Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake drizzled with silky chocolate ganache. Simple, moist, flavorful, and absolutely scrumptious! Video.

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A delicious recipe for Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake with Blood Oranges and a Chocolate Ganache icing. Simple and scrumptious! | www.feastingathome.com

Hi friends, this is one of the most delicious desserts I’ve ever had –Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake. Truly!  Make it with love in your heart, and it will be magic.

Is it possible to weave a spell of love into the food we cook?  I’d like to believe so. 😉

Chocolate Bundt Cake | 60-sec Video

A delicious recipe for Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake with Blood Oranges and a Chocolate Ganache icing. Simple and scrumptious! | www.feastingathome.com

Ingredients in Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake

  • Cocoa powder
  • Coffee
  • Oranges or  Blood oranges
  •  Orange liquor (or Kahlu)
  •  Butter
  • brown sugar and regular organic cane sugar
  • all-purpose flour ( or fine pastry flour)
  • baking soda
  •  salt
  • eggs
  •  vanilla

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How to make Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake

Butter the bundt pan well (take your time to do this well), then dust with cocoa powder, knocking out excess.

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Heat coffee, orange juice, zest, orange liqueur, vanilla, butter, in a medium saucepan over moderate heat, whisking, until butter is melted, then whisk in a cup of cocoa powder.

Using blood orange juice is a nice option here but if you can’t find them, regular oranges work well too.

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Remove from heat, then add both kinds of sugar and whisk until dissolved, about 1 minute. Let cool.

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While the chocolate mixture cools, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

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Whisk together eggs and vanilla in a small bowl, then, temper the eggs by pouring a little of the melted cocoa butter mixture to the eggs, whisking, a tablespoon at a time, to warm them gradually.

This is known as “tempering the eggs” ( so they don’t turn into scrambled eggs).

 

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After about 4 tablespoons, pour in the egg mixture into the cooling chocolate mixture and whisk well.

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Add the chocolate-egg mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until just combined (batter will be thin and bubbly).
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Pour batter into the greased and cocoa-dusted bundt pan and bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.

Cool cake completely in pan on a rack, about 2 hours. Loosen cake from pan using tip of a dinner knife, then invert rack over pan and turn cake out onto rack.

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Make the chocolate ganache:

Melt the chocolate chips and milk in a small pot over very low heat. Whisk until combined, then pour over the cake.

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Optional: To make the candied blood orange slices – very thinly slice one blood orange.

Place in a pot with one cup water and simmer 20 minutes, until water has reduced to about ¼ cup and orange peel becomes tender. Add in sugar, and stir until dissolved.

Squeeze the juice of the other orange( I used ½) into the mix, and simmer gently for a couple of minutes. Taste, add more sugar if you want. Let this cool. Spoon over the cake after cutting into it, topping with a blood orange slice.

A delicious recipe for Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake with Blood Oranges and a Chocolate Ganache icing. Simple and scrumptious! | www.feastingathome.com

On the homefront: It has been a hard week.  I made this decadent Dark Chocolate Blood Orange Bundt Cake last Saturday, not knowing then how much I would end up needing it in the days to come. The next day, my dad passed away, and piece by piece, this cake has nurtured me all week.

In the end, I loved him. More than I ever thought possible. It took a long time for this to happen, to heal the wounds of childhood, to find forgiveness, and slowly untie the knots in my heart. Our relationship was challenging, the hardest relationship I’ve ever had.

There was a time in my young twenties when I came to the realization, there was no changing this very impossible man, and that I could either choose to love him like he was, or walk away. “But the soul often asks more of us than we plan on giving.”  as James Hollis likes to say.

Something deep inside me knew I needed to stay and figure out how to do this, not for his sake, but for my own, and ultimately for my own deliverance.

And once I made this choice, now almost 30 years ago, it was like the universe stepped in, in its often most comical way, and made sure I followed through.

At every cross-road, circumstances occurred that practically shoved me in the direction of love.

These external circumstances paired with the inner workings of my subconscious, led me down this road of healing, without me being fully aware of it at the time. As I look back now, I see the thread of synchronicity weaving my inner and outer worlds together, and know there is wisdom in the timing of things.

