We all know January is a month of renewal. But in my world it’s also a month of birthdays. Including my own.
In This Post
One of my treasured birthday traditions comes from my sweet friend Laura, who for every birthday would give me a card with my “If you were born on this day…” horoscope cut out from the newspaper or printed out from online. I’ve never been an avid follower of horoscopes, life signs and the like, but I do get a kick of foretelling what might be in my future for the coming year. As the years have progressed, I’ve actually discovered some real similarities in my astrological sign, my life and personality. It’s somewhat thrilling and eerie at the same time.
Oddly enough, four friends who are some of my closest comrades at this time of my life—Kim, Susie, Sherrie and Angie—are also January babies, each of them sharing a birthday within one week of mine. Somehow our Capricorn earth sign/Aquarius air sign are oddly compatible. I read it is a union of opposites, resulting in prolific relationships. Well, that part must be true, because I sure do like these ladies…
Me? I’m a Capricornian, born on the Capricorn/Aquarius cusp between January 16 and January 22, and scarily close to the personality description those star-followers have deemed me to be, both the good and the bad.
I’m stubborn but creative with lots of ideas and fantasies of what could be. Traditional but offbeat. Security craving but independent. And I have a tendency to see both sides of things, which can be good and bad, thanks to the Aquarian pulling me one way and the Capricorn pulling me in another. Just don’t make me order first at a restaurant because inevitably I change my mind.
But as Paula Abdul is quick to say, “You own that, girl.” And I do, as I try to relish in the good and improve on what I can.
In the past two weeks I’ve baked this cake twice already. Once for Angie’s birthday dinner and again for my own. Sherrie’s birthday is this week so she might just be finding one in her kitchen too. It’s that good. Too good not to share. I better get baking for my Kim & Susie, wouldn’t want anyone to be left out of all of this goodness.
The original devil’s food cake recipe is from my go-to Cook’s Illustrated The New Best Recipe and is usually baked in the traditional style, 3-tier cake. My tiered cakes usually end in a fail, and the first time I made this cake wasn’t for a test, it was for a real life dinner so I went the tried and true route of using my trusty bundt pan.
Do you know how to tell if the cake is going to turn out delicious? When the batter tastes too good to quit sampling. But I had to put my foot down at some point or we were going to end up with a pint sized bundt.
The crumb on this cake is one of the best I’ve ever tasted, amazingly light and airy, thanks to the combination of cake flour and regular flour and the recipe didn’t call for much in relation to the size of the cake. It’s pure chocolate decadence, if you’re into that sort of thing. Of which, I am.
I toyed around with making a buttercream frosting but that would mean making the swirls look all pretty and nice and it would hide the trademark ridges of a bundt. So I decided to go with a simple (yes, that is one of my mantras) ganache. Since I had leftover coffee in the coffee maker (when will I ever figure out that I don’t drink 6 cups in the morning?) I figured a little bitterness to all that sweet chocolate would be an amazing combo. To give it a little more oomph I added in some instant espresso.
Oh my. Oh my. It was like the stars aligned. And I was more than happy to be part of this cake’s rising moon.
More Homemade Cake Recipes to Try
- The BEST Carrot Cake
- Confetti Cake with Buttercream Frosting
- German Chocolate Cake
- Blueberry Buckle Recipe with Lemon Glaze
- Vanilla and Chocolate Marbled Bundt Cake
- Grilled Strawberry Shortcakes with Balsamic Vinegar
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Devil’s Food Bundt Cake with Chocolate Espresso Ganache
Ingredients
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate , chopped
- ¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa
- 1 ¼ cups boiling water
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter , (8 ounces/2 sticks), softened to room temperature
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
- 3 eggs , at room temperature
- ½ cup greek yogurt
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
for espresso chocolate ganache
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- ¼ cup brewed coffee , at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a non-stick bundt pan with butter then coat with a light dusting of flour, getting into all of the crevices. Shake out excess flour and set aside.
