Wickedly Chocolate Bundt Cake with Fudge Frosting

Holy wow this cake is good!  Seriously, it is the most dense and intense chocolaty cake I've ever baked.  The fudge frosting is killer. I couldn't stop eating it--I may even have licked the pan once or twice :)  Okay, not really, that would be gross.....right?

I made this cake to take to work for Boss Man's birthday. He is a chocolate fan and one of those people who doesn't like frosting --just really good dark chocolate cake.  I am kind of the opposite in that I really like frosting and the cake is merely a vessel to carry the frosting to my lips.  Yes, I am that person who always requests the frosting heavy corner piece of cake, too.

I believe this cake recipe is a keeper just in the fact that after Boss Man ate his cake he then entered my office wide eyed and asked how on earth I got that cake so intense.  "HA, winner winner chicken dinner" I said to myself! Must be the espresso powder...or all the eggs...or the really dark cocoa powder.  Whatever, it all just works. Trust me on this.

BTW, I used the Hershey's special dark cocoa powder.  I've tried all kinds of cocoa powders from fancy pantsy and expensive to some obscure chef's choice.  I always end up back with the Hershey's. To me, it really is the darkest and most intense.  

CAKE
Yield = One 12-cup bundt cake

1TBL cocoa powder
1TBL butter, melted

3/4C cocoa powder
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
1tsp espresso powder
3/4C boiling water
1C sour cream

1 3/4C flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

3/4C butter, at room temp
2C brown sugar
1TBL vanilla
5 eggs, at room temp

1.  Stir together the 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 tablespoon cocoa powder.  Using a pastry brush coat the entire interior of the bundt pan.  

2.  Add together cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and espresso powder in a medium bowl.  Add the boiling water and whisk until everything is melted and smooth.  Set aside to cool, then whisk in the sour cream.

3.  In another bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt.

4.  Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).  Add eggs until well combined.

5.  Add 1/3 of the flour mixture until combined, then half the chocolate mixture.  Repeat with another 1/3 of the flour mixture and the remaining half of the chocolate mixture.  Finally, add the last of the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated.  Be sure to stop and scrape down the sides often along the way.

5.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

6.  Bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes.

7.  Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning out the cake onto a wire rack. Let cake cool 3 hours before frosting.

FUDGE FROSTING
yield = 2 cups

1/2C butter
1/2C cocoa powder
1/3C evaporated milk
3 3/4C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

1.  In a small saucepan combine the butter, cocoa powder and evaporated milk.  Bring to a boil and add the salt, vanilla and powdered sugar.  Whisk until smooth--about 30 seconds.  This frosting will begin to harden quickly so be ready to pour!

2.  Immediately pour over your cake!

bundt!

Enjoy!


**adapted from the Brown Eyed Baker

Cow Pie Cookies

 

Hi Ho Hi Ho back to work I go.  Yep, after a lovely long week of vacation fun with The Bellman, I have returned to a full inbox and a stack of partially handled requests. It was a fantastic week filled with all of our favorite things --eating, shopping and exploring. A week didn't seem to be enough (does it ever??) and we are already planning our next adventure.

Let's talk about these Cow Pie Cookies.  These really are just chocolate, chocolate chippers and are affectionately known around the office as cow pies.  They taste much better than they look, trust me!

 

Fudgy and dense with crispy edges and a chewy center.  The chocolate lovers loooove them.  As a self confessed dough eater I have to admit to eating more than my share right from the bowl, too. One of my favs!  The key is to mix up the chocolate. Some semi sweet and some 60% chocolate works for me.  

I made a second batch of dough today just to play around with flavors.  I'm calling this creation Black Forest cookies. I substituted 1C semi sweet chips, 1C white chocolate chips and 1C dried cherries for the 3 cups of chocolate chips.  Very tasty!  The Bellman gave them two thumbs up :)

CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
YIELD: 24 COOKIES

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp baking soda

2 sticks butter, softened

1C sugar

1C brown sugar

2 eggs

1TBL vanilla

1/2C cocoa powder (unsweetened)

3C chocolate chips (I like to mix it up and usually use 2C semi-sweet and 1C 60% Ghirardelli chocolate chips)

 

 

1.  In a medium bowl combine flour, salt and baking soda.

 

2.  In mixing bowl cream together butter and both sugars.  Add eggs one at a time. 

 

3.  Add in vanilla and cocoa powder. 

 

4.  Add flour mixture and mix until just combined.

 

5.  Fold in chocolate chips.

 

6.  Bake at 375 for 11 minutes.

 

7.  Let cool on baking rack for 2 minutes before moving to cooling rack.

Enjoy!