Gateau de Sirop – Cajun Cane Syrup Cake #BundtBakers

Gateau de sirop - syrup cake - is a Cajun sweet treat made with Steen’s cane syrup, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Its tender crumb is so full of flavor! And the aroma as it bakes? Divine.

The whole area around the town I was born was, and still is, sugar cane country. In fact, New Iberia, Louisiana even hosts the Sugar Cane Festival each year on the fourth weekend in September. (Not this year though, of course, due to COVID.) The festival celebrates the crop that was first planted by Jesuit priests for their own use back in 1751, near what is now New Orleans. Farmer Etienne deBoré planted his first crop in 1794 and the economy of south Louisiana changed forever.

Here's a fact you may not know about sugar cane: It's a grass. That means that when the crop is cut down, it continues to grow! New seed cane is planted regularly to replenish the stocks and to introduce variety but some cane plants can be several years old and still produce good cane.  

For all of my growing up years, during sugar cane season, my grandfather would come home with several long stalks of cane. We’d all sit outside on the back steps and he would use a sharp pen knife to peel the cane and cut it into small pieces we could chew on. 

As we bit down, the fibrous cane would release the sweetest juice, some of which would always ending running down my chin, especially if my piece of cane was big. I often ended up a sticky mess but it was so worth it!

My mother’s mother grew up not far away in Abbeville, Louisiana, home of Steen’s cane syrup which is still made the old fashioned way, by cooking cane juice down until it’s thick and rich. Nothing else is added.

Gateau de Sirop – Cajun Cane Syrup Cake

If you’ve been reading along here for a while, you might have seen my other grandmother’s copy of the Steen’s recipe booklet when I shared her fig preserves recipe. This recipe was adapted from one in that booklet. But you can also find it online. From their website comes this baking tip as well: Measure the oil first, then use the same cup to measure the syrup. The thin layer of oil remaining in the cup will help the syrup pour right out of the cup without clinging. 

Ingredients

2-3 tablespoons butter for greasing the pan

1/2 cup or 120ml canola or other light oil

1 1/2 cups or 355ml Steen’s Pure Cane Syrup, plus extra for drizzling on the baked cake, if desired

1 large egg

2 1/2 cups or 313g all-purpose flour, plus extra for flouring the pan

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2  teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 cup or 180ml boiling water

Method 

Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C. Prepare a 10-cup Bundt pan by coating it with butter and then dusting it with flour. This is a sticky cake so you want to be generous with this step. Mine stuck at the bottom and I regretted choosing my Nordic Ware fleur de lis pan to bake it in. A less intricate pan would probably release more easily. I did finally manage to get it out, as you can see, but it wasn’t easy!

In a large bowl, combine the oil, syrup and egg. 

Carefully whisk to blend thoroughly. If you are too vigorous as you start whisking, the oil tends to fly around and outside of the mixing bowl. Ask me how I know. 

Measure flour, spices and salt into another bowl and sift them into the cake bowl. Again, whisk to blend.

 

Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water then stir this mixture into the batter. 

Pour the batter into your prepared pan. 

Bake 50-55 minutes or until springy to the touch and a wooden skewer comes out clean. 

Remove the gateau de sirop from the oven and place it on a rack to cool for a few minutes. 

Loosen the edges with the wooden skewer and then invert it on a cake plate. Drizzle with a little extra syrup, if desired.

When cool, slice to serve.

Enjoy!

It’s the third Thursday of the month so that means it’s Bundt Bakers time. As you might guess from the recipe titles, we are sharing cakes made with syrup. Check them out below. Many thanks to our host, Sue of Palatable Pastime for this fun theme!

• Apple Cider Syrup Bundt by Palatable Pastime
• Apricot & Golden Syrup Bundt by Sneha's Recipe
• Banana Bundt with Arequipe Syrup by patyco candybar
• Gateau de Sirop - Cajun Cane Syrup Cake by Food Lust People Love
• Root Beer Bundt by A Day in the Life on the Farm

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

Pin this Gateau de Sirop!

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Coffee Ice Cream Bundtlettes #BundtBakers

With just four ingredients you can turn coffee ice cream into these delicious Coffee Ice Cream Bundtlettes. Or use your favorite flavor.

Since it’s so dang hot outside, it’s a challenge to serve ice cream firm so for this month’s Bundt Bakers, we are making the best of melted ice cream and turning it into cake!