- Place unsweetened chocolate squares in a large ziploc bag, seal bag then firmly but gently pound chocolate into chunks with the flat edge of a meat tenderizer. Remove from bag and place in a small bowl with the dutch-processed cocoa and pour boiling water over chocolate. Mix well to combine and set aside. In a large bowl or on a piece of parchment paper, sift the flours, baking soda and salt and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add brown sugar and cream for another 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Scrape sides of mixing bowl. At medium-high speed, add eggs one at a time, mixing for about 30 seconds in between each addition. Scrape sides of bowl again then add sour cream and vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds or until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed, add ⅓ of the flour mixture, then add half of the chocolate mixture and mix to combine. Repeat ending with the flour mixture being careful not to overbeat. Remove the bowl from the mixer, scrape sides and mix well by hand until incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the bundt pan, evening out the top of the batter. Bake on the middle rack for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer or toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven, rest in pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
- While cake is cooling, make the ganache. In a double boiler or a small pan filled with 1-inch of water topped with a glass or metal bowl, melt butter and chocolate together, stirring every minute or so until melted. Remove from heat or from bottom boiler and stir in brewed coffee, instant espresso and vanilla. Sift the powdered sugar into the bowl to avoid lumps and whisk well. If you prefer a stiffer ganache, add more powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Let cool to room temperature. If ganache becomes too stiff to drizzle on cake, add a bit of hot water or hot coffee to thin.
- Once cake is cooled, place on a cake platter and drizzle with ganache. Serve and enjoy.
- Cake will keep at room temperature for 2-3 days.
More Chocolate Desserts You Need to Make
- The Best No-Bake Cookies with Coconut
- Dark Chocolate Brownies
- Vanilla and Chocolate Marbled Bundt Cake
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Mom’s Easy Fudge Recipe
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This post is in partnership with Cache Valley Cheese. As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. There may be affiliate links in this post of which I receive a small commission. All opinions are always my own.
Very good recipe indeed.
what a cake dude i like it. It looking tasty thanks for sharing this recipe
Looks good
I made this cake yesterday for a birthday celebration. It’s terrific – the flavor is very rich but not too sweet,the ganache gives it a fine finish without burying it in icing, and the crumb is tender and moist. I didn’t want to do an extra shopping trip so used the ingredients I had at hand: all-purpose flour, plain yoghurt, and just plain old semi-sweet chocolate chips. I can imagine that 50% cake flour, rich, unsweetened bar chocolate, and sour cream would make for an even richer cake, but what I ended up with was such a good cake, that held its moisture to the day after cutting into it, that I wouldn’t hesitate to make it again the way I did. I will also try it with the called-for ingredients. I did add a pinch of cayenne to the batter – it’s a family thing. The batter, btw, was very well behaved, and the baking time and temp were perfect. Many thanks for a terrific recipe!
Heidi,
Multiple questions re sour cream vs yogurt – can you answer this???
Thanks
Looks tasty!! A great appetizer to be served during tea time with an iced coffee!!
Hi! Same question – is it sour cream or Greek yogurt that should be used? Also, my understanding is that you only need to use Dutch processed cocoa if the recipe uses baking powder (not baking soda) and I don’t see that the recipe calls for baking powder so can you just use regular baking cocoa?
Thanks!
This cake looks amazing! One question…in the recipe it says Greek yogurt but the description says sour cream. Which one should I use? Thanks!
The ingredient list says Greek yogurt but the method mentions sour cream. Which did you use?
Thanks
OMGosh!!! That’s my “Famous Expensive Coffee House” Mocha on a plate. And your pics are amazing. My daughter said, “That pic makes me wanna swoop my finger into that chocolate and lick it clean!” My reply… “Definitely!” Thank for sharing. I’m pinning!
Your daughter can spot a winner. It really is amazingly lickalicious. Thanks for sharing and pinning.
This is one heck of a cake….and happy…happy belated Birthday.
I have been looking for the PERFECT chocolate cake for my nana’s birthday. This looks perfect.
Oh this cake. I could dive into that batter.
Oh, what are you doing to me?! That cake looks positively fabulous, and I adore the picture of smudge peeking through the beater. I’m a fellow Capricorn, and that description felt awfully familiar.
