My love for Bundt cakes is well known and well documented. And Renato and I obviously have a thing for peppermint as evidenced below:

So, it is perhaps not all that surprising that I was craving a chocolate peppermint Bundt cake, and it perhaps even less surprising that I made one and ate at least half of it. But what is surprising is that I made it in Baked’s very own limited edition Bundt pan.

Our Baked Bundt Pan will undoubtedly add some style and flair to your kitchen cabinet (or, if you are like me, you will leave it out in plain view for all the world to see). The Baked 12-cup Bundt is two-toned: creamy white non-stick interior, juxtaposed against a perfect Baked brown exterior. Made in America by Nordic Ware (of course). And it is heavy duty cast aluminum – the real deal – we promise you many, many solid years of Bundt baking with this pan (family heirloom?). Did I already mention that it is a limited edition? And yes, it makes a perfect holiday gift for baking fiends. Only available at Baked (our store and online) until we run out.

So, back to that Chocolate Peppermint Bundt cake I made in the new Baked Bundt pan.

While trying to organize our home office (an exercise in futility…but nonetheless), I unearthed an adorable cookbook that was gifted to me a year (or two) ago. I am always unearthing books and receipts and reward cards and Canadian dollars and ski lift passes and”notes to self”, but this felt different. This felt fated! The book, Cake Simple, is page after page of Bundt cake recipes and I found it (again) on the day our Baked Bundt pan arrived. FATE! I decided to test the pan with an adaptation of the Mint Chocolate Bundt from the book.

Peppermint lovers take note: a little bit of peppermint extract goes a long way so measure carefully – just because you LOVE peppermint does not mean you should double the amount suggested by the recipe unless you are a sadist. I added a tiny bit more chocolate (can’t help myself) and I decided to frost the Bundt with a basic, thick chocolate ganache…instead of the thinner mintier version suggested in the book (which still sounded delish).

Then I topped the “crown” with crushed candy canes.

The result was pure holiday happiness: chocolatey with a hint of mint and a bit of texture (thanks to the crushed candy canes). Between the beau and myself, we devoured this in a stunningly short time period. Beware and enjoy.

Peppermint Chocolate Bundt Cake recipe adapted from Cake Simple by Christie Matheson

2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup boiling water
1 cup sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup canola oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 10 cup Bundt pan with some melted butter and dust with cocoa powder (use a pastry brush to distribute throughout).

Put chocolate in a heatproof bowl, add boiling water and whisk until chocolate is melted and misture is uniform. Set aside.

Whisk both sugars in a medium bowl. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt over the sugars. Stir mixture to combine (break up any brown sugar clumps with your fingers).

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat buttermilk, eggs, both extracts, oil and melted chocolate on low speed until combined. Add the dry ingredients in two parts and beat until each part is incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat on medium low speed for 3 minutes. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes then invert onto wire rack. Cool completely.

Thick Chocolate Ganache (my Go To recipe)

Place 5 ounces of good quality dark chocolate (chopped) in a heat proof bowl. In a small saucepan bring a 1/4 cup of heavy cream and 2 Tablespoons of light corn syrup just to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Let stand for one minute. Stir until mixture is smooth/chocolate is completely melted. Let stand until room temp.

Glaze the Bundt

Line a baking sheet with parchment. Place the baking sheet underneath the cooling rack holding the Bundt (in theory this thick ganache shouldn’t run down the cake and onto the baking sheet, but just in case…). Slowly, very slowly, drip about half the ganache onto the crown of the cake. Chill the cake for 5 minutes in the fridge, then add the rest of the ganache. Top with crushed candy canes. Serve immediately (with vanilla ice cream!!!???).