Chocolate Baileys Bundt Cake

Name: Chocolate Baileys Bundt Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Ingredients: 140 gm dark chocolate; 50 gm cocoa powder; 30 gm instant coffee powder; 125 ml heavy cream; 100 ml baileys; 30 ml black coffee; 1 tbsp vanilla extract; 1 tsp almond extract; 280 gm flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 200 gm butter (room temperature - soft); 350 gm castor sugar; 4 eggs; 180 ml heavy cream; 120 gm dark chocolate; 1 tsp vanilla; Pinch of salt

The only party dessert you will need this New Year’s Eve, it’s a rich and indulgent chocolate cake but has a delicious coffee flavor too from the Baileys. Topped with a chocolate milk glaze, it is simple and perfect for nye.

I love a good chocolate cake it is very evident with my eggless chocolate cake, devils food cake, chocolate brownies, Irish stout chocolate loaf cake and many more. This cake is no exception, this is a rich dark indulgent chocolate cake but it’s got a bit of mocha tones to it as we add Baileys. I think the addition of coffee and chocolate is just like salt in chocolate it works so well together and compliments each other. Sometimes a little addition of another ingredient highlights the main ingredient and that’s exactly what the coffee does here.

I was inspired to make this recipe from David Lebovitz dark chocolate bundt cake but there are a few tweaks to my version as much as I love his recipe I also love the addition of Baileys in mine. Now, if you are not someone who enjoys liqueur can use any other coffee favoured liqueur of your choice you could also do coffee extract but I believe in the real deal so espresso or black coffee or any coffee that you prefer is a great addition. I have also made this cake with the addition of espresso grounds which is yummy, we can reduce the flour and the add that to act as flour instead, it makes for a very delicious and moist cake so let’s get to it.

What is a bundt cake?

A Bundt cake is a cake baked in a Bundt tin/pan. These pans are usually hollow in the center with a decorative shape on the sides. Once the cake is baked it is turned onto a platter/plate. The origin for these cakes comes from the creator of the Nordic ware company H. David Dalquist in 1950 in Minneapolis. These pans are deeper than regular cake pans, they make a simple cake batter look very decorative and fancy.

What is a chocolate bundt cake?

A classic chocolate cake batter baked in a Bundt pan. This chocolate cake is laced with baileys to give it a mocha flavor. However a little espresso or instant coffee can go a long way. I wouldn’t recommend using any chocolate cake batter in this pan as you do need a center amount to fill the pan or else the cake wouldn’t be as tall once baked.

What ingredients do we need to make this chocolate baileys bundt cake?

This cake is fairly simple in reference to ingredients, we need pantry ingredients to whip this up but the Baileys is definitely a great addition to this cake. You can use regular coffee as well. To line the bundt tin I like using baking spray and dusting the tin with cocoa powder but you can use soft butter or oil and brush it into the tin.

Dry ingredients-

To make this cake we need cocoa powder, unsweetened and dutch processed if you have access to it – this makes the cake extra dark and indulgent. We also need all purpose flour, I have used cake flour to make this recipe and it works well. You could swap half the all purpose with rye flour and it has the BEST flavor too. To make this cake gluten free use a gluten free all purpose flour mix like King Arthur or Bobs Red Mill. We also need instant coffee powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and castor sugar.

Wet ingredients-

We need dark chocolate or semi sweet, you can use a bar that is chopped or chips. It must be dark chocolate which is 50-60% cocoa and above. The bitterness is not tasted in the cake but it balances out the sweetness and gives the bundt a delicious intense chocolate flavor. We need heavy cream or double cream, butter (it can be salted or unsalted), vanilla extract, almond extract, eggs, baileys or any coffee liqueur. To keep this cake alcohol free you can use espresso or black coffee. If you want to make this cake eggless swap each egg for 50gm full fat yogurt or a flaxseed egg (1 tbsp flaxseeds ground into a powder and mixed with 3 tbsp water).

To make the chocolate milk glaze-

We need heavy cream, dark chocolate, butter and a little salt. I also like thinning it out with milk if it gets too thick. A drop of vanilla makes a deliciously fragrant glaze.

What equipment do we need to make this chocolate baileys bundt cake?

We need a couple of large mixing bowls, a heavy bottom sauce pot, rubber spatula and strainer. I have used a stand mixer to make this cake batter with the paddle attachment but you can use an electric beater or just as well use a whisk with a large bowl. The cake is bake in a 10 inch (23cm) bundt pan – if your tin is smaller the cake will bake taller so make sure there is enough room in the oven and the time to bake it will increase. If the tin is larger, the cake will be shorter once baked and it will take lesser time to bake. To make the glaze I use a sauce pot and a whisk. If you are not use a baking spray to line the pan you will need a brush to line it.

