Light Chocolate Bundt Cake
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Yield
Serves 16
Ingredients
Nonstick baking spray with flour 3 ounces (85 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (2 ¼ ounces/64 grams)1 teaspoon espresso powder 1 cup boiling water 1 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 ¾ ounces/248 grams)1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 cups packed light brown sugar (14 ounces/397 grams)½ cup vegetable oil 2 large eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Before You Begin
Although you can substitute natural cocoa for Dutch-processed, the cake won't rise as high. If you don't have baking spray with flour, mix 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon cocoa into a paste and brush inside the pan.This recipe was published in The Best Light Recipe.
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the inside of a standard 12-cup bundt pan with the nonstick baking spray
- Combine the chocolate, cocoa, and espresso powder in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water over the chocolate mixture, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes to melt the chocolate. Whisk the chocolate mixture until smooth, then set aside to cool slightly, about 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
- Process the melted chocolate mixture, sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla together in a food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the batter to a large bowl.Sift half of the flour mixture over the batter and gently whisk in. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and continue to whisk the batter gently until most of the lumps are gone (do not overmix).
- Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top. Wipe any drops of batter off the sides of the pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 50 to 55 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking (do not overbake).
- Transfer the cake to a wire rack and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack and cool completely, 1 to 2 hours. When cool, dust with confectioners’ sugar (if using).
Yield
Serves 16Ingredients
Nonstick baking spray with flour
3 ounces (85 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (2 ¼ ounces/64 grams)
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 cup boiling water
1 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 ¾ ounces/248 grams)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups packed light brown sugar (14 ounces/397 grams)
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Ingredients
Nonstick baking spray with flour
3 ounces (85 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (2 ¼ ounces/64 grams)
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 cup boiling water
1 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 ¾ ounces/248 grams)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups packed light brown sugar (14 ounces/397 grams)
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Ingredients
Nonstick baking spray with flour
3 ounces (85 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (2 ¼ ounces/64 grams)
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 cup boiling water
1 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 ¾ ounces/248 grams)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups packed light brown sugar (14 ounces/397 grams)
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Why This Recipe Works
We discovered a few ways to lighten our chocolate Bundt cake recipe while retaining the rich chocolate flavor. First, we replaced some of the chocolate with cocoa powder, which has less fat per ounce. Then we mixed the cocoa with hot water to bloom its flavor and used a little espresso powder to accentuate the overall chocolate flavor. Finally, we replaced the butter with vegetable oil and used water in place of milk. Both substitutions helped bring out the chocolate flavor.
Before You Begin
Although you can substitute natural cocoa for Dutch-processed, the cake won't rise as high. If you don't have baking spray with flour, mix 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon cocoa into a paste and brush inside the pan.This recipe was published in The Best Light Recipe.
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the inside of a standard 12-cup bundt pan with the nonstick baking spray
- Combine the chocolate, cocoa, and espresso powder in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water over the chocolate mixture, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes to melt the chocolate. Whisk the chocolate mixture until smooth, then set aside to cool slightly, about 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
- Process the melted chocolate mixture, sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla together in a food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the batter to a large bowl.Sift half of the flour mixture over the batter and gently whisk in. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and continue to whisk the batter gently until most of the lumps are gone (do not overmix).
- Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top. Wipe any drops of batter off the sides of the pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 50 to 55 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking (do not overbake).
- Transfer the cake to a wire rack and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack and cool completely, 1 to 2 hours. When cool, dust with confectioners’ sugar (if using).
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