Deep Chocolate Be Mine Bundt for #BundtaMonth

This one is for all of you folks who don’t have a Bundt pan.  Since this is the month of love and Valentines’ Day, I wanted to show you how you could get on the Bundt love train, without an actual Bundt pan.  I’ll be honest, this was an experiment but I am delighted to say it worked beautifully and you can now go forth and create Bundts in confidence.

The BundtaMonth theme for February is, of course, chocolate.  How could it be anything but?

Since it's the month of love and all, I chose to experiment using my heart pan because nothing says I love you like chocolate in the shape of a heart, am I right?  I followed these directions over on ehow with the addition of pie weights wrapped in parchment paper in the middle of my well-buttered ramekin.  I figured the weights would help hold the ramekin down in the batter and the parchment was insurance against the possibility of ruining my pie beads if the molten batter did flow over into the ramekin.  I’ve got photos below, so scroll on down to see how it worked.

Ingredients
For the cake:
1/2 cup or 115g unsalted butter, plus more to butter the pan and the ramekin
1/3 cup or 30g cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup or 125g flour, plus more for coating the buttered pan and ramekin
1 cup or 225g sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
1/4 cup or 60ml sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Bundt filling and decorating:
1 cup whipping cream
Small container (about 4 1/2 oz or 125g) of raspberries or other pretty red berries.  Yes, red.  Don’t argue.

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Butter the inside of your pan and the outside of the ramekin, thoroughly.  Now flour the inside of the pan and the outside of the ramekin.  If you are using a silicon pan, put it in the center of a metal cookie sheet.  Put the ramekin in the center of your pan.  Wrap your pie weights or some dried beans in a piece of parchment paper and tuck them into the ramekin.  Your makeshift Bundt pan is now ready for business.

In a microwavable glass bowl, add a half cup or 120ml of water to the salt and butter and sift in the cocoa powder.

Microwave for 20 or 30 seconds at a time, whisking in between, until the butter is melted and the cocoa has been incorporated.  Set aside.

In a larger bowl, mix together your flour, sugar and baking powder and baking soda.  Pour in the melted butter mixture and whisk until completely blended.  It will be very thick and look more like brownie batter at this point.

Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until completely blended before adding the second egg.

Whisk in the sour cream and vanilla until smooth.

Pour your batter into the prepared pan and bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Remove the parchment with the pie weights and let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes.  Run a toothpick around the edge of the ramekin to loosen it.   Carefully lift the ramekin out of the hole.  Invert the cake on your baking tray and then turn it right side up again on your serving plate to decorate.

And, yeah, I know it's not all rounded and Bundt-like except for the hole but next time I am going to be more brave and try a deeper pan and more batter with a small metal mixing bowl in the middle to see how that works.

When the cake is completely cool, whip one cup of cream to stiff peaks.  Pile the cream in the hole of the cake and decorate with fresh red berries.  Serve each piece with some of the cream and a few of the berries.

Happy February and enjoy!

Have a look at all the other lovely chocolate Bundts we’ve baked for February below!   And here are just a few simple rules for joining up:

- Simple rule: Use chocolate - and bake us a Bundt for February
- Post it before February 28, 2013.
- Use the #BundtAMonth hashtag in your title. (For ex: title should read #BundtAMonth: Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt)
- Add your entry to the Linky tool below
- Link back to our announcement posts.

Chocolate Berry Bundt Cake by Heather from Hezzi D's Books and Cooks

Chocolate Bundt Cake with Balsamic Strawberry Sauce by Alice from Hip Foodie Mom

Chocolate Chobani Bundt Cake by Carrie from Poet In The Pantry

Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake by Holly from A Baker’s House

Chocolate Mini Bundts with Matcha Flowers by Kim from Ninja Baking

Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Bundt Cake by Anita from Hungry Couple

Chocolate Rocky Road Bundt Cake by Tara from Noshing With The Nolands

Chocolate Turtle Bundt Cake by Kim from Cravings Of A Lunatic

Deep Chocolate Be Mine Bundt by Stacy from Food Lust People Love

Double Chocolate Swirled Bundt Cake by Laura from The Spiced Life

Chocolate Peanut Butter Layered Bundt Cake by Karen from In The Kitchen With KP

Red Wine Chocolate Bundt Cake with Mascarpone Whipped Cream by Kate from Food Babbles

Sour Cream Chocolate Bundt Cake by Renee from Magnolia Days

Quadruple Chocolate Bundt Cake by Dorothy from Shockingly Delicious

Vanilla and Chocolate Marble Bundt Cake by Anuradha from Baker Street

White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake by Paula from Vintage Kitchen