How to make this to make this chocolate baileys bundt cake?

Preheat the oven to 160ºC with fan and 180ºC without fan. In a heavy bottom sauce pot add the heavy cream and bring to a boil, remove from the heat and add the dark chocolate, cocoa powder, instant coffee powder. Let it sit for 30 seconds before stirring, then stir until the mixture is smooth. Add the baileys, vanilla, almond extract and stir again. In another large bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and stir together until evenly distributed. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment add the butter and beat for a couple of minutes until pale, creamy and light. Add the sugar and continue beating until smooth. This can take 3-4 minutes, scrapping the sides as needed. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well until combined. Add 1/2 the flour and 1/2 the chocolate mixture, mix the batter on low speed until just combined and add the remixing flour and chocolate mixture, mix until combined and smooth.

Prepare the tin buy spraying it with baking spray or brushing it generously with butter/oil. Dust cocoa powder into the tin through a strainer evenly, move the tin around to make sure it is evenly lined all through. Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 45-50 mins. A tooth pick inserted into the center should come out with wet/moist cake crumbs. Do not over bake this cake as it cools in the tin a little as well. Allow it to sit on a wire rack for 10 minutes before flipping it onto a platter. Let it cool completely before icing. I like to wrap the cake loosely in cling film as it cools down to help retain its moisture. To make the glaze we need to heat the cream, once bubbling take it off the heat and add the dark chocolate, salt, vanilla and stir. Pour over the cooled cake, slice and serve.

Serving and storing this chocolate baileys bundt cake?

I like serving this cake with extra chocolate milk glaze but you can serve with an additional dustin got cocoa powder on top, vanilla whipped cream or coffee ice cream as well. It is yummy warm but tastes better the next day in my humble opinion. This cake I stores well for 3 days at room temperature, you could store it in an air tight container or better yet, store it in zip lock bags in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for 2 weeks. When ready to eat let it come to room temperature, warm it in the microwave and serve with ice cream or double cream.

FAQ’s about bundt cakes and pro tips:

What is so special about Bundt cake?

It not only looks pretty, it takes less effort to decorate as a little dusting of icing sugar is good enough, it is perfect to feed a crowd and great to bring for a party.

What is the difference between Bundt cake and a cake?

A bundt cake is a cake baked in a bundt tin. You could bake a regular cake batter in a bundt tin if the recipe allows it.

Why is it called Bundt?

Because it is baked in a bundt tin, lol, I get this question a lot. Like cupcakes are called cupcakes cause they are baked in cupcake trays.

What does Bundt mean in baking?

It means baking a cake in a traditional bundt pan that is like a doughnut with a hole in the center and a curved edge which is flipped onto a plate once baked.

Can I use a regular pan instead of a Bundt pan?

To make this recipe, you could use a 9/10inch round tin to make this cake but not all bundt cake recipes will work in regular tins as the quantity of batter needs to be assessed.

Why are Bundt cakes dry?

Bundt cakes are not dry but if you over bake them and then cool them in the hot tin- the chances of the cake drying out are high. So don’t over bake and do not let the cake cool in the tin for longer than 15 minutes.

Do you have to flip a Bundt cake?

Yes, that is one of the biggest selling points of a bundt cake. It must be flipped upside down before serving.

How can I tell if a Bundt cake is done?

A tooth pick test is the best way to find out. Some cakes need the tooth pick to come out clean but this recipe works best when the tooth pick has some moist/wet crumbs when you do the test.

How long to Bundt cakes last?

Difference Bundts have different shelf life. This once is best kept for 3 days at room temperature, 1 week in the fridge and 2 weeks in the freezer.

Can I leave cake in the Bundt pan overnight?

NO, most bundt recipes will tell you to skip the cake after 15 minutes of baking. This is so the cake doesn’t stick to the pan but also because we don’t want the cake over baking in the heat. Most bundt tins are made of cast iron and they hold alot of residual heat which continues to cook the cake as the tin cools down.

Pro tips –

Always preheat the oven this ensures the cake batter will start baking immediately after it enters the oven.
Line the Bundt pan with baking spray or brush it with butter/oil and dust with flour or cocoa powder. This lining helps the cake not stick to the edges of the tin and comes out easily.
Allow the cake to sit in the tin for 10-15 mins once it’s out of the oven before flipping. This helps it firm up a little and cool down the sugars a little allowing for a smooth release without the cake breaking.
I like to wrap the cake in cling film loosely as this helps keep the moisture of the cake in the cake as it cools down.

Looking for more Bundt cakes?

Now that we have covered how to make this Chocolate Baileys Bundt Cake, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.