My mother left my father when she was 80 ( an amazing story!) and charged me with his care. My three biggest fears would eventually become realized, that my mom would die, I’d be stuck taking care of my impossible father,  and that I would get a divorce. A perfect storm.

Then, something unexpected happened.  My dad lost his memory. And surprisingly, his ego completely dissolved away and what remained of him was this pure loving presence. He was no longer the man who had to be tip-toed around, his angry side basically evaporated.

At first, it was disturbing, that he couldn’t remember things, which kind of made me angry because I knew he would never again “own” his past, or be sorry for how he treated my mom.  Turns out I was angry about a lot of things. That he lived and my mom died-  of course, I blamed him for that too. Pretty much everything was his fault. 😉

During the next 8 years, I dug up every bone of contention I had with my dad, like I was mining for gold. But every sorrow, every nugget of anger that surfaced was met by his loving presence. He never did say “sorry”, because he had no memory of wrongdoing.  But he knew and remembered me, and met me with love. It was like looking into the face of a child. Innocent.  And surprisingly, each time I saw him, I felt myself slowly letting go of all the pain, bit by bit.  His loving presence was like sunlight, warming and opening my heart.

Today as I write this I feel peace.  I’m sad of course, it feels strange not to have him here. But mostly I feel this huge release like I finally got to the top of Mt. Everest and from here I can finally see the deeper meaning in all of it.

I learned to love him fully (as I could). Flaws and all. I see now how his imperfections were part of a much bigger story- my mother’s story and well as mine. I have never felt so much love pour out of my heart, or so much gratitude, for him. For him being exactly how he was.

I also learned that I can forgive someone, without ever receiving an apology, and that when I do this, it liberates me.  There is huge freedom in this, spaciousness.

Honestly, I feel as if, learning how to love and forgive my father,  has been one of my greatest accomplishments. Perhaps this will resonate with someone out there…

A delicious recipe for Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake with Blood Oranges and a Chocolate Ganache icing. Simple and scrumptious! | www.feastingathome.com

Hope you enjoy this Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake.

Simple, moist, flavorful and absolutely scrumptious!

Sorry for the sad tale….keeping it real.

Love,

Sylvia

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A delicious recipe for Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake with Blood Oranges and a Chocolate Ganache icing. Simple and scrumptious! | www.feastingathome.com

Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 17 reviews
  • Author: Sylvia Fountaine | Feasting at Home Blog
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 50 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
  • Yield: 14-16 1x
  • Category: dessert, sweets, cake
  • Method: baked
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake with a silky  Chocolate Ganache Drizzle. Simple, moist, flavorful and absolutely scrumptious!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus 2 tablespoons for dusting pan
  • 3/4 cup brewed coffee
  • 1 cup orange juice plus zest of two oranges- blood oranges are nice here!
  • 1/4 cup orange liquor or sub-Kahlua
  • 1 cup butter, plus more for buttering pan
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour ( or fine pastry flour), spooned and leveled
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 extra large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 10-inch bundt pan ( 3 quart-4 quart)

Chocolate Ganache Icing:

  • 1 heaping cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup milk (or half & half)

Optional: Candied Oranges and Syrup 

  • 2 oranges (or blood oranges)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 cup sugar

Instructions

  1. Place oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F.
  2. Butter bundt pan very well (take your time to do this well) then dust with cocoa powder, knocking out excess.
  3. Heat coffee, orange juice, zest, orange liquor, vanilla, butter, in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat, whisking until butter is melted, then whisk in a cup of cocoa powder. Remove from heat, then add both kinds of sugar and whisk until dissolved, about 1 minute. Let cool.
  4. While the chocolate mixture cools, mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
  5. Whisk eggs in a small bowl, then, temper the eggs by pouring a little of the melted cocoa butter mixture to the eggs, whisking, a tablespoon at a time, to warm them gradually. After about 4 tablespoons, slowly add this into the cooling chocolate mixture, whisking as you pour.
  6. Pour the chocolate-egg mixture to the flour bowland whisk until just combined (batter will be thin and bubbly). Pour batter into the greased and cocoa-dusted bundt pan and bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.
  7. Cool cake completely in pan on a rack, about 2 hours. Loosen cake from pan using tip of a dinner knife, then invert rack over pan and turn cake out onto rack.
  8. Make the chocolate ganache. Melt the chocolate chips and milk in a small heavy bottom pot over very low heat. Whisk until combined, then pour over the cake.

