A luscious moist and tender chocolate bundt cake baked in a heart-shaped tin, generously topped with rich glossy chocolate ganache and finished with a generous amount of chocolate sprinkles. This cake is the ultimate sweet treat for Valentine’s Day.
As someone who has frosted countless cakes, I know first-hand how time-consuming the entire process can be—baking, chilling, levelling, and meticulously frosting. My obsession with achieving perfectly smooth sides often meant dedicating a significant amount of time to my cakes.
And this is why I love bundt tins. With their intricate designs, they effortlessly create a beautifully shaped cake straight out of the tin. Using bundt tins ensures a showstopping result with minimal effort—no need for elaborate decorating, just bake, release, and serve!
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, why not bake a rich, moist chocolate cake in a stunning heart-shaped bundt pan? This special touch will add even more love to your celebration!
Why you will love this recipe
It is quick and easy. You don’t need a stand or hand mixer for this recipe. All you need is a bowl and a whisk.
Rich and full of chocolatey flavour. This is thanks to the perfect blend of cocoa powder and melted chocolate. Quality chocolate enhances the flavour.
It’s moist. This chocolate cake is exceptionally moist and stays fresh for days.
This cake requires no decorating- It is drizzled with smooth, silky, and glossy ganache and finished off with chocolate sprinkled.
Preparing your bundt tin for baking
The designs of Bundt tins can make it difficult to remove a cake without it sticking or breaking. There are three ways to prepare your tin to release it smoothly.
- Butter and Flour (Traditional Method)
This classic approach involves greasing the tin with softened butter, making sure to coat every nook and cranny, and then dusting it with flour. The tin should be turned upside down and tapped to get rid of any excess flour. - Cake Release Spray
These specially formulated sprays eliminate the need for flour. Simply follow the instructions on the bottle for the best results. - Cake Goop (Homemade Cake Release)
My personal favourite, cake goop, is easy to make and works exceptionally well. To make it, mix equal parts flour, vegetable shortening (called Trex in the UK) and vegetable oil. Use a hand mixer to blend until smooth. Put it in a container and put it in the fridge for later.
By using one of these methods, you can ensure your Bundt cakes release cleanly every time.
Ingredients for the Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Plain or All-Purpose Flour- This is the structure of the cake.
- Cocoa Powder– Gives the cake it’s chocolate flavour. My favourite cocoa powder is Barry Amber Cocoa Powder Extra Brute .
- Sugar– Caster or granulated sugar adds sweetness and moisture to the cake.
- Espresso Powder-Enhances the flavour of the cocoa powder.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda- Aids in the rising of the cake.
- Salt- Enhances the flavour of the cake and balances the sweetness.
- Eggs- Binds the ingredients together easily and creates a smooth batter.
- Buttermilk – Adds moisture to the cake.
- Unsalted Butter- Adds rich flavour to the chocolate cake.
- Vanilla Extract– Adds flavour to the cake.
- Hot Water- Hot water enhances the chocolate flavour by allowing the cocoa powder to bloom and hydrate fully. It also helps keep the cake moist, soft, and fresh for longer.
How to make the chocolate cake
Preheat the oven to 160°C Fan/180°C/350°F.
Thoroughly grease your bundt pan with non-stick baking spray.
- In a saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over medium heat until melted and smooth.
In a bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl or jug, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and melted chocolate.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.
Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan and place in the oven.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean with a few crumbs sticking to it.
- Place the cake pan on a cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes before removing it from the pan and cooling completely.
Chocolate Ganache
Ganache is a blend of melted chocolate and cream that can be used in various ways: dripped over cake, rolled into truffles or poured over ice cream.
The type of chocolate you choose depends on your taste preference. You can use either, dark, milk or white chocolate. It’s crucial to use high-quality chocolate, as this will greatly impact the flavour of your ganache. The better the quality, the better your ganache will be.
My preferred chocolate for ganache is between 50-55% cocoa content, as it’s not as sweet as milk chocolate and not as bitter as dark chocolate. It’s the perfect balance between sweet and bitter.
You can use chocolate callets (chocolate drops or discs) like Callebaut Callets 54% or chop up blocks of chocolate.
How to make Chocolate Ganache
- Place chopped chocolate into a heat-proof jug or bowl.
- In a saucepan, heat cream over medium heat until just simmering.
- Remove from heat and pour immediately over the chocolate.
- Let the chocolate sit for 2 minutes before stirring with a spatula until smooth and creamy.
- Stir until smooth.
Pour the ganache over the cake immediately or let it sit for 20 minutes until slightly thickened to pour onto the cake.
Before the ganache sets, scatter some sprinkles over the top.
Tips for making this single-layer cake
Sift the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl to combine everything evenly before mixing in the wet ingredients. This helps ensure a smooth batter.
Bring your buttermilk and eggs, to room temperature before baking. The batter mixes evenly when all the ingredients are at room temperature.
Prep your bundt thin making sure to grease every nook and cranny. This allows for easy removal of the cake.
Use high-quality chocolate for the cake as this affects the flavour of the cake.
How to store left over cake
Keep the leftover cake in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
The cake can also be frozen. Let the cool completely before freezing it. Slice and wrap the cake slices in cling film and then put them in a zip lock bag. You can keep the cake in the freeze for up to three months.
To defrost simply transfer your wrapped slices from the freezer to the refrigerator a day ahead of serving.
For more chocolate cake recipe, check these out
Ingredients
Chocolate Bundt Cake
- 180 grams unsalted butter
- 200 grams dark chocolate , 70%
- 3 eggs, medium
- 125 ml buttermilk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 240 grams plain flour
- 60 grams cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon espresso
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 60 ml hot water
Chocolate Ganache
- 100 grams chocolate, 54 %
- 100 ml double or whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160°C Fan/180°C/350°F and position a rack in the centre of the oven.
- Thoroughly spray your bundt pan with non-stick baking spray.
- Add chopped chocolate and sliced butter and melt over medium heat.
- Sift flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- In a jug whisk together eggs, buttermilk, vanilla extract and melted chocolate until combined.
- Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Add hot water and whisk to incorporate.
- Pour batter into the bundt tin and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean with a few crumbs sticking to it.
- Leave the cake to cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a plate or cake stand Let the cake cool completely before adding the ganache.
Chocolate Ganache
- Place chopped chocolate into a heat proof jug or bowl.
- In a saucepan, heat cream over medium heat until just simmering.
- Remove from heat and pour immediately over the chocolate.
- Let the chocolate sit for 2 minutes before stirring with a spatula until smooth and creamy.
- Stir until smooth.
- Pour the ganache over the cooled cake. Before the ganache sets, scatter some sprinkles over the top.
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