- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup black cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed firmly
- 2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup brewed coffee
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream at room temperature
- ¼ cup oil canola or melted coconut oil
- ¼ cup whole milk
- Zest of one orange
- 8 ounces 1 block cream cheese, softened to room temperature 1 egg
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup white chocolate chopped or chips
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- Red gel food coloring
- Optional additional topping:
- 1 small chocolate bar for chocolate shards
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Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease your bundt pan with cooking spray and set aside.
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Make the bundt cake batter. In a medium bowl, sift together the cocoa powder, sugar, salt, baking powder, and flour. Set aside.
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Mix your butter in a stand mixer bowl until light and fluffy. 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as ingredients are mixed together throughout this recipe.
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Add the sugars to the bowl and mix again until fluffy. 1-2 minutes.
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Add the eggs in one at a time and mix them in slowly.
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Next add the orange zest, sour cream, oil, milk, and vanilla. Mix again.
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In small batches, mix in the dry ingredient mix. Be careful to not overmix this step. Once the ingredients are well combined, add the hot coffee and mix one last time.
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Make the cream cheese filling. In a medium bowl, add the softened cream cheese, egg, sugar, vanilla, and red food coloring. Mix with a hand mixer until creamy. Add red food coloring until the desired color has been reached. To get a deeper red color to your filling, add a small amount of black food coloring.
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Assemble the cake for baking. First, add a layer of chocolate batter. Next, add a layer of cream cheese filling and then top it with the rest of the chocolate batter.
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Bake at 325 degrees for 60-75 minutes. To check to see if the cake is done, insert a knife. If it comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, it is done baking.
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Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely. Make sure your cake is completely cooled before adding your ganache topping.
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Make the ganache. Chop your white chocolate chips into smaller pieces. Add them to a medium heat-safe bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy whipping cream on the stove over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil.
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Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and whisk until the chocolate is melted. Add the red food coloring until you achieve the color you’d like.
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Pour the ganache over the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides.
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Let the ganache set for at least 30 mins before serving.
● Black cocoa powder gives this cake a darker color, perfect for Halloween! You can also use regular or dark chocolate cocoa powder, but it will not appear as black.
● Black cocoa powder has the same taste as regular cocoa powder.
● Once the dry ingredients are added to your batter, be careful not to overmix. Overmixing causes the cake to become tough.
● Gel food coloring is more intense and will work best for coloring your chocolate ganache topping. Liquid food coloring may also be used.
● A silicone or metal bundt pan may be used. If using a silicone pan, place your mold on a baking sheet before putting it in the oven to provide stability.
● Hot water can be used instead of hot coffee. The coffee helps to bring out the flavor of the cocoa.
● The orange zest may be omitted. It does give the cake a slightly orange flavor which compliments the chocolate.
● White chocolate ganache is used in this recipe because it will easily color red to go along with the Halloween theme of the cake. If you don’t like white chocolate, chocolate chips may be substituted instead. The chocolate will be too dark for red food coloring to work, so enjoy the deep chocolate color instead!
● This can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Make sure to cover it so it stays moist.