Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake

by Barbara on January 20, 2012

Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake

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A rich, dense, super-moist, sweet chocolate bundt cake drizzled with chocolate ganache. Cakes made in bundt pans seem already dressed up for a party. 

This is the tale of two cakes. We celebrated my husband’s and son’s birthdays last week which was the perfect excuse to break in my new half size (6 cup) bundt pans. (I couldn’t decide if I should call them mini bundts, or if that’s confusing with the small bundlets. King Arthur Flour calls them half size bundts so I guess we’ll go with that.)

Of course, when I was looking for bundt cake recipes I turned to the Food Librarian, Queen of the bundt. I stumbled on the impressive looking Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bundt and just had to make it. The recipe made two half sized bundts and I took one to a sweet neighbor. Although bundts look pretty without a glaze, I decided to sweeten it up a bit with the Chocolate Glaze I use on the Good-For-You Chocolate Pound Cake.

However, my son had asked for chocolate cake with fudge frosting and his favorite ice cream is Cherry Chocolate Chip, so peanut butter cake would never do for his birthday cake. When Maria tweeted about the Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake on Shutterbean I knew that would be the perfect cake for him.

Of course most of the family tried a little slice of each cake. The Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake was the favorite. The Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bundt was more impressive looking, but it was less sweet. The chocolate ganache on the Sour Cream bundt tasted richer and creamier, but it didn’t set up as well and I couldn’t cover it with plastic wrap, so I was glad I had used the Shiny Chocolate Glaze on the Peanut Butter bundt I took to the neighbor.

Now that I have the half sized bundts, I plan to make bundts more often for dessert. Since I know some of you don’t like doing math, here’s the half sized recipe for the Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt cake.

Half Size Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake
(recipe adapted from Bi Rite Market’s Eat Good Food Cookbook)
serves 6

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup water
1 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 large egg
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the glaze
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used half milk half semi-sweet chocolate)
1 tablespoons agave nectar (or corn syrup)
1/4 cup heavy cream*
1 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

Preheat to 350º. Spray a 6-cup Bundt pan with baking spray with flour and set aside. (You can also use butter and flour, but I’ve had better luck with bundt pans well coated with baking spray with flour.)

In a small saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa powder, salt, and water and cook over medium heat, stirring, just until melted and combined. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Combined the flour, sugar, and baking soda in a mixing bowl. Add half of the melted butter/chocolate mixture and mix until blended (it will be very thick). Mix in the remaining butter mixture. Add the eggs one at a time. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla until smooth.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then invert onto a rack. Let cool completely before making the glaze.

Make the glaze:

Put the chopped chocolate and agave nectar in a medium bowl and set aside.

Combine the heavy cream and sugar in a small saucepan cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the cream is hot and the sugar is dissolved. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. If it’s very runny, let it sit for a minute or so to thicken*. Drizzle over the cake.

*My glaze hadn’t set up after 30 minutes on the counter, so I put it in the fridge for 30 minutes to thicken. Next time I may use a little less cream.

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{ 70 comments… read them below or add one }

Lisa January 23, 2012 at 7:35 pm

That is the fudgiest looking chocolate bundt I’ve ever seen. Total dessert porn. I love the idea of the half-size bundt pan because although mini-bundts are cute and full size bundts are what I’m used to – half-size seems (in the words of Little Red Riding Hood’ “Just Right” ;) Perfect for 2 to 4 people (probably two in my case).
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Lisa January 23, 2012 at 7:38 pm

OMG..how could I have missed that tunnel of peanut butter cream cheese heaven in the middle?? I think that punches my ticket OUT of the peanut butter club lol
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Cookin' Canuck January 23, 2012 at 8:59 pm

What a lucky family you have, Barbara! Both of the cakes sounds wonderful, but I can’t stop looking at the one with the peanut butter tucked inside. Yum!
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Tracy January 23, 2012 at 9:23 pm

Both of these sound lovely! And I’m totally drooling over that shiny glaze, too. Yum!
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Lorraine Not Quite Nigella January 23, 2012 at 10:27 pm

Mum, I started drooling as soon as I saw the drizzle! Chocolate sour cream is one of my favorite combos- like mum like daughter! ;)

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Barbara January 24, 2012 at 6:14 am

I’m still back on those lemon donuts! :) YUM!
And this is a very chocolaty bundt cake, Barbara. Love that fudge poured all over it. Sour cream makes for such a tender crumb, tool
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Eliana January 24, 2012 at 2:01 pm

I love bundts because they are so easy and no-fuss. This one here looks like the perfect one when you want to indulge in some chocolatey goodness.

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Tracey January 24, 2012 at 7:11 pm

Both of your bundts sound (and look!) amazing Barbara! I love making bundts in my 6-cup bundt pan, they’re so much more manageable in size.
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Kimberly January 24, 2012 at 9:09 pm

I love any food that has chocolate on it. I do love chocolate very much. Thank you for sharing this mouth watering dessert. I want to try this recipe this coming weekend.
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Sue January 25, 2012 at 12:35 am

Both of these bundts are stunners! I’d love to try the one with the p. butter filling:)
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zazacook January 25, 2012 at 6:46 pm

Your pictures are very beautiful. It looks great to taste :D
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Traci January 26, 2012 at 6:32 pm

This is absolutely beautiful! Happy Birthday!
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Tina @ Babycakes Blog January 29, 2012 at 10:21 am

Oh, wow! Both of those cakes look so amazing! I have not seen the half size bundt pans, I have a nice pampered chef bundt pan, but I hardly ever use it, probably because it is way too big! I also have a cute mini bundt type pan and I use that way more often. I might have to try the Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake in that pan sometime.
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Asmita January 30, 2012 at 10:25 am

Hi Barbara,
The cakes look awesome! I love the idea of baking it in individual pans. I am totally craving the chocolate -peanut butter cake. Yummy!!!
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Kellie January 30, 2012 at 5:20 pm

OK so I start by reading your recipe for applesauce, I’m a huge proponent of raw foods and then I see you Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake and I can’t help but click and comment :)
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angela@spinachtiger March 20, 2012 at 6:45 pm

Barbara I made this cake tonight for my neighbors. I was bringing dinner as her husband broke his leg. SO GOOD. AND fast, since I started cooking at 3:30 and hadn’t even thought of dessert. I also put some in individual bundt pan, a real cute way to do a dinner party.
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Barbara March 21, 2012 at 6:20 am

Hi Angela – thanks for letting me know you made and liked the cake. So sweet of you to take dinner to your neighbor.
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