This easy, super moist chocolate bundt cake has a deep, rich chocolate flavour and is covered in the ever decadent dulce de leche (caramel treat).
Every South African has a spot in their heart for a chocolate cake either topped or filled with caramel treat (dulce de leche). Simple yet outrageously delicious. This is what led me to create this decadent chocolate bundt cake with a dulce de leche topping.
This particular recipe was pulled together from various recipes I have written on post-it notes and within my really old recipe book.
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What you need for this recipe
Equipment
This recipe requires a 10-cup bundt pan or a 23 cm springform cake tin. I made this cake by hand, but you can use a handheld mixer or stand mixer to bring everything together.
Ingredients
- Butter - salted butter in addition to added salt really helps intensify the chocolatey flavour.
- Flour - plain, all-purpose, standard grade or cake flour for this cake.
- Dutch-processed cocoa powder - the best cocoa powder in South African is the Woolies brand (in my opinion), here in New Zealand I tend to stick to Nestle or Cadbury cocoa powder.
- White granulated or caster sugar - to sweeten and not add any additional flavour to the cake.
- Coffee - either use two heaped teaspoons of instant coffee in hot water, or a double shot of espresso topped up with hot water to come to 250 grams.
- Salt is essential to bringing out the flavour of cocoa powder. I use salted butter and additional salt in this recipe.
- Greek yogurt adds additional fat and moisture and flavour.
- Baking soda and baking powder to give this cake some lift. The baking soda will react with the acidity of the yoghurt and coffee.
- Eggs help bind everything together.
- Vanilla extract
See the recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions / Variations
For a dairy-free version of dulce de leche, I would recommend using plant-based condensed milk and either baking or cooking it to a caramel consistency. I have made coconut milk dulce de leche from coconut milk condensed milk in my instant pot. However, it has a very strong coconut flavour. I do also really love Minimalist Baker's Easy Vegan Caramel Sauce.
Note - I have also tried to make dulce de leche with the oat condensed milk variety and I would not recommend it.
This cake is very rich and dense and does not need caramel but it really rounds out the decadence.
Yoghurt can be substituted with sour cream.
Making the Chocolate Bundt Cake
Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan assisted). Place the rack in the middle of the oven.
Step 2 - In a large mixing bowl combine the butter, cocoa powder, and hot coffee. Whisk until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and shiny. Set aside to cool down for 5 minutes.
Step 3 - Add in the eggs and yoghurt and mix until well combined.
Step 4 - Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add this to the cocoa mixture and whisk until just combined and there are no lumps.
Step 5 - Grease the bundt pan either using butter and a dusting of cocoa powder or liberally spray with a non-stick spray. Pour the cake mixture into the bundt pan and tap the pan on the kitchen counter to release air bubbles.
Pro Tips for this recipe
Allow all your ingredients to come to room temperature. This allows the ingredients to combine and get to know each other a little easier
Only grease your bundt pan just before you pour the batter in. Especially if using a spray. If using the traditional butter and flour method - replace the flour with cocoa powder to ensure you don't have any white spots on your finished cake.
If the butter is not melting in the hot coffee - zap it in the microwave in 15-second bursts.
Really knock the bundt pan on the kitchen counter to make sure all air bubbles are removed from the batter before baking.
Measuring cups and spoons are an essential addition to every kitchen! Not every cup and spoon are made equally and have varying volumes. For accurate measuring invest in a set of measuring cups and spoons to make sure you add the correct amount of an ingredient. When in doubt - always use a level spoon or cup measure using your measuring cups and spoons.
Ovens: A conventional oven needs to be set at 20°C higher than a fan-forced or convection oven. Oven temperatures are not consistent, the best way to determine if your oven dial is correct is to use an oven thermometer.
Bakeware: Metal bakeware is superior when it comes to baking biscuits, cookies, brownies, muffins and quick bread, scones, cakes. These heat up and cool down faster than glassware. Glassware is heavier, heats up and cools down slower than metal and are more suited for bread puddings, pies, crisps, crumbles and cobblers.
All my recipes are currently tested at sea level.
Storage
This cake can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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📋 Recipe
Chocolate Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Bundt Cake
- 125 grams butter
- 300 grams white granulated or caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 250 grams coffee either 2 heaped teaspoons in hot water, or a double shot espresso topped up with hot water
- 60 grams Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 260 grams plain standard grade or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 110 grams plain Greek yoghurt
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Dulce De Leche / Caramel Topping
- ½ tin caramel sweetened condensed milk
- ½ lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon milk
Instructions
- Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan assisted). Place the rack in the middle of the oven.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the butter, cocoa powder, and hot coffee. Whisk until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and shiny. Set aside to cool down for 5 minutes.
- Add in the eggs, yoghurt and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add this to the cocoa mixture and whisk until just combined and there are no lumps.
- Grease the bundt pan either using butter and a dusting of cocoa powder or liberally spray with a non-stick spray. Pour the cake mixture into the bundt pan and tap the pan on the kitchen counter to release air bubbles.
- Bake the cake for 40-50 minutes (checking at the 40-minute mark) until a cake tester comes out mostly clean. Let the cake cool in the tin for 10-20 minutes before turning it out onto a wired rack or plate to cool completely.
- Dulce De Leche / Caramel Topping
- In a mixing bowl, combine the caramel and lemon juice, whisk until fully combined and the caramel has loosed up a bit. If it's not yet at a pouring consistency, add in a teaspoon of milk and whisk again. Pour over the cake, slice, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate. If scaling the recipe remember to scale your cook and bakeware accordingly.
Ethel says
Looks yummy! I am certainly going to try this one.
Mary-Lou says
You won't regret it!