I was very excited to pick today’s Baking with Dorie recipe for Milk Chocolate Mini Bundt Cakes. I am a big fan of chocolate cake, and mini desserts, so this was perfect for me! Thankfully I was feeling well enough today to tackle this recipe and make a big batch of homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs. Quite the productive day for a change!
We had one of my very best friends and her daughter over for dinner tonight to enjoy the spaghetti and the mini bundts. Dinner of course was comical with a 2-year old and 6-year old chowing down on pasta and cracking each other up. When it was time for dessert, the kids opted for yogurt, so that left the cakes for us adults! So while the kiddos chased each other in circles around my house, we sat in the dining room enjoying these divine little cakes. Rather than make the chocolate glaze for the cakes, I topped mine with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some strawberries. YUM! We all especially loved the nuts that are baked in the middle of the cakes. These were a hit with the husband, my friend, and even my picky-as-of-late palate. I would definitely make these again…they are so cute, and so delicious!
Check out the Baking with Dorie blogroll to see how the other fabulous bakers did with these cakes. Thanks everyone for baking along with me! You can find this recipe on pages 188-189 of Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours, or keep scrolling down. The recipe for September 13th are the Chocolate Chunkers on pages 70-71. Can’t wait for those…they look amazing!
Milk Chocolate Mini Bundt Cakes
For the swirl:
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp sugar
For the cake:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
7 ounces premium-quality milk chocolate, melted and cooled
For the glaze:
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tsp light corn syrup
1 Tbsp chopped toasted walnuts or pecans (optional)
Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 6-mold mini Bundt pan.
To Make the Swirl: Toss the nuts, cocoa, and sugar together in a small bowl.
To Make the Cake: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the egg and beat for 1 minute more, then beat in the vanilla. Don’t be concerned if the mixture looks curdled – it will smooth out soon. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half the flour mixture, mixing only until incorporated. Add the milk, and when it is blended into the batter, add the remaining flour mixture, again mixing just to incorporate. Finally, add the melted chocolate and mix to blend.
Fill each of the mini Bundt molds with a little batter, then divide the swirl ingredients evenly among the molds and top off the Bundts with the remaining batter.
Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the centers of the cakes comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and allow the cakes to rest for 5 minutes, then invert them onto the rack and let them cool to room temperature.
To Make the Glaze: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of water on or in the microwave oven (which I think is more convenient for such a small quantity of chocolate). Stir in the corn syrup. Using a small offset spatula or a table knife, spread the shiny glaze over the tops of the Bundts, then scatter the nuts, if you’re using them, over the glaze. Let the glaze set at room temperature; it will take about 15 minutes.
The Rookie Baker 
