Host Christopher Kimball and baker Cheryl Day prepared this cake on a Season Six episode of Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television. It was adapted from a recipe in Cheryl Day’s Treasury of Southern Baking. Cheryl is co-owner of Back in the Day Bakery, in Savannah, Georgia.
This cake comes together with just one-bowl and no mixer, but is deliciously rich, moist, tender and deeply flavored. It’s terrific unadorned and without any embellishment, but Day goes the extra mile and finishes it with a ganache- like glaze that bolsters the chocolatiness of the cake while giving it an elegant luster.
Brewed coffee, which enhances the toasted notes of the chocolate, is an ingredient in both the cake and glaze. Be sure the coffee that’s added to the glaze is hot so it incorporates easily.
Refrigerate leftovers well wrapped or in an airtight container for up to three days, but bring to room temperature before serving.
Don’t glaze the cake while it’s warm or the glaze will become too thin to cling to the cake. However, the glaze must be used immediately (it does not reheat well), so hold off on making it until the cake has fully cooled. Also, be sure to finely chop the chocolate for the glaze so it melts readily when added to the warm buttercream mixture in the double boiler.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE PAN:
1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
1 tablespoon Dutch-processed cocoa powder
FOR THE CAKE:
428 grams (2 cups) white sugar
228 grams (1 3⁄4 cups) all-purpose flour
75 grams (3⁄4 cup) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
1 cup hot brewed coffee
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1⁄2 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
FOR THE GLAZE:
56 grams (4 tablespoons) salted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
38 grams (3 tablespoons) white sugar
Pinch of table salt
227 grams (8 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons hot brewed coffee, plus more if needed
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
TO PREPARE
PAN
STEP ONE. Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. To prep the pan, in a small bowl, stir together the butter and cocoa. Using a pastry brush, coat the inside of a 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan with the mixture, including the center tube; make sure all bumps and crevices are coated.
CAKE
STEP TWO. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add the coffee and whisk until no lumps remain.
STEP THREE. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla, then gently whisk until well combined and the batter is smooth.
STEP FOUR. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, then gently rap the pan several times against the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake about 2 inches from the edge comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
STEP FIVE. Cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then invert the cake onto a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Transfer to a platter.
GLAZE
STEP SIX. To make the glaze, in a medium saucepan over medium, bring 1 inch of water to a bare simmer.
STEP SEVEN. Put the butter, cream, sugar and salt into a heatproof medium bowl and set the bowl on top of the saucepan; make sure the bottom does not touch the water. Stir constantly with a silicone spatula until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.
STEP EIGHT. Remove the bowl from the pan, stir in the chocolate and let stand for 1 to 2 minutes to allow the chocolate to soften.
STEP NINE. Using the spatula, stir the mixture until smooth. Add the hot coffee and vanilla; stir until the glaze is smooth and shiny (the mixture may appear broken at first but will eventually come together). The glaze should have the consistency of pourable yogurt. If it is too thick, thin it by stirring in additional hot coffee 1 teaspoon at a time, adding no more than 1 tablespoon.
STEP TEN. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake, allowing it to run down the sides. Let stand for at least 15 minutes before serving.
