Chocolate Bundt Cake - Joy the Baker

I was excited to receive Joy the Baker, cookbook.  I have followed Joy, for a while on her blog and have made a number of her recipes, all successes.  I had also read, on a number of blogs, reviews of the new book.

I expected to like this book and I do, for a number of reasons such as photos for each recipes, in your face photos, bold with the details standing out.  If you make a recipe, you know what your goal is.

I feel like, I know Joy by her descriptions and comments.  Her personality shines through and a real person is sharing with you.  Clarity is another strength.  I like the way she lays out the recipe and found them, easy to follow.

I hope to make a few recipes, in the near future, to get a real feel for the book.  So far, I like it, a lot.

The chocolate bundt cake  is rich with its chocolate.  The batter was thinner than I expected but it held together beautifully although the bottom (top of the bundt) came out with hills and valleys.  I can't imagine what I did to cause that, to happen,  Since it is the bottom, no one can see it and it is a beauty of a cake.  I used a swirly bundt pan which produces a classy looking cake and this deserves a classy outside; it is that good.

I am serving this at a barbecue in a week and I may frost it.  In my opinion, it doesn't need a frosting but for you icing people, I know it will enhance the cake and make my guests, even happier.

Chocolate Bundt Cake    makes one 10-inch bundt cake

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups freshly brewed hot coffee
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cooking oil

Method:
 
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan and set aside. (I may have over floured it because, when the cake came out of the oven, there was white on the edge of the swirls. 
 
In a small bowl, whisk together the coffee and cocoa powder until smooth and no lumps remain. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside

In another bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until thick and pale.

Add the sour cream and oil and whisk until well incorporated.

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until the flour is well incorporated. Add the coffee mixture and gently mix to incorporate, getting rid of all the bumps.  The batter should be loose and smooth.

Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake for around 40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool completely in the pan and then invert onto a cooling rack. Cake should be completely cooled before frosting.