Sourdough Chocolate Bundt Cake #BundtBakers

The sourdough starter isn’t an obvious flavor in this sourdough chocolate Bundt cake but the moisture it adds makes this the most tender and light – yet so rich! – chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted.

A couple of years back when I was still living in Dubai, I succumbed to the lure of the sourdough starter. I had just gotten it up and running when a family emergency called me out of the country. I tried to revive it when I arrived back home but, frankly, I had lost the enthusiasm.

Like almost everyone else who has been in lockdown, I thought housebound pandemic mode would be the perfect time to try again, especially when I found instructions on the King Arthur Flour website on how to maintain a tiny starter with fewer discards.

That said, I am often still looking for uses for sourdough discard. Again the King Arthur Flour website came through. I can highly recommend their sourdough crumpets made entirely of discard, a little sugar, salt and baking soda, and their chocolate cake, which I’ve adapted from this recipe.

Sourdough Chocolate Bundt Cake

Sourdough in a cake was a revelation! As they say on the KA website, you don’t taste any sourness, just deep rich chocolate. I added a simple coffee glaze that was absolutely perfect poured on top and sprinkled on a few espresso granules for a lovely contrast in color.

Ingredients
For the cake batter:
1 cup or 227g sourdough starter, ripe (fed) or discard
1 cup or 240ml milk (Do not use skim milk!)
2 cups or 250g unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for the pan
1 tablespoon butter (for preparing the pan)
1 1/2 cups or 300g granulated sugar
1 cup or 240ml vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup or 60g Dutch process cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon instant espresso granules
2 large eggs

For the coffee glaze:
1 tablespoon hot water
2 teaspoons instant espresso granules
1 cup or 125g icing sugar
3-4 teaspoons heavy cream

Optional for decorating: instant espresso granules

Method
In a large bowl, mix together the sourdough starter, milk, and flour. Cover with cling film and leave to rest at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. It will rise ever so slightly and maybe get a few bubbles.

Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare a 12-cup Bundt pan by greasing it with the butter and flouring it thoroughly.

In a separate bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, vanilla, salt, baking soda, cocoa and espresso powder. I used my stand mixer for this but you could just use a whisk as well. The sugar won't dissolve so it's going to be grainy. All good.

Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula and add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the bowl down again after each addition.

Pour the chocolate mixture into the mixing bowl with the starter mixture.

Use a rubber spatula to fold the chocolate into the starter mixture until well combined.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan.

Bake the cake for 45-50 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. If you are a instant read thermometer using person, (and I highly recommend you become one if you are not) the ideal internal temperature is 210°F or 99°C.

Remove the cake from the oven, and set it on a rack to cool for about 10 minutes, then use a toothpick to loosen the sides and middle and invert the Bundt onto the wire rack. Leave it to cool completely before glazing.

To make the coffee glaze, dissolve the espresso granules in the hot water then sift your icing sugar into the same bowl. Stir until completely smooth, adding the cream a teaspoon at a time till you are happy with the consistency. I like it quite thick but still pourable. Spoon the glaze over the top of the Bundt.

If desired, sprinkle on some of the espresso granules quickly so they will stick before the glaze surface dries.

Cut in slices to serve.

Enjoy!

This month my Bundt Bakers are feeling the freedom! Our host Sue of Palatable Pastime chose a very expansive theme: Bake whatever Bundt cake you want and I quote: "Any kind will  do - as long as you think it is delicious!" I am grateful for such an inclusive theme and Sue's behind the scenes work. Check out the wide variety of Bundt cakes we’ve baked for you, guaranteed to be delicious!

• Bundt Butter Tea Cake from Sneha's Recipe
• Buttery Pound Cake from Palatable Pastime
• Lemon Poppyseed Bundt Cake from Making Miracles
• Red Velvet Bundt Cake with Cherries Fruit Topping and Cream Cheese Icing from Pat Y Co. Candy Bar
• Sourdough Chocolate Bundt Cake from Food Lust People Love
• Strawberry Rhubarb Bundt Cake from A Day in the Life on the Farm

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers can be found on our home page.

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