Notes

  1. To make the syrupy blood orange slices – very thinly slice one blood orange. Place in a pot with one cup water and simmer 20 minutes, until water has reduced to about ¼ cup and orange peel becomes tender. Add in sugar, and stir until dissolved. Squeeze the juice of the other orange( I used ½) into the mix, and simmer gently for a couple of minutes. Taste, add more sugar if you want. Let this cool. Spoon over the cake after cutting into it, topping with a blood orange slice.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 inch slice
  • Calories: 362
  • Sugar: 35.3 g
  • Sodium: 190.1 mg
  • Fat: 17 g
  • Saturated Fat: 10.3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 51.7 g
  • Fiber: 3.1 g
  • Protein: 4.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 53.8 mg

 

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Comments

  1. This was delicious. I had some blood oranges and didn’t know what to do with them and this was perfect. I was really skeptical based on how loose and liquid the batter is, but it really worked and you truly taste the orange in it. I didn’t do the syrup and it wasn’t missed at all. I made the ganache with almond milk, so it never totally hardened but kind of ended up as a rich gooey frosting – thus great! Thanks for a great recipe!






    1. Hi Danielle, I think it should be fine? Baking time may change depending on depth, so you’ll have to check. Just make sure to grease pan well and dust with flour. 🙂

  2. This cake is delicious ? Made it for my boyfriends birthday and he and his office colleagues loved. Will definitely make it again.






  3. This is fantastic — ok so I’ll confess to my errors….I used two teaspoons of instant espresso powder to 3/4 cup water……and I added 1 1/3 cup brown sugar and 2/3 white due to my picking up the wrong measuring cup., I also used dark chocolate (72%) for the ganache based on personal preference….it turned out fantastic….the only change I will make next time is to add blood orange zest into the ganache….(I didn’t do the syrup and didn’t miss it–as this got RAVE reviews)

    Sylvia – I can’t wait to try more of your creations – you are a genius!

  4. your recipe sounds awesome, i am planning to make this and share with some special people in my life.
    thank you so much for sharing the story of your father and your journey, it was a story this lady needed for so many reasons. I have been in a care giver role now for a couple of years and I do know it will end one day with the death of one I love, but as you shared the journey is one that you have to deal with day by day and look for the blessings in the midst. my personal growth. Timing is everything, this post is over a year old but perfect






  5. Your story was so heartwarming and moving. I have a bad relationship with my dad, and I was thinking about cutting ties with him. But your story has made me think that it may be better to try and come to an understanding with him, even if it is the more difficult path now.
    The cake was also delicious, and just what I needed!

    1. I’m glad you enjoyed the cake and the story. I wish you all the best in your journey with your father. I would love to hear more about how it goes.

  6. I am so excited to try this recipe! I have it in the oven now, hopefully the hubs likes it too! I appreciate your story about your father as you tied in into your recipe post. I am new to your blog and am excited to try more of your meals : ) xoxoxo

  7. Sylvia,

    Your thoughts about your father fills me with longing. So precious and bittersweet. Being able to communicate with an ego-less father… I can only imagine how healing the experience was for you.

    I went through the process of giving it my best to nurture a relationship with my father numerous times over the decades, and finally had to quit stepping into what I realized was too deep a hole. Before I made the decision permanently break off communications, I went through a lot of introspective years between tries. It was so difficult to let go of “the critic”.

    It’s still tough sometimes to know he and I won’t ever be resolved. I was born on his birthday, and imagine for a good part of my life that eventually he would want to enjoy a relationship with me. My silver lining, in spite of this, was that the challenges I faced with him led me on a journey of self discovery and empowerment, which no one, including my father, could me. It helped me own my shit and propel forward in life organically.

