Saturday, February 14, 2015

Dark Chocolate Strawberry Bundt Cakes


Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I had this very special dessert in mind for this lovely day. Dark chocolate bundt cakes with ganache and a strawberry whipped buttercream- oh so decadent and fudgy!

When I was visiting California over the summer, my mom and I tried the legendary Nothing Bundt Cakes store and their cakes were absolutely amazing! I've always wanted to try my hand at mini bundt cakes, but I was so always too afraid. This is the first time I've tried them, and I was so terrified they would stick to the pan and it would be a disaster! But they came out easily and beautifully, and I'm so happy with how they turned out! They are truly easier to prepare than it seems. 

I used my chocolate cupcake recipe for the cakes, but to make them even more decadent for the occasion, I used the Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder. It truly gives the cakes a richer taste, and I would highly recommend using it. 

This strawberry whipped buttercream is so sweet and lovely, and pulls together all the flavors perfectly. Make sure you use cold butter and cold whipping cream straight out of the refrigerator, and never combine one cold and the other at room temperature, as the substance will curdle due to the combination of mixed temperatures. Trust me, you do not want this; the frosting will turn out horrible! For the strawberry puree, simply pulse a few strawberries in a blender.

Also be sure to let the ganache cool before drizzling it onto the cakes, as it would otherwise slide right of the cakes.

These cakes are truly decadent, moist, and rich, and simply perfect for your Valentine's Day dessert, or any dessert really! They are super easy to put together, but definitely impressive.


DARK CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKES WITH STRAWBERRY WHIPPED BUTTERCREAM
YIELD: 6 mini cakes | PREP TIME: 15 minutes | COOK TIME: 18 minutes | COOLING TIME: 25 minutes | TOTAL TIME: 58 minutes

MINI BUNDT CAKES

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup milk
½ cup fresh-brewed coffee

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°F and grease your 6-mini bundt cake pan.

Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla extract and mix together on medium speed until well combined. To this, add the flour mixture and milk in small parts, alternating until well combined. Slowly pour in the coffee and mix until combined, about 1 minute.

Evenly distribute the batter into the each of the bundt cakes and bake for about 16-18 minutes. Prepare the ganache and frosting while cakes are in the oven. When finished, allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack for at least 15 more minutes. 

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Ingredients:

2/3 cup chocolate chips
3 oz heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

Put the chocolate chips into a small glass bowl and set aside.

Place the whipping cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a slight boil. Immediately pour the mixture over the chocolate chips and allow them to sit for a few minutes before stirring. With a whisk or fork, gently stir the ganache until very well combined, about 2-3 minutes.

STRAWBERRY WHIPPED BUTTERCREAM

Ingredients:

¼ cup {½ stick} butter, right out of the refrigerator
¼ cup heavy whipping cream, right out of the refrigerator
1 2/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon strawberry puree

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whip the butter on high for 3 minutes and gradually add the whipping cream, whipping for another 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium and add the confectioners’ sugar, small parts at a time. Add the strawberry puree and vanilla and whip for 1 more minute until nice and fluffy.

Store mini bundt cakes in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

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