D is for Dessert

Dessert. I love that word. This weekend we're having a get together for Easter, and I'm going to try and commandeer the kitchen. Which might be harder than it sounds what with having my family all in town means 2 extra adults plus a couple of big kids around plus 3 little kids running around in circles.

But I digress.

My real purpose for posting about Dessert today is to post a favorite recipe. I recently made this cake for church potluck and it's quite amazing. I'm not a huge cake person, gravitate more towards pies and icecream and the like, but this cake was different for two reasons:

#1 - Chocolate. I'm sold

#2 - Super dense AND moist to boot.

I love heavy dense cakes like pound cakes etc. This baked up so lovely and heavy and chocolatey - I can't wait to make it again.

Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake
(adapted from Williams Sonoma)


For the cake:

1 cup cocoa powder, sifted, plus more for dusting pan
7 1/2 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (semisweet chips work well)
1 cup boiling water
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
20 Tbsp. (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
5 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

For the ganache:

6 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream

Have all the ingredients at room temperature.

Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a Bundt Cake Pan and dust with cocoa powder; tap out the excess.  *I used "Pam for Baking" LOVE IT. Works super well, just makes sure to coat the inside of the pan really well.

To make the cake, in a bowl, combine the 1 cup cocoa powder and the chocolate. Add the boiling water and whisk until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth and blended. Set aside.

Over a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 30 to 45 seconds. Reduce the speed to low, add the brown sugar and beat until blended. Increase the speed to medium and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating until incorporated before adding more and stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla until incorporated, about 1 minute.

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream and beginning and ending with the flour, beating just until blended and no lumps of flour remain. Slowly pour in the chocolate-cocoa mixture and beat until no white streaks are visible, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading the batter so the sides are about 1 inch higher than the center. *This recipe makes more batter can can fit in the bundt pan - make sure to leave that 1 inch of space from the top of the pan - use the rest for cupcakes or something*  :)
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached to it, 60 to 65 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool upright in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert the pan onto the rack and lift off the pan. Let the cake cool completely, at least 1 hour.

Return the cooled cake to the pan. Using a serrated knife, gently saw off any excess cake that extends over the edge of the pan. Set the wire rack on a parchment paper lines baking sheet. Invert the pan onto the rack and lift off the pan. (I skipped this step).

Meanwhile make the ganache: In a heatproof bowl, combine the chocolate and butter. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream just to a boil. Immediately pour the cream over the chocolate and butter. Whisk until the melt and the mixture is smooth.

Pour the ganache over the top of the cake, allowing the ganache, to drip down the sides. Let the cake stand until the ganache is set, at least 15 minutes.

Serves 16 (or more depending on your slice size)

*what it should look like - this is not my cake...I'm thinking this time I'm going to go all funfetti on mine and get it all springy looking.