This is a great chocolate cake that could be used for more cakes than just a bundt cake, but it's good enough to stand on it's own, served with freshly whipped cream and fruit or lightly iced. It's dense like a pound cake but not too sweet with a great chocolate flavor.
Chocolate Bundt Cake (will serve 12-16)
8 oz (2 sticks) softened unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
5 large eggs at room temperature
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup cocoa powder
2 cups cake flour
3 TBS instant espresso powder dissolved in 1/4 cup of hot water or 5 TBS of extra strong coffee or espresso
3/4 cup buttermilk slightly warm
Pre heat the oven to 335 degrees Fahrenheit. Cream together the butter and vanilla until light and fluffy (at least 5 minutes of mixing by hand or on second speed in a mixer with a paddle attachment). Make sure to stop and scrape the bowl and paddle often. Slowly add in the eggs (and vanilla), one at a time making sure it is completely mixed in before adding the next egg. Sift together the dry ingredients and in a separate bowl mix the buttermilk and coffee. Add 1/3 of the buttermilk mixture to the butter, once mixed in, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Continue alternating until everything is mixed in (you will have added the dry ingredients and buttermilk in 3 additions each). Pour batter into a greased bundt (or tube)pan. Bake at 335 degrees F until done. To test for doneness press on the center of the cake (gently), it should be firm enough to bounce back or if you were to insert a skewer (or toothpick) a few moist crumbs should stick to the skewer. Once the pan is cool enough to hold, turn the cake out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling. This will be good at room temperature for a few days as long as it remains well wrapped or this cake also freezes really well.
