Triple Chocolate Mini Bundts #Bundtamonth

Deep chocolate mini Bundt cakes covered in semi-sweet and white chocolate then sprinkled with silver dragees are pretty, but not too pretty to eat!

How does one celebrate the one-year birthday of the Bundt-a-Month challenge?  Well, by baking more Bundts, of course.  My daughter and I were discussing this month’s “fancy” theme for this first anniversary, and she suggested that I didn’t need a fancy Bundt at all, just stick a flowering plant in it!
  After all, that was good enough for an engagement celebration on My Big Fat Greek Wedding. 

Anybody else LOVE that movie?  I could watch it over and over.  Just as funny each time.

While I acknowledged the truth in that, I wanted to make something pretty, something special.  So it had to be chocolate.  Dark chocolate.  And white chocolate.  And with silver balls.  Because those have always said PARTY to me, even if they do want to break your teeth.  They are like sprinkles for grownups.

When it came time for decorating, I couldn’t decide on a pattern so I just went a little crazy, drizzling on both chocolates and having a wild time.  I don't know when to stop, but more is more, right?  No two little Bundts are alike, but they sure looked pretty all together.  Like I imagine a dessert table set out with all the BundtaMonth Bundts would look, if we could ever get them all in one place.  Maybe for the second anniversary?   Make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom to see what my fellow bloggers have baked for you, along with our hosts, Anuradha from Baker Street and Lora from Cake Duchess.

The batter for these little cakes is slightly adapted from Molly Wizenburg’s recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes in her fabulous book, A Homemade Life.

Ingredients
For the cakes:
2 oz or 55g dark chocolate
1/2 cup or 120ml hot brewed coffee
1 cup or 225g sugar
3/4 cup flour plus 1 tablespoon for preparing pan
1/2 cup or about 40g unsweetened cocoa powder, plus 1 tablespoon for preparing pan
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup or 60ml canola oil
1/2 cup or 125g well stirred plain yogurt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For decoration:
8 oz or 230g semi-sweet chocolate
4 oz or 115g white chocolate
1 tablespoon (or more!) dragees or little silver balls

Method
Preheat oven to 325°F or °C.  Prepare your mini Bundt pan by spraying it liberally with non-stick spray or generously buttering it.  Put one tablespoon each of flour and cocoa powder in a sieve or sifter and sprinkle all over the pan, tipping it this way and that to make sure that all the insides of the little cups are covered.  Bang the pan gently on the cabinet and dump the excess out into your sink.  Set aside.

Chop the chocolate for the cake into small pieces and put it into the measuring cup with hot coffee.  Stir occasionally until the chocolate is completely melted.

Into a medium bowl, sift the cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Whisk in the sugar and flour.   Set aside.

For the best batter, electric beaters or a stand mixer with the K-beater in place is essential here.  In a large bowl, beat your egg on medium for a minute or two or until it becomes pale yellow.  Add in the oil, yogurt and vanilla, once again, beating well.

Gradually pour in the melted chocolate/coffee mixture and beat to thoroughly combine.

Add the dry ingredients all at once.  Beat on low speed until the batter is just combined.

Scrape down the sides and bottom to make sure all the flour is incorporated.

Divide your batter between the cups of your prepared mini Bundt pan, but don’t fill them more than two-thirds full.  If you have a little batter left over, it’s better to make a couple of extra cupcakes instead.  Your tasters will be happy.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Meanwhile, let your helper clean out the yogurt pot before recycling.

Cool your mini Bundts in the pan for about 10 minutes, then place a wire rack on top of the pan and carefully invert the pan and rack so that the little cakes can fall out.  If any don’t fall out, loosen them gently with a knife or toothpick and remove them one by one.

Allow the little cakes to cool completely before topping with melted chocolate.

For the decoration, break up your dark and white chocolate into smaller blocks (or chop if you need to) and put each kind in a separate microwave-proof bowl.  Zap them one at a time on high for 10-15 seconds, then stir and repeat until both of the chocolates are pourable.

You can drizzle these over the mini Bundts with a small spoon but I prefer to put the melted chocolate into cake decorating bags with small tips (Wilton no. 3, 4 or 5) for better control.

