Chocolate Bundt Cake Wreath (Printable)
Decadent chocolate Bundt shaped as a festive wreath, finished with glossy glaze, sugared cranberries and rosemary.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cake
01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 2 tsp baking powder
04 - 1/2 tsp baking soda
05 - 1/2 tsp salt
06 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
07 - 2 cups granulated sugar
08 - 4 large eggs
09 - 1 tbsp vanilla extract
10 - 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
→ Chocolate Glaze
11 - 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
12 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
13 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
→ Decoration
14 - 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
15 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
16 - 4-5 sprigs fresh rosemary
17 - Powdered sugar, for dusting
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan thoroughly, ensuring every crevice is coated to prevent sticking.
02 - In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the room-temperature butter and granulated sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla extract until evenly distributed.
05 - Alternately add the sifted dry ingredients and buttermilk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined — avoid overmixing to maintain a tender crumb.
06 - Pour the batter evenly into the prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
07 - Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
08 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and let cool completely before glazing.
09 - In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream until just steaming. Pour it over the chocolate chips and butter in a heatproof bowl. Let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth and glossy.
10 - Drizzle the chocolate glaze over the fully cooled cake, allowing it to flow naturally down the sides.
11 - Lightly dampen the fresh cranberries with water, then roll them in granulated sugar to coat. Let them dry on a wire rack. Arrange the sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs on the cake to resemble a festive wreath. Dust lightly with powdered sugar for a snowy finish.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The cake is impossibly moist thanks to buttermilk and a full cup of cocoa powder working together.
- It looks like you spent all day on it but the wreath decoration takes maybe ten minutes.
02 -
- Grease every single crevice of the Bundt pan with softened butter and dust with flour or the cake will break apart on release.
- The cake must be completely cool before glazing because even slightly warm cake will melt the chocolate into a puddle.
03 -
- Tap the filled Bundt pan firmly on the counter a few times before baking to release trapped air bubbles that cause holes.
- Let the sugared cranberries dry on a wire rack for at least thirty minutes so the coating does not dissolve into the glaze.