Meet my Aztec Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake — a decadent celebration of rich hot chocolate baked into a tender chocolate cake and finished with a silky ganache. If you love hot chocolate, this is one to try.
This is my second contribution to #BundtBakers, a group of Bundt-loving bakers who bake together each month around a theme or ingredient. This month’s theme, hosted by Tara Noland of Noshing with the Nolands, is Hot Chocolate — perfect for cool, rainy weather.
Aztec Hot Chocolate refers to a spiced, intense hot chocolate, not plain cocoa. My version packs flavor from high-quality chocolate, coconut milk, vanilla, espresso, Vietnamese cinnamon and a touch of chili pepper. I folded that hot chocolate into my favorite chocolate cake and finished everything with a glossy ganache and clouds of whipped coconut cream.
The cake is crowned with dreamy whipped coconut cream and a luscious hot chocolate ganache that carries the same warm, spiced flavors as the drink. It’s indulgent, balanced and perfectly festive.
I baked this in a Bavaria Bundt pan because I love how the ganache pools in the pan’s lines. The recipe is scaled for a 10-cup Bundt, but the batter will also work in two 8- or 9-inch round pans or in stacks of smaller pans to make a taller layer cake.
If you prefer dairy, feel free to substitute cow’s milk and cream for the coconut milk and cream. I use coconut alternatives because of a dairy intolerance, but either option yields an excellent result.
The photos aren’t my favorite, but the flavor more than makes up for that. Make this for a holiday or special occasion — it’s worth every rich, dark, chocolatey bite.
Aztec Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake
1
1
2
10 -12
Method
Ingredients
- 250 g full fat coconut milk 2 cups
- 250 g coconut cream 1 cup
- 270 g semi-sweet chocolate 1 ½ cups
- 2-3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 g ground chili pepper ½ tsp
- 2 g espresso powder 1 tsp
- 360 g granulated sugar 2 cups
- 100 g bread flour 1 cup
- 100 g pastry flour 1 cup
- 73 g cocoa powder ⅔ cup
- 7 g baking powder 2 tsp
- 6 g baking soda 1.5 tsp
- 2.5 g salt ½ tsp
- 2 eggs
- 185 ml Aztec Hot Chocolate ¾ cup
- 93 ml coconut oil ⅓ cup
- 8 g vanilla bean paste 2 tsp
- 188 ml freshly brewed espresso ¾ cup, room temperature
- 500 g dark chocolate 2-¾ cup, 70%
- 250 ml Aztec Hot Chocolate 1 cup
- 250 ml coconut cream or full fat coconut milk 1 cup
- 2.5 g Vietnamese ground cinnamon 1 tsp
- 50 g glucose 3 tbsp
- 250 g coconut cream 1 cup
- 27 g Aztec hot chocolate 2 tbsps
- shaved chocolate
- ganache drizzle
Method
- In an airtight container combine coconut milk, coconut cream, cinnamon sticks, chili and espresso powder. Cover and chill 12–24 hours to infuse. (You can skip or shorten this step for a milder flavor.)
- Transfer the mixture to a heavy saucepan, add the semi-sweet chocolate and simmer gently over low heat for about 30 minutes, whisking occasionally until smooth. For larger batches, a slow cooker works well.
- Serve hot with your favorite toppings or use as called for in the cake and ganache sections.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan and place it on a cookie sheet. Set aside.
- Sift together all dry ingredients into a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, lightly whisk together the wet ingredients, excluding the espresso.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet mixture, stirring with a whisk until combined.
- Add the room-temperature espresso and continue whisking until the batter is smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake on the middle rack for about 35–40 minutes.
- Place chopped dark chocolate into a large bowl and set aside.
- Combine glucose, coconut cream (or full-fat coconut milk) and Aztec hot chocolate in a saucepan and bring just to a light boil, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and stir in the ground cinnamon.
- Strain the hot cream mixture through a sieve over the chocolate and let sit for about 3 minutes without stirring.
- Gently whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the ganache is smooth. Let cool slightly before pouring over the cooled cake.
Thanks to our host Tara for this delicious hot chocolate theme. Below are other Hot Chocolate Bundt creations from my fellow #BundtBakers (names only listed to respect original credits):
- Autumn Spiced Pumpkin Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck
- Baileys Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by Liv for Cake
- Bourbon Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by Vintage Kitchen Notes
- Bourbon Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by I Bake He Shoots
- Carob Hot Chocolate Cake by A Kingdom for A Cake
- Chocolate and Tiffany’s Bundtcake by La Mejor Manera
- Chocolate Chips Orange Bundt Cake by Basic N Delicious
- Chocolate Mocha Bundt Cake by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Godiva Hot Chocolate mini Bundt cakes by Our Good Life
- Hot Chocolate and Caramel Bundt Cake by I love Bundt Cakes
- Hot Chocolate and Churros Bundt Cake by Patty’s Cake
- Hot (Chocolate) Buttered Rum Bundt by The Crumby Cupcake
- Hot Chocolate Habanero Bundt Cake by Brunch with Joy
- Hot Chocolate Lavender Bundt Cake by Adventures in All Things Food
- Hot Cocoa Almond Bundt Cake by SimplyVeggies
- Irish Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by From Gate to Plate
- Kahlua Drenched Dark Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by Baking in Pyjamas
- Marshmallow Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by Palatable Pastime
- Mexican Hot Chocolate Bundt by Living the Gourmet
- Nutella y Toffee Bundt Cake by Los Chatos Chefs
- Orange Pisco White Chocolate Bundt by Food Lust People Love
- Peppermint Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by Making Miracles
- Peppermint Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by The Freshman Cook
- Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cake by The Spiced Life
- Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate Bundt by Tartacadabra
- Toffee Chip Hot Chocolate Pound Cake by Magnolia Days
- Venetian Drinking Chocolate Cake by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
- White Hot Chocolate Peppermint Bundt by Noshing With The Nolands
- White Hot Chocolate Pound Cake by My Catholic Kitchen
#BundtBakers is a group of bakers who meet monthly to bake Bundts around a chosen theme. We rotate hosts and share creations on our collective boards and pages.