I’ve made homemade ice cream in the past so I know it often starts with a custard, which means it’s made with eggs and milk and butter. But before our Bundt Bakers host proposed this theme, I had never really considered that those ingredients are a shortcut to cake batter. 

A little googling revealed a plethora of cake recipes made with melted ice cream! Who knew? Most of them called for two ingredients: ice cream and cake mix. Not that I have anything against cake mix but we all know that when one of your ingredients is cake mix, that’s kind of cheating on the whole two ingredient thing since cake mix is just paying someone else to measure out flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, etc. 

Fortunately there were also quite a few recipes made from scratch! Seriously google it. So many melted ice cream cakes! Now you know what to do next time the freezer quits on you. Or it's just summertime.

Coffee Ice Cream Bundlettes

This cake can be made with any flavor of ice cream you have on hand, as long as it is full cream and not low fat or non-fat. This is cake, after all! This recipe is adapted from one on Hebbar’s Kitchen. 

Ingredients

2 cups or 370g full cream coffee ice cream

1 1/2 cups or 190g flour, plus a little extra for the pan

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Butter, to grease the pan

Optional for decoration and extra coffee flavor:  

1/2 cup or 90g espresso chips

Optional to serve: 6 scoops of coffee ice cream 

Method

Set your oven to preheat at 350°F or 180°C and prepare your Bundtlette pan by buttering and flouring it. Set it aside. (As you will see in photos to come, I used my mini 6 1/2 cup Nordic Ware Classic Bundtlette pan that makes six small Bundt cakes.)

In a large mixing bowl, use your stand mixer or electric beaters to beat the ice cream briefly. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt. 

Beat until thoroughly mixed to form a thick batter without any little lumps. 

Spoon the batter into your prepared pan and smooth out the top. 

Bake the bundtlettes in your preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out clean. (If you use one larger capacity Bundt pan, your cake could take a bit longer to bake.) 

Leave to cool in the pan for about five minutes, then loosen the sides of the little bundtlettes with your wooden skewer and turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

When the little cakes are cool, melt the espresso chips in a microwave-safe vessel with a couple of quick zaps in the microwave. I do 10 seconds, then stir. Another 10 seconds, then stir. Depending on your microwave you may need a few seconds more.

Drizzle the melted chips or use a piping bag to decorate the cooled cakes. 

I served these with a scoop of coffee ice cream on top! You might want to do the same. No pictures of that because it was late and dark after dinner. Sorry!

Enjoy! 

It’s the third Thursday of the month and that means it’s time for Bundt Bakers. Check out the delicious melted ice cream cakes we are sharing below! Many thanks to our host, Sue of Palatable Pastime for this fun theme! 

• Melted Ice Cream Bundt Cake by Palatable Pastime
• Coffee Ice Cream Bundtlettes by Food Lust People Love
• Strawberry Ice Cream with Cream Bundt Cake by patyco candybar
• Melted Blueberry Ice Cream Cake by A Day in the Life on the Farm

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

Pin these Coffee Ice Cream Bundtlettes! 

 .

Piña Colada Bundt Cake #BundtBakers

A delicious treat of the tropical cocktail in cake form, this Piña Colada Bundt Cake is made with pineapple, coconut cream and, of course, rum. It is brushed after baking with a coconut pineapple rum syrup/glaze.

Once upon a time, a boy and a girl got married. He wanted to surprise her with the honeymoon so he only said, pack for a beach holiday. So she did. But the funny thing is (and it wasn’t so funny back then) the suitcases went to the Bahamas and the couple went to Barbados. Which was a big surprise for everyone. 

They consoled themselves by ordering cocktails by the pool where they could sit around in the hotel bathrobes and gift shop I 💙  Barbados t-shirts. Many, many, MANY consoling piña coladas were consumed before the suitcases turned up four days later. And they lived happily ever after. 

I’d say “The End” but there’s cake to come!  A tender, pineapple-y, coconutty cake with rum. Read on. 

Piña Colada Bundt Cake

For your canned pineapple, buy the kind in juice, not syrup, so you’ll have the necessary juice for the coconut pineapple rum syrup/glaze. This recipe is adapted from one on Real House Moms. It makes one 6-cup Bundt cake. 

