I am glad it still tasted good, though!
monkeymom 6 months ago: I'm happy to report that I made a second one that turned out just fine. Took it to a dinner party and everyone enjoyed having a slice (or two) with sweetened whipped cream.
BadgerBakery 6 months ago: Am settling in to bake this as Snowpocalypse descends on Washington DC. Will it fuel us through shoveling out from 30" of snow? Stay tuned...And on a practical note, do I have to cool the "freshly brewed coffee" before using it? Guess I'll find out.
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 6 months ago: Sorry to reply so late! Let it cool so it is warm, but not to hot, like you would if you were to be able to sip it. It doesn't have to be room temp. Good luck and enjoy the snow! :)
Oui, Chef 6 months ago: Kelsey, This reminds me of a recipe I've made for years as my kids' favorite layered birthday cake, the oil, buttermilk, coffee and gads of cocoa powder making for a moist, rich and delicious chocolate bomb. I'm so happy to now have this scaled down and more "adult" version to try. Thanks!
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 6 months ago: Chocolate bomb is an excellent description. I hope you enjoy this version, too!
drbabs 6 months ago: Kelsey, what I love about this recipe is that it's almost as simple as using a boxed cake mix, but much more delicious.
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 6 months ago: Thanks! Yes, it is a relatively simple cake which has always been part of the appeal to me. You really can throw it together pretty quickly!
Maria Teresa Jorge 6 months ago: Kelsey, congratulations, the cake looks super simple and now with Amanda's and Merril's description, I am really tempted to try it this weekend. Well done you.
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 6 months ago: Thanks Maria!
Daphne 6 months ago: this is such a versatile cake!I love it! Am assuming you add the sugar with the rest of the dry ingredients.... I ask because my mother in law used to make something similar, but with 1/2 c butter instead of oil and boiling water instead of coffee. Also in hers there was no baking powder. She'd cream the butter,sugar,eggs and vanilla first, then add cocoa, salt, flour and sour milk( she used vinegar like you do). When all of the above was well blended she'd add the 1c boiling water to which the baking soda had been added. She baked hers in a 9x12 pan and frosted with cream cheese frosting once cooled.It wasn't as pretty as yours but easy to cover or transport to a picnic etc...
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 6 months ago: What an interesting technique! Yes, add the sugar with the dry ingredients.
hope.thurman 6 months ago: Such a great rainy day cake! and it just happens to be raining here..hmmm!
MrsWheelbarrow 7 months ago: Kelsey - This is just beautiful. I can't wait to try it this weekend. (A perfect snowstorm cake!)
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 6 months ago: Thanks Cathy! I hope you enjoy it, and the snow as well. :)
Naked Beet 7 months ago: This looks super easy and delicious with the coffee. 2 cups of sugar??? Does that mean this is super sweet or does that amount offset the amount of coffee that's in here? I'm really curious to try this out in my springform pan...no bundt pan in the house.
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 7 months ago: The coffee and sour milk offset the sweetness a bit, it sounds like a lot of sugar but it really balances out. I've never made it in a springform pan, I hope it holds all of the batter. Do you have a tube pan? That would work just as well.
nannydeb 7 months ago: I'm going to try your recipe this weekend! Yum!
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 7 months ago: Thanks! I hope you enjoy it. And many congratulations to you too, your recipe looks amazing!
TasteFood 7 months ago: Congratulations, Kelsey, this is a lovely recipe!
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 7 months ago: Thanks so much!
Feeding the Saints (A. C. Parker) 7 months ago: Congrats on making the finals. I had a feeling when I saw this entry... good things were in store. Good luck! I know I'll be baking this soon. I have another cake recipe that uses coffee to boost the flavor, and it's yummy. With A&M's stamp of approval, I'm sure this one is fabulous.
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 6 months ago: Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy it!
Jennifer Perillo 7 months ago: Looks incredibly delicious. You'd think I'd be tired of chocolate a marathon week of testing them for my husband's birthday cake, but that's not the case!
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 7 months ago: LOL! I still love that picture of your daughter staring at the cake... it's kind of the way I look at this cake when it comes out of the oven! Have fun with the birthday celebration, I'm sure his cake will be amazing!
sweet enough 7 months ago: yum. this looks like a winner Kelsey!
Maria Teresa Jorge 7 months ago: Kelsey, waht a brilliant cake. Fantastic. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
mariaraynal 7 months ago: Oh, sounds lovely. My mom and I used to make a similar cake when I was growing up, except we added chocolate chips to the batter and left the top plain. Loved that cake!
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 7 months ago: Chocolate Chips would be a great addition to this!
TasteFood 7 months ago: How about using buttermilk? I love the simplicity of this cake. It's elegant and not too sweet. Might have to bake one today!
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 7 months ago: @LaureYee and @Tastefood - I've never tried buttermilk but I think it might have a similar effect as sour milk. I also agree, one of the things I like about this cake is that it is not overly sweet.
LauraYee 7 months ago: I think the sour milk interacts with the baking soda and helps with the levening. I have made many a chocolate cakes, searching fruitlessly with the perfect recipe and I have to say this one looks pretty fabulous. Can you use buttermilk? Too bad all you can find these days is the skim kind. Ick.
dymnyno 7 months ago: What is sour milk? Is it milk gone bad or milk with lemon in it? If it is the former do you leave it out of the fridge???
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 7 months ago: I make sour milk by putting 1 t. plain vinegar in a cup of whole milk. then let it sit at room temp for about 10 minutes until it starts to curdle, then you can use it for baking. Do NOT use spoiled milk from the fridge!! :) There are other ways of making sour milk - perhaps A+M can weigh in on those - but this method has always worked for me.
ChezSuzanne 7 months ago: You can also use 1 t. lemon juice in a cup of whole milk and let sit until the curds develop - about 10-15 min. I think the reason you do this is the eggs, when in a batter that also incorporates milk or cream, need a certain acid level in the batter to set up so you have a cake instead of pudding. I don't know what the acid level needs to be but am assuming that's why it calls for sour milk instead of regular. Some recipes address this by using yogurt. Kelsey-this looks like a wonderful recipe! I'm definitely going to try it. Thanks for posting.
dymnyno 7 months ago: Thanks...I wasn't really serious about the milk left out in a warm room to go bad...I thought that it was lemon added to milk...
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 7 months ago: Thanks @ChezSuzanne, the milk addition of the acid to the milk definitely has to do with levening. Glad to know the lemon juice trick works well, I've heard of it but haven't done it myself.
lastnightsdinner 7 months ago: Wow, Kelsey, that looks gorgeous.
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 7 months ago: Thanks! It's a dangerous picture though, posting it today made me want to make the cake again soon...