Chocolate Bundt Cake
Dear Friends,
Trust me when I say this will be the best and most effortless birthday cake you ever serve, and I have proof!
Last week my friend, Donna, and I needed a cake for a good friend’s birthday, but we had very little time between golf, a speaker we wanted to hear, and the birthday dinner. A grocery store cake seemed like the most sensible option, but neither of us liked that solution. Thankfully, Donna is fearless and efficient! When on the golf course, I suggested the Chocolate Bundt Cake, page 219, Donna jumped right on it. In less than two hours she went to the grocery for the ingredients, prepared the cake, and was dressed and ready for the evening. My proof that this cake is easy!
Proof that the cake is also good is that everyone at dinner loved it and could not stop talking about it even into the text thread the next morning. We gave the leftovers to one of the girls having houseguests for the weekend — see quote above!
Thank you Carolyn Gaskin for giving me this recipe years ago … still the best and easiest cake!
Chocolate Bundt Cake
Serves 12–16 Carolyn Gaskin
INGREDIENTS
CAKE
1 15.25-oz box chocolate cake mix
1 3-oz pkg instant chocolate pudding
½ cup sugar
¾ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup water
4 eggs
8 oz sour cream
6 oz mini chocolate chips
2 tbsp dark rum
Chocolate sauce, optional
Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, optional
DIRECTIONS
Mix cake and chocolate pudding mixes. Add oil and water. Mix.
Beat in eggs one at a time. Add remaining ingredients. Grease the bundt pan and pour batter into pan.
Bake at 350° for 50–60 min. Cool.
To serve, remove cake from pan to slice. You may top with chocolate sauce and fill with center with berries; both are optional.
DEEDEE’S NOTES
- Recipe may be prepared earlier in the day or 2–3 days in advance. Cool completely and cover. Add chocolate sauce and berries prior to serving, optional.
- For chocolate sauce, I recommend Stonewall Kitchen, plain or one of their flavored sauces. To make your own, see Basics.
- For an extraordinarily moist cake, I recommend Duncan Hines Decadent Triple Chocolate Cake Mix. Add all three packets from the cake mix to the Bundt Cake recipe.
CHOCOLATE SAUCE 
10 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tbsp butter, cut up
¾ cup light corn syrup
⅓ cup sugar
⅓ cup heavy cream
⅓ cup water
Pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
In a double boiler or microwave, melt chocolate and butter.
In a small saucepan, simmer corn syrup, sugar, cream, water, and salt, stirring frequently for approx 4 min. Cool mixture for approx 2 min. Whisk in chocolate mixture and add vanilla.
Serve warm.
DEEDEE’S NOTES
-
Recipe may be prepared earlier in the day or up to 2 weeks in advance. Chill in airtight container. Warm to serve.
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