Image from : http://www.epicurious.com |
At the bakery, Rather makes both cupcakes and bundt cake with this recipe. The hint of cinnamon in the batter is a nod toward Mexican…
Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
For cake
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For glaze
- 2 cups chopped pecans (71/2 ounces)
- 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
- 5 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Special equipment: a 9-inch tube pan or 12-cup bundt pan
Preparation
Make cake:
Make cake:
- Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter cake pan well and dust with flour, knocking out excess.
- Melt butter (2 sticks) in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then whisk in cocoa. Add water and whisk until smooth, then remove from heat. Whisk in separately sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.
- Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl, then sift again into cocoa mixture and whisk until just combined (don't worry if there are lumps).
- Pour batter into cake pan and bake until a wooden pick or skewer comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 45 to 55 minutes. (Leave oven on.)
- Cool cake in pan on a rack 20 minutes, then loosen edges with a thin knife and invert onto a plate.
- Make glaze:
- Spread pecans in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan (1 inch deep) and bake until fragrant and a shade darker, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool pecans slightly in pan on a rack, about 5 minutes.
- Melt butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, then stir in half-and-half and confectioners sugar. Add chocolate and cook, stirring, until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in pecans and salt. Cool glaze until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Spoon glaze over top and sides of cake (cake will still be warm) and spread with a small offset spatula or knife to cover completely.
Cooks' note:
Cake (with glaze) can be made 2 days ahead and kept at room temperature in a cake keeper or covered with an inverted bowl.
Cake (with glaze) can be made 2 days ahead and kept at room temperature in a cake keeper or covered with an inverted bowl.