Bittersweet Chocolate-Walnut Bundt Cake

I bought this book, Intensely Chocolate by Carole Bloom, thinking that there have got to be some good recipes in it.  But I was slightly disappointed by this recipe; though the appearance is quite beautiful, the taste is not what I expected.  Perhaps, because there is not egg nor butter in the cake, instead, sour cream and buttermilk are used to replace the fat.  As with a cake without egg or butter, the texture is slightly dense, with open crumbs; the chocolate flavor though is quite wholesome.  The result is exactly like the photo in the book, it came out beautifully from the pan just like that.

Still, it is not one of my favorite cakes to make, I have yet to learn to appreciate eating this type of cake.  But for people who are allergic to egg, I highly recommend this cake, it is chocolate and quite easy to make.

Bittersweet Chocolate-Walnut Bundt Cake

Yield 12-14 servings

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/3 cup turbinado sugar

1 1/4 cups walnuts, finely chopped

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into small chunks

2 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon chocolate extract, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degree F and place a rack in the center of oven.  Coat inside of the pan with melted butter using a pastry brush or paper towel.  Sprinkle the sides and center of pan with turbinado sugar.

Toast walnuts in the oven for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring often until the nuts are light golden.  Remove from oven and cool on rack.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda over a bowl.  Add brown sugar, salt, and nutmeg, and toss to blend completely.  Add the walnuts and bittersweet chocolate chunks and stir to blend thoroughly.

In a bowl of electric stand mixer, blend thoroughly buttermilk, sour cream, vanilla, and chocolate extract (if using) with a paddle attachment.  Add the flour mixture in 4 stages, blending well after each addition.  Stop often to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, then use a rubber spatula to smooth and even the top. Bake for 35 to 38 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a rack for 20 minutes.  Invert the pan onto the rack and lift the pan off the cake.  Let the cake cool completely on the rack.

Serve the cake at room temperature.

Source:  adapted from Intensely Chocolate: 100 Scrumptious Recipes for True Chocolate Lovers by Carole Bloom

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