Moist Chocolate Bundt Cake

This dense chocolate cake is a chocolate lover's dream! Use good quality dark chocolate for a deep, rich flavor. I made this cake for my grandpa's 75th birthday and everyone really enjoyed it.

This recipe is adapted from Cook's Illustrated.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup (64g) unsweetened cocoa powder (not dutch process)

• 6 oz (170g) good quality bittersweet chocolate (I like Chocolove 70%)

• 1 tsp espresso powder (this is optional but really amps up the chocolate flavor)

• 3/4 cup (177ml) boiling water

• 1 cup (226g) full fat greek yogurt or sour cream

• 1 3/4 cups (248g) all purpose flour (I like the sturdier texture the AP flour gives for this recipe)

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 1/2 sticks, 12 tbsp (170g) unsalted butter at room temperature

• 1 1/2 cups (300g) brown sugar

• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

• 5 eggs, room temperature

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350° F.

2. Butter and flour a standard 10" bundt pan. This keeps the cake from sticking and also helps it rise properly.

3. In a medium heatproof bowl, combine your chocolate, cocoa powder, and espresso powder. Pour over the boiling water and whisk to combine and get rid of any lumps of cocoa powder. Set aside.

4. Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda in another bowl. Whisk to aerate the mixture and set aside.

5. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the brown and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Use either a hand mixer or a stand mixer.

6. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating about a minute after each addition.

7. Mix in the vanilla.

8. Whisk the sour cream into the chocolate mixture, which by now should be mostly cooled.

9. Add in 1/3 of the flour to the butter/sugar/egg mixture and mix through on low speed.

10. Add in 1/2 of the chocolate mixture and mix through on low speed.

11. Repeat steps 9 and 10 until all the flour and chocolate mixtures are added.

12. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top of the batter.

13. Bake at 350° F for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean. If the cake is a little more underdone than "usual" that is ideal for a moist cake. Just make sure it is not raw.

14. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting on a wire rack to cool completely. For ease of decorating and transporting, line the wire rack with parchment paper prior to inverting the cake.

15. Top with chocolate ganache or a dusting of powdered sugar.