Have fun drizzling on the dark chocolate, followed by swirls of the white chocolate.  Sprinkle a few silver dragees in the middle to complete the festive party look.

Enjoy!

                                         

Check out everyone else’s Bundt cakes if you are looking for fancy inspiration:

• Banana-Caramel Bundt Cake by Felice at All That’s Left Are The Crumbs
• Caramel Latte Bundt Cake by Heather at Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Chocolate and Wine Bundt from Holly at A Baker’s House
• Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt Cake by Alice at Hip Foodie Mom
• Devil’s Food Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze by Lora at Cake Duchess
• Hong Kong Chiffon Mini Cakes by Kim at Ninja Baking
• Lemon Frangipane Bundt Cake by Paula at Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Little Bundt Pound Cakes by Renee at Magnolia Days
• Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Bundt Cake by Anuradha at Baker Street
• Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Bundt by Anita at Hungry Couple
• Rose Mini Bundt Cakes by Veronica at My Catholic Kitchen
• Simple Orange Bundt Cake by Kathya at Basic N Delicious
• Streusel Apple Bundt Cake by Laura at The Spiced Life
• Triple Chocolate Mini Bundts by Stacy at Food Lust People Love
• White Chocolate Bundt with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting by Sandra at Sweet Sensations

Since these are fancy little triple chocolate Bundt cakes, I am also submitting them to this month's We Should Cocoa anniversary challenge to create a show stopper, hosted by Choclette of Chocolate Log Blog. 

French Yogurt Cake With Jammy Glaze

A twist on pound cake made with yogurt and glazed with jam or marmalade when baked. Serve with extra jam and yogurt. 

So, I bought another memoir/recipe book on Amazon.  (One-click , oh, One-click, you are trouble.)  You’ve possibly all heard of it:  Molly Wizenberg’s A Homemade Life, born of her wonderful blog, Orangette.

 

Most touching was Italian Grotto Eggs: A simple recipe for the breakfast she served her father as he lay dying in their home, with Hospice care.  The book is dedicated to her father and she shares about him here on her blog. 

Once again, so many recipes bookmarked!  I haven't made anything sweet in a while so we will start with cake.  I liked the idea of the French Yogurt Cake but Molly mentions the original recipe calling for measurements made with the actual yogurt pot in France.  She had translated the measurements into cups for the US market in her book.  You know I had to find the original recipe.  Oh, my goodness, but there are hundreds on the internet!  I ended piecing together several to come up with this.  Moist and beautiful, it tastes oddly buttery, for something that has no butter.

Ingredients

1 cup or 125g all-purpose flour

50g or nearly 1/2 cup ground almonds

2 teaspoons baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 cup or 225g sugar

1 large lemon for zesting

A little less than 1/2 cup or 110g pot plain whole milk yogurt

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup or 120ml canola oil

1/4-1/3 cup or 75-90g citrus marmalade or other tangy jam for topping

Extra yogurt and marmalade for serving (optional)

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and line a bread pan with baking parchment.  (Or butter it liberally.  I just think the parchment is easier.)

Mix your dry ingredients together: the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt, in one bowl.

Zest your lemon into your actual mixing bowl and then add in the sugar.  Mix the zest and the sugar together thoroughly with a fork.

Add the yogurt, eggs and vanilla to the bowl and whisk vigorously or use the K-beater in your electric mixer until it is very well blended. 

Beat or whisk in the dry ingredients, then add in the oil gradually, at a very low speed.

Pour the batter into the pan and drop the pan a couple of times onto your countertop from a few inches high to get rid of the big air bubbles in the batter.

Slide the baking pan into the oven and bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until the cake begins to come away from the sides of the pan. 

While the cake is still hot and in the pan, put your marmalade or jam on top and, as it warms, spread it around.  (I used some jam I made from our own Japanese plum tree last week.  Isn't the color incredible?  All natural, just fruit and sugar!)

Serve it plain or with a spoon of slightly sweetened yogurt and another spoon of marmalade or jam.

Oh, and let your helper lick out the yogurt pot!  He's been so patient.

Enjoy!