    It was also especially healing for me to consider men of my fathers era, and those before him, with some compassion. Men in modern era confined to a “masculine behavior” stature for all the world to see, always strong, good provider, unemotional, etc. I was able to let go of some of his behavior with me as I recognized it as not personal. It was in his general behavior that he was limited emotionally, not just in regards to me.

    I have heard from a few friends, that after a parent had had a stroke there was a kinder more gentle version of their parent revealed. With a dash a dark humor, your experience lights a little fire of hope in me, that maybe there still could be a chance for my father and and I. Kind of strange to find myself considering those fairy tale thoughts.

    Thank you for sharing your experience!
    D

    1. Thanks for sharing this… heartfelt and so beautifully written. I feel you, and I’m sorry about your dad. It’s a tough one isn’t it? One of our most important relationships. If my dad hadn’t lost his memory and angry side in the process, it would have been very different. Blessings come wrapped up in unexpected places. Perhaps your story with him is not over. Trust your process, trust yourself. And be open to signs. I think even just placing loving thoughtful attention on him ( from a distance) can stir up change. Wishing you all the best on your journey and please keep us posted. Im curious where this story will go. xo

  8. Wow, I came here to find this recipe and found so much more. Sorry for your loss. I just turned 28 and went no-contact with my abusive father four years ago after my mom passed away. I feel some of your pain. Right now I cannot imagine ever speaking to him again but your words were very helpful. Thanks again for sharing your story.

  9. This cake is so good, I don’t think it is going to last long. My first time using a recipe from here, but it will not be my last.






  10. Sylvia, Your father was a fortunate man to be your father. You have my great admiration and my warmest regards.

  11. I am so sorry for your loss.

    I just wanted to tell you how unbelievably delicious we found this cake to be. I found some blood oranges at the store and came across your blog looking for something fun to do with them. It’s scary using all one’s special ingredients in a recipe from an unfamiliar source, but this turned out so fabulously I’ve bookmarked your blog and look forward to trying more of your delicious-sounding recipes! Thanks so much!

    1. Thanks Sylvia! I am so happy you liked this. I loved it too. Thanks for taking the leap of faith. xo

  12. What inspiring thoughts from your heart, Sylvia! I’m saddened to know about the passing of your Dad. However, none of us want to have loss of memory as part of our life. For a parent to struggle with that health issue, it can’t be any fun. I treasure having met your Dad, as well as having treasured times with your Mom over the years, starting in the early 90’s. And, I treasure you! Today and in the days ahead, nurture yourself. The loss now of both parents is another adjustment. Take care, Carole Anderson

  13. Sylvia, I thought I’d commented on your blog the day you posted, but I see I hadn’t. I was so sorry to hear of your loss, but I was impressed by the writing. You put together a beautiful tribute. I am so glad that the latter years of your relationship with your dad involved as much forgiveness and acceptance as they did- I admire your strength in finding both.

  14. Sylvia my heart was touched by your words about your father. The fact that you eventually found peace in accepting him as is was is a beautiful thing! It’s hard sometimes to realize that we have to change our attitude and accept them they way they are. Not an easy thing to do. But the comfort that it brings is priceless beyond words! Thanks for sharing! ❤️Josie

    1. Thanks Josie, you are right, not an easy thing to do, but I guess the alternative would have been way harder in the long run. I feel so blessed it turned out the way it did. Thanks for reading! xoxo

  15. Wow! I am so sorry for the lose of your father, reading your story is so healing, thank you so much for taking the time to share, Missing you

  16. I am so sorry for your loss. I lost my father in August, and your story here just echoes so many of the things I have felt over the years. My relationship with my dad was also tense, heated, and tumultuous over the years. But in the end, I was able to realize that hanging on to all of that anger was a horrible waste of my energy, and instead I was able to just love him flaws and all. And, I have learned that no matter how difficult the relationship, the loss of a parent is tough. That grief lingers and sneaks up on you when you least expect it (in the aisle of a grocery store, in my case!) As a friend put it for me, “when a parent dies, even the wind is different”. I hope this “new wind” brings you peace and that your memories bring you feelings of love. Thanks for sharing your story and for sharing this beautiful recipe that nourished your body soul during such a tough time. (It is a recipe that I normally would have printed out to send to my dad. I just might make it in his– and your– honor.)