Ingredients

For the cake batter: 

1 1/2 cups or 190g flour, plus extra for preparing the Bundt pan

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup or 100g sugar

1/3 cup or 75g softened butter, plus extra for preparing the Bundt pan

1 egg

1/2 cup or 120ml coconut cream

1 1/2 teaspoons aged rum 

1/2 cup or 90g chopped, canned pineapple, drained juice reserved

For the coconut pineapple rum syrup/glaze:

3/4 cup or 150g sugar

1/4 cup or 60ml pineapple juice

1/4 cup or 60ml dark rum

3 tablespoons coconut cream 

Optional for decorating:

a few good pinches sweetened flake coconut

diced canned pineapple

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C. Generously butter then flour a 6-cup Bundt pan. 

In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add the egg and beat until well mixed.

Add the rum and coconut cream and mix until incorporated.

Tip the pineapple bits in the flour bowl and stir them around till they are coated with flour.  Now add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and beat until the batter is light and glossy. 

Spoon the batter into the Bundt pan and even out the top with a spatula. 

Bake for 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Meanwhile, make the coconut pineapple rum syrup. Cook the sugar, pineapple juice and rum together in a small pot over a medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and it has reduced by about one half. 

Take the pot off the heat and leave the mixture to cool. It will thicken up more as it cools. 

Whisk in the coconut cream.

Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes then remove cake from pan and cool completely.

Brush with the cake with the syrup/glaze. I spooned the syrup/glaze over the cake to start with but a lot just dripped off despite how thick it was so brushing it on seemed to work better. Keep brushing it on as the syrup/glaze soaks in. You may not use all of the syrup/glaze.

Decorate with a little sweetened flake coconut and bits of the canned pineapple, if desired. 

Enjoy! 

This month my Bundt Bakers are all sharing boozy Bundt recipes. Check out the links below. Many thanks to our host, Sneha of Sneha's Recipe. 

• Caramel & Rum Upside Down Pineapple Bundt Cake by Sneha's Recipe
• Coffee Liqueur Bundt Cake by Patyco Candybar
• Lemon Rum & Coconut Bundt by Sweet Sensations
• Mojito Bundtlets by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Piña Colada Bundt Cake by Food Lust People Love
• Rum Cake by Passion Kneaded

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.
Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

Pin this Piña Colada Bundt Cake! 

 .

Passionfruit Pound Cake #BundtBakers

Tart and sweet with a tender crumb, this passionfruit pound cake is topped with an equally flavorful passionfruit glaze.

As I said when I shared my lemon drizzle version, pound cake is one of the most dependable cakes you can make for any party or occasion. It’s simple but elegant and everybody likes it.

You can gussy it up by serving pound cake with fruit or a scoop of ice cream on the side but I think a simple glaze is perfection, especially if it complements the flavor of the cake, like this one does. 

If you are fortunate enough to find fresh passionfruit in your local market at a reasonable price, scoop the pulp out and freeze it in an ice cube tray for storage in a freeze bag or airtight container. You’ll thank me later when it’s out of season and expensive!

Passionfruit Pound Cake

I use my Nordic Ware 6-cup anniversary Bundt pan (<affiliate link) for this twist on a classic pound cake but feel free to use your favorite. 

Ingredients

For the cake batter:

1 1/2 cups or 190g all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup or 125g plain yogurt

1/4 cup or 60ml fresh passionfruit pulp

1 1/4 cups or 250g granulated sugar

1/2 cup or 113g unsalted butter, softened, plus more for buttering the pan

3 large eggs

For the passionfruit glaze:

3/4 cup or 95g powdered sugar

1 tablespoon fresh passionfruit pulp

1 teaspoon milk, plus a drop or two more, if the glaze is too thick

Method

Preheat your oven to 325°F or 163°C. Lightly butter and flour a 6-cup Bundt pan. 

Scoop the seeds out of your passionfruit with a spoon. 

Strain out the seeds from your passionfruit pulp and then put a spoon or two back in. I like the look of them, but too many make their crunch unwelcome. 

Whisk together your yogurt and passionfruit pulp in a measuring bowl and set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together your flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. This incorporates air in the mix and saves you from needing to sift the dry ingredients.

With electric beaters or in your stand mixer, beat the sugar and butter until they become pale yellow and fluffy.

Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add in the eggs, one at time, beating briefly, until each is incorporated.

Add half of the flour mixture along with half of the yogurt mixture. Beat at low speed until just incorporated.

Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula then repeat the process with the other half of each mixture, beating again on low until just mixed. Pour or spoon the batter into your prepared Bundt pan and smooth out the top.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes, checking it about three-quarters of the way through. If the top is browning too quickly, cover it with foil for the remaining baking time.

Remove from the oven when a wooden toothpick comes out clean and the sides are pulling away from the pan slightly.

Leave to cool for about 10 minutes then invert the Bundt pan on a wire rack. 

Cool completely before drizzling with glaze.

To make the passionfruit glaze, mix the powdered sugar and the passionfruit pulp until all the sugar has dissolved. Spoon on to the cooled cake. 

Enjoy!

This month my Bundt Baker friends are celebrating fathers everywhere with beautiful Bundts! Many thanks to our host Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. 

• Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Carrot Cake Mini Bundt
• Sneha's Recipe: Date and Walnut Bundt Cake
• Magical Ingredients: Eggless Basundhi Bundt Cake 
• Making Miracles: Fresh Apple Bundt Cake 
• Palatable Pastime: Lemon Raspberry Marbled Bundt Cake 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Oreo Bundt 
• Food Lust People Love: Passionfruit Pound Cake Bundt 
• Patyco Candybar: Sangria Bundt Cake 

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.
Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

Pin this Passionfruit Pound Cake!

.

Snickers Bundt Cake #BundtBakers

This Snickers Bundt Cake is rich and super chocolate-y with a tender crumb. The Snickers pieces sink to the bottom of the pan while baking which means the top of the cake is full of them! Pour yourself a cold glass of milk and enjoy a large slice!

This month our Bundt Bakers host is Patricia from PatyCo Candy Bar and since May is the month we celebrate mothers, she encouraged us to use Mom’s favorite candy bar as inspiration or an ingredient to bake our Bundts. What a lovely idea!

I sent my mom a quick text, “What’s your favorite candy bar?” fully expecting her to say Heavenly Hash, a marshmallow confection with almonds, covered in chocolate. Honestly it’s the only candy bar I can ever recall her eating. Since the Elmer's brand (her favorite) are only available during the Easter season (and in Louisiana - where they are made) Mom usually has a supply in the deep freezer for when a craving comes on the rest of the year. 

You are probably ahead of me here since I’ve named this post Snickers Bundt Cake. That was indeed her surprising response. 

Snickers Bundt Cake

If you search “Snickers Cake” there are all sorts of recipes online but I kept this simple, making a devil’s food cake batter and just adding Snickers to that. It got several thumbs-up from family and friends. 

Ingredients

2 cups or 250g flour

2 cups or 400g sugar

3/4 cup or 90g natural unsweetened cocoa powder 

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup or 240ml canola or other light oil

1 cup or 240ml milk

1 cup or 240ml coffee - cooled but not cold

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

12 mini Snickers bars (3 1/2 oz or 100g by weight if you are cutting up larger bars) plus extra to decorate if desired

Method

Preheat oven to 375˚F or 190°C. Thoroughly grease a 10” Bundt pan and coat it with cocoa.

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut the mini Snickers into six pieces each.

 

Add them to the dry ingredients and stir to coat so that they don’t stick together.

In a separate large bowl add the oil, milk, coffee, eggs and vanilla. Whisk to create a rich batter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Fold until well combined.

Pour the cake batter into your prepared pan.

Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Leave the cake to cool for about 10 minutes in the pan and then run your skewer around the outside and middle of the cake to loosen it. Turn it over onto a wire rack to continue cooling. 

If you are using Snickers to decorate the edge of the cake, cut the mini Snickers in three slices, like a loaf of bread and put them around the outside. Ideally do this when the cake is still a bit warm. The Snicker pieces will start to melt slightly. As they do, press them into the cake so they’ll stick. 

Leave to cool completely before cutting in slices to serve. 

Enjoy! 

Check out all the wonderful candy bar Bundt cakes! Many thanks to our host, Patricia 

• Almond Joy Inspired Bundt Cake from Magical Ingredients
• Coconut Slice Bundt from Sweet Sensations
• Hershey's Chocolate Almond Bar Bundt from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Hershey's Cookies'n'Creme Bundt Cake from Patyco Candybar
• Nuggle Mini Bundt Cakes from Passion Kneaded
• Snickers Bundt Cake from Food Lust People Love
  
  

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

Pin this Snickers Bundt Cake! 

 .

