Chocolate Bundt Christmas Wreath (Printer-Friendly)
A chocolate Bundt shaped like a wreath, glazed and topped with sugared cranberries and rosemary.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cake Batter
01 - 2½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
04 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
05 - ½ teaspoon salt
06 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
07 - 2 cups granulated sugar
08 - 4 large eggs
09 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
10 - 1½ cups buttermilk
→ Chocolate Glaze
11 - 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
12 - ½ cup heavy cream
13 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
→ Decoration
14 - ½ cup fresh cranberries
15 - ⅓ cup granulated sugar
16 - 4–5 sprigs fresh rosemary
17 - Powdered sugar, for dusting
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan thoroughly, ensuring all crevices are 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 with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
04 - Alternately add the sifted dry ingredient mixture and the buttermilk to the creamed butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined — do not overmix, as this will produce a dense crumb.
05 - Pour the batter evenly into the prepared Bundt pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
06 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully invert onto a wire cooling rack. Let cool completely before glazing.
07 - In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat until just steaming — do not boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and butter in a heatproof bowl. Let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth and glossy.
08 - Drizzle the chocolate glaze over the fully cooled cake, allowing it to flow naturally down the sides for an elegant drip effect.
09 - Lightly dampen the fresh cranberries with water, then roll them in granulated sugar until evenly coated. Let dry on a wire rack. Arrange the sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs around the top of the cake to resemble a holiday wreath. Dust lightly with powdered sugar for a snowy finish.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The cocoa powder in the batter creates a depth of chocolate flavor that tastes like you spent far more effort than you actually did.
- Those sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs on top make it look like a professional bakery centerpiece, yet the technique is surprisingly forgiving.
02 -
- Grease that Bundt pan like your life depends on it, every crevice, or the cake will stick and crumble when you flip it.
- The glaze thickens as it sits, so pour it while it is still warm and pourable for the most beautiful drips.
03 -
- Tap the filled Bundt pan firmly on the counter a few times before baking to release trapped air bubbles that cause ugly tunnels in the finished cake.
- A light mist of water on the cranberries before rolling them in sugar makes the crystals cling evenly without clumping.