    1. Thank you Katy for your heartfelt comment… really appreciate it.
      I’m so glad you were able to come to a place of acceptance with your dad.
      And you are so right, grief does sneak up when least expected, and yes the wind IS different.
      Love to you.

  17. Sylvia, Steve and I send our sympathy and prayers for God’s comfort. We both lost our fathers in late 2014. Steve and his dad were very close. My dad and I had a relationship similar to yours with your father. We rarely spoke to each other for ten years and he didn’t come to my wedding. By the time he died (of Lewy Body Dimentia) I had rediscovered a very loving relationship with him. You are right about forgiveness. It is a beautiful, powerful, and necessary ingredient in real Life!
    Oh, yes, and the cake recipe is a MUST try! Thank you for sharing so much of your heart along with your talent.
    Love, Karen

    1. Thank you Karen. Yes, losing parents is tough. I can’t tell you how many people I have talked with recently who are currently going through… or have just gone through the same thing. I guess we all do at some point. Sorry to hear about your dad, but also glad you were able to find connection in the end. It makes it a little easier I think. Love to you and thanks for your words….appreciate it. xo

  18. Sylvia,
    I am so glad you are at peace as you grieve. It is wonderful you gave your dad the gift of seeing what an amazing woman, beautiful inside and out, that he helped to create. When you lose your second parent you grieve not only the loss of the most primal person in your life but also your only complete connection to your childhood. It changes your place in the world as it becomes your turn to carry forth the personal history of yourself and your ancestors. No matter your age it’s kind of like becoming an adult forever. I
    hope you find peace in this journey as well.

    1. Thanks Neighbor, yes, strangely I do feel peace. It is so different than how I thought it would be. Maybe it hasn’t fully hit me yet, I don’t know… but I feel like my dad is at peace, and that gives me so much comfort …

  19. Sylvia,
    Thank you for sharing your journey of love with your father. The meaningful and enduring relationships in our lives often seem to be the most complicated. Food and family so often interwoven……love feeds the soul and food the body but both satisfy a need so elemental. Do you ever feel you are working through “stuff” in your life when you cook? I sure do! I recall one my son’s good friends whose Mother is my dear friend coming into our home one day for an Xbox date. I asked him what his Mom was up to today? He said “she’s making cookies but she’s not happy”. I smiled to myself because it made perfect sense to me. I am sorry for your loss and happy for the peace you have found.
    Cece

    1. Cece, I always appreciate your wise and kind words…thank you. So true about the most meaningful relationships being the most complicated. We all seem to have a few, perhaps to help us grow. Or drive us crazy 😉 Love to you.

  20. What a lovely tribute to you father. So sorry for your loss. How brave that you actively chose to love him in your 20’s. I too lost a parent to Alzheimer’s. And I became my mom’s caretaker during those late years with the disease, and learned to love her more than I ever had. I relate a bit of my own story in one of my blog posts athttp://www.cookingthekitchen.com/Topics/beans-2/
    I love that this chocolate cake you made helped get you through the week. Blood oranges are in season right now, and I will have to try making this cake. Thank you for posting the recipe.

    1. Thanks for sharing your post.. and Im sorry about your mom. What a wonderful thing that you were able to care for her in the end. I know how difficult it must of been, but what a gift you gave her. All the best to you Barbara.

  21. I am so obsessed with blood oranges these days, I’m eating them with everything. Chocolate and orange are a match made in heaven. Looks gorgeous!

  22. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your beautiful recipes are just the icing on the bundt cake of your beautiful soul. I am so sorry for your loss, and yet, I am so full of joy for you that you were able to find so much love and forgiveness and healing with your father.






  23. I am so sorry to hear that your Dad has died Sylvia. I hope you get some time to grieve and remember him. Take care, Karen

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