Coca-Cola Bundt Cake #BundtBakers

This Coca-Cola Bundt Cake is moist and delicious, a bit of Southern tradition in the shape of a Bundt, perfect for your next get-together, family celebration or picnic. 

The traditional Southern Coca-Cola cake is usually baked in a 9x12 in or 23x31mm rectangular pan, and is very similar to a Texas Sheet Cake. For this month’s Bundt Bakers theme of caffeinated cakes, I decided to make one in a Bundt pan instead.

I did debate with myself about the wisdom of such a move because Coca-Cola cake is normally served straight out of the pan it’s baked in. I did wonder if it would turn out of a Bundt. Turns out that my fears were justified.

So, a little word of advice: Do not skimp on the buttering and flouring of the pan for this cake or you might struggle to turn it out nicely. Mine stuck a little bit but I managed to get it successfully unstuck with a thin rubber spatula. 

Since we are still isolating for the most part, I made a small cake in my favorite 6-cup Nordic Ware anniversary pan. Feel free to double the batter for a 12-cup pan (and, of course, increase the baking time) if you have a large family. 

Coca-Cola Bundt Cake

Because this is cake, after all, don’t even think about using diet or zero Coke. It would also be sacrilegious to use Pepsi. As my daughters would say, fight me. 

Ingredients

For the cake batter:

1 cup or 200g granulated sugar

1 cup or 125g all-purpose flour, plus extra for the pan

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 can (6 oz or 177ml) regular Coca-Cola (not Diet or Coke Zero)

1/4 cup or 57g unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan

1/4 cup or 30g unsweetened natural cocoa powder

1/4 cup or 60ml buttermilk

1 large egg, at room temperature

For the Coca-Cola glaze:

1 cup or 125g confectioners' sugar, sifted 

2 to 3 tablespoons Coca-Cola 

Optional for decorating:

Haribo cola bottle sweets

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C, butter and flour a 6-cup Bundt pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, baking soda and salt. 

In a small saucepan over a low heat, melt the butter with the Coke and cocoa. Bring it to a simmer, stirring occasionally until the butter is melted and the mixture is completely combined and warm. 

Fold the warm mixture into the flour/sugar mix, until just combined. If there's still a little flouring showing, that's just fine. 

In a small bowl, whisk the egg and buttermilk until blended. Quickly whisk a couple of tablespoons of the thick batter into the eggs. Add two more tablespoons, still whisking briskly. 

Now add the egg mixture to the batter and whisk to combine.

Pour the batter into your prepared Bundt pan.

 Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean.

Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for about 15-20 minutes. Run your clean wooden skewer around the sides of the pan and then invert it on a serving plate. 

Leave to cool completely before drizzling on the glaze. 

To make the glaze, sift the powdered sugar into a mixing bowl to remove any lumps. Add Coca-Cola a tablespoon at a time until you get a good pouring or drizzling consistency, depending on how thick you like it. You may not use all of the Coke. (Guzzle the rest of the can - baker's privilege.)

Once the cake is completely cooled, pour or drizzle the glaze over it. I like to use a piping bag with a small tip to make the drizzle more controllable but that’s not essential. Decorate with Haribo cola bottle sweets, if using. 

Enjoy! 

As I mentioned above, this month’s Bundt Bakers theme is caffeinated cakes. Many thanks to our host, Rebekah of Making Miracles for her behind-the-scenes work and the fun theme. Check out the other caffeinated Bundts below: 

• 7 Up Bundtlets by Sweet Sensations
• Caramel Macchiato Mini Bundts by Magical Ingredients
• Coca-Cola Bundt Cake by Food Lust People Love
• Coffee and Baileys Individual Bundts by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Coffee Chocolate Bundt Cake by Making Miracles
• Dirty Chai Mini Bundts by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Espresso Chocolate Bundt Cake by Patyco Candybar
• Ginger & Lemon Green Tea Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze by Patty's Cake
• Marble Coffee Bundt by Sneha's Recipe
• Vietnamese Coffee Bundt Cake by All That's Left Are The Crumbs

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

Pin this Coca-Cola Bundt Cake! 

 .

Chocolate Brandy Cake #BundtBakers

Both rich and somehow also light, this chocolate brandy cake with black pepper and cloves gets better and better each day! And that glaze! Perfection.

This recipe was further adapted from one I found on Cooking @ The New York Times with an introduction explaining that it was adapted for their publication from a recipe created by a pastry chef named Dol Miles. 