I can see myself in your description because I’m another Capricorn/Aquarius. I do the same things as you do and I thought I was the only one. Well, to celebrate my gone birthday I think I will bake myself this delicious cake.
Incredible! I still need to ind myself a bunt pan. I’ve been crossing my fingers whenever I go to thrift stores, hoping I’ll get lucky. This is totally my kind of cake.
Simply amazing! Next time I see you you’ll have to read my palm or something.
If I say that it’s my birthday in January (which it’s not), will you bake this for me?
This is such a beautiful cake! I just got a bundt pan recently and have barely used it- this seems like the perfect thing for my next attempt!
oh my goodness gracious cake. Yes.
The star of our Super Bowl featuring Desserts has been found!!!!
It’s so hard to tear myself away from this post and these incredible photos! I love this recipe. Must bookmark this to bake soon. How can anyone resist this? Thanks for sharing this Devil’s Food Bundt Cake with Choco Ganache recipe !
Love that ganache, how scrumptious!
This cake looks gorgeous and the ganache has a wonderful looking consistency! Delicious!
Absolutely gorgeous!
Who doesn’t love a good bundt cake? Hope you have a fab time at Alt this week!!
So beautiful. Cant wait to make this
Oh my heavens. I am speechless about this cake!! Whoa.
Have a great time this week… miss me :) And take loads of notes, please. I’ll be wallowing in my coffee about my hormonal decision to sell my ticket ;)
I love how moist and tender this cake looks. It looks beyond incredible! I’m really not into the astrology stuff, but that one was definitely written just for you. Hope you had a great birthday (I’m feeling bad for missing it) and I hope you have a great time at Alt! Take good notes, I wanna hear all about it.
Love the sound of the chocolate espresso ganache!
This ganache topping is to die for, so rich and beautiful! You like astrology, eh? You should check out Astrology Zone. Joy and Tracy got me hooked! They give you a full monthly forecast and you will be shocked to see how many things are dead on accurate! Plus there is an app too, so you can waste time right form your phone.
Heidi, love seeing your kids! :) they are so cute!!! and this bundt is beautiful darling!!!! Love it! I am obsessed with bundt cakes and have joined #bundtamonth. . anyway, I own like 5 or 6 bundt pans. . I think they are so beautiful.
Well- Happy Birthdays all around!!! This cake looks amazing. I was just telling my family that I can’t believe I don’t have a bundt pan. I really need to get one.
Happy bday!!! Yay! And that little face looking through the beater- priceless!
Gorgeous! Love chocolate bundt cakes! They do make for perfect birthday cakes.
Happy birthday to you!! I suspect that fabulous cakes like these might also be a positive factor in your friendships with the other January ladies, lol. I’d love to run a finger through that ganache!
This looks crazy good. I am jealous of the little one who got all the samples! I’m glad you were able to stop her in time to have enough batter left over for the actual cake!
And a happy birthday to you! Funny how when you cook, and your birthday comes, it’s almost inevitable that you will end up baking your own birthday cake! :) My birthday is in March, just in case you feel like baking another ;)
Pretty sure the stars have aligned and they’re telling me to make and devour this deLUSHious looking cake immediately. MMM!
Also, happy happy birthday!
Sooo yummy :)
I am seriously in love with that cake. And your Smudge is too cute!
Happy birthday my dear! Birthday month is June in our house – my mom, sisters, husband, nieces, etc.
This chocolate cake looks just to die for. and your munchkin is pretty stinkin cute with chocolate on her face! :)
Love, love, love that ganache! This looks fabulous.
Trademark of a good cake,when you are totally ok with baking it multiple times and eating the batter, this looks like a winner!
What a great month of celebrations for you! My family is full of February and March birthdays… wondering who I can use as an excuse to bake this beautiful cake:-)
I’d love to dive into that bowl too! this cake looks gorgeous, and as always your photos are stunning!
LOVE that this cake looks really tasty and it would give me a chocolate + caffeine BUZZ :)
Just pinned this baby a few times for you. STUNNING! I love Devil’s Food Cake, and I love ganache. I make a super simple choc cake + choc ganache that serves me well. I think yours would serve me better :)
Have fun at the Alt Summit!