Glazed chocolate bundt cake is a tall, dramatic chocolate cake with a tender crumb, deep cacao flavour, and a vanilla glaze dripping down its ridges. Melted cacao nibs and espresso powder give it serious depth while the bundt pan does all the decorating. Sixteen slices of showstopper cake with almost no decoration skill required.
SERVES 16
Ingredients
Cake
3 ounces cacao nibs, chopped fine
¾ cup cacao powder
1 teaspoon (5 ml) instant espresso powder
1 cup (240 ml) boiling water
1¾ cups almond flour
1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking soda
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
2 cups (480 ml) palm sugar
½ cup coconut oil
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract
Coconut oil for greasing Bundt pan
Vanilla Glaze (optional)
1 cup (240 ml) palm sugar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) coconut milk
1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
Preparation
1.В В Adjust oven rack to a lower-middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease the inside of a twelve-cup Bundt pan thoroughly with coconut oil.
2.В В Combine cacao nibs, cacao powder, and instant espresso powder in a large bowl. Pour the cup of boiling water over top and cover. Let sit for 5 minutes to melt the cacao nibs, then whisk smooth.
3.В В In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together.
4.В В Process melted cacao nibs mixture, palm sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla together in food processor until combined (about 1 minute). Transfer to a large bowl. Sift one-third of the flour mixture over batter and whisk until just a few streaks of flour remain. Repeat twice more with remaining flour mixture, then continue to whisk batter gently until most lumps are gone (do not overmix).
5.В В Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Wipe any drops of batter off sides of pan and gently tap pan on counter to settle batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (50 to 60 minutes), rotating pan halfway through baking. Allow cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan and cool completely on rack for about two hours.
For the Vanilla Glaze
Whisk all glaze ingredients together in a bowl until smooth, then drizzle evenly over the top of the cooled cake, letting it drip down the sides. Let glaze set for 15 minutes before serving.
Pro Tips
- Grease every ridge of the bundt pan thoroughly with coconut oil. A single missed spot and the cake tears on release — this is the step that matters most.
- Pour the boiling water over the cacao nibs and espresso and let it sit five minutes. Whisking it smooth is what gives the cake its glossy, intense chocolate base.
- Sift the flour over the batter in thirds and whisk gently — overmixing a large almond cake batter knocks out the air and the crumb turns dense.
- Let the cake cool ten minutes in the pan, then turn out and cool completely before glazing. A warm cake melts the glaze into a puddle at the base.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this without a bundt pan?
Yes — two nine-inch round pans work, though the bake time drops to around thirty minutes. The glaze drips just as beautifully over layers.
Is the espresso powder necessary?
It deepens the chocolate without making the cake taste like coffee. Skip it if you must, but the chocolate will taste slightly flatter.
How do I store the cake?
Airtight at room temperature for three days or refrigerated for a week. It stays remarkably moist thanks to the coconut oil and glaze.
Why did my cake stick to the pan?
Almost always under-greasing or cooling too long in the pan. Grease meticulously and turn it out at exactly ten minutes.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- 1. В В Adjust oven rack to a lower-middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease the inside of a twelve-cup Bundt pan thoroughly with coconut oil. 2. В В Combine cacao nibs, cacao powder, and instant espresso powder in a large bowl.
- Pour the cup of boiling water over top and cover.
- Let sit for 5 minutes to melt the cacao nibs, then whisk smooth. 3. В В In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together. 4. В В Process melted cacao nibs mixture, palm sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla together in food processor until combined (about 1 minute).
- Transfer to a large bowl. Sift one-third of the flour mixture over batter and whisk until just a few streaks of flour remain.
- Repeat twice more with remaining flour mixture, then continue to whisk batter gently until most lumps are gone (do not overmix). 5. В В Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Wipe any drops of batter off sides of pan and gently tap pan on counter to settle batter.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (50 to 60 minutes), rotating pan halfway through baking. Allow cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- Remove cake from pan and cool completely on rack for about two hours. For the Vanilla Glaze Whisk all glaze ingredients together in a bowl until smooth, then drizzle evenly over the top of the cooled cake, letting it drip down the sides.
- Let glaze set for 15 minutes before serving.