Of course, I had to look up Chef Miles. I discovered that she is the executive pastry chef for Frank Stitt’s three restaurants in Birmingham, Alabama and that growing up in Bessemer, Alabama, the chef learned to cook and bake from her mom, Cora Mae, and her aunt, Queen Ester Harris, who spent a career working in a school cafeteria.

A three-time James Beard Award finalist, Chef Miles was named Outstanding Pastry Chef by the James Beard Foundation in May 2018. It really thrilled me that a chef who initially learned her skills at home and not at a culinary institute won! By all accounts, her nominations and award are very well deserved. 

Chef Miles is known for taking southern classics like coconut pecan cake, sweet potato pie and bourbon-glazed pound cake to another level for fine dining, where a single slice will set you back nine dollars. I have no idea if some version of her boozy chocolate cake is served at the restaurants but it sure should be. The original called for whiskey and was served with a dusting of powdered sugar. I decided to kick it up a notch with VSOP brandy and a chocolate brandy glaze.

Chocolate Brandy Cake with Chocolate Brandy Glaze

Since I was baking this Bundt cake for a “celebrating love” theme, I used my Nordic Ware Elegant Heart pan. (<affiliate link) Unfortunately, this cake is so tender that it didn’t want to come out of the narrow part of the pan at the top of the heart. I suggest you use a traditional Bundt pan without a lot of nooks and crannies where the cake can get stuck to avoid this problem. 

Ingredients

For the cake batter:

3/4 cup or 170g unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, plus more for buttering pan 

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons or 85 grams unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups or 355ml brewed strong coffee

1/2 cup or 120ml brandy

1 cup or 200g granulated sugar 

3/4 cup or 150g light brown sugar

2 cups or 250 grams all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 3/4 oz or 78g dark chocolate candy bar, chopped (I used Ghiradelli 72% cacao.)

For the chocolate brandy glaze:

2/3 cup or 130g semisweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons corn syrup

1 tablespoon brandy

Method

Preheat your oven to 325°F or 163°C. Liberally butter a 10-cup Bundt pan and dust it with 1-2 tablespoons cocoa powder, as needed.

In a large pot over low heat, warm the coffee, brandy, butter and remaining cocoa powder, whisking occasionally, until butter is melted. The batter for the cake will be mixed completely in this pot so make sure you use one that will be big enough for all of the ingredients. 

Whisk in sugars until dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper and cloves. 

In another bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the eggs and vanilla. 

Pouring slowly, whisk about a 1/4 cup of the warm chocolate mixture into the eggs.

Now slowly whisk egg mixture into chocolate mixture. 

Add dry ingredients and whisk to combine. 

Fold in the chopped chocolate bar.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan. 

Transfer the Bundt pan to the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes. I also like to carefully turn the pan around about two-thirds of the way through the baking time so the cake browns more evenly. My oven has hotter and cooler spots and I find a rotation is helpful. 

Set the cake pan on a wire rack to cool.

To make the chocolate brandy glaze: Place the chocolate chips, butter, corn syrup and bandy in 2-cup microwavable measuring cup. Microwave uncovered on medium (50% power) for 1 to 2 minutes or until the chocolate chips have softened and the glaze can be stirred smooth.

Loosen the sides and middle of the cake with a toothpick and invert the pan on a serving plate. Hope the cake falls out nicely. If not, remove the stuck pieces and pop them back in their rightful positions on top the cake. Pour the chocolate brandy glaze over the cooled cake. 

Enjoy!

As mentioned above, this month's Bundt Baker theme is "celebrating love" which isn't just for Valentine's Day, of course. Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. Check out all the Bundt cake links: 

• Chocolate Brandy Cake by Food Lust People Love 
• Chocolate Mayonnaise Bundt With White Chocolate Ganache by Sneha's Recipe 
• Death by Chocolate Bundt Cake by Palatable Pastime
• Ferrero Rocher Bundt Cake by Magical Ingredients 
• Full of Love Chocolate Bundt Cake by Making Miracles
• Heart Healthy Chocolate Pumpkin Bundt by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Here's My Heart Amaretto Bundt by Sweet Sensations
• Love & Chocolate Beet Bundt Cake by Patyco Candybar 
• Persian Love Cake, Bundt-Style by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

Pin this Chocolate Brandy Cake! 

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