These Mini Dark Chocolate Chambord Bundt Cakes are so rich and velvety you’ll only need a few bites to satisfy your sweet tooth!
Watching your loved one in pain is one of the most helpless feelings in the world. The good news is that Jeff’s neck surgery was a success and he is on the road to recovery.
It’s an uphill battle from this point forward. But the week has been absolutely exhausting. I can’t even express how touched I am by all of the support I have received both here and in emails. You all are amazing.
This ordeal has been a reminder of how fragile we are and how lucky I am to have such an amazing husband.
I made these mini chocolate Chambord bundt cakes last week before everything got crazy. As usual, I made the recipe several times but this time it took me a bit longer to reach a point where I was completely happy with the results.
On my first attempt I made a dark chocolate port wine sauce instead of using Chambord Liqueur. The sauce was amazing and the cake was delicious but they did not go together at all. I will share the port wine chocolate sauce soon. I think it would taste amazing with vanilla ice cream.
What is Chambord?
Chambord is a black raspberry liqueur and has a more delicate flavor that pairs nicely with the cake without overwhelming it.
I also reworked the cake recipe. It was delicious the first time but very light and spongy. While I love a light cake, it didn’t do a good job conforming to the bundt molds. The pretty lines weren’t as defined as I would have liked them to be.
To fix this, I added melted dark chocolate to create more of a brownie consistency. There will still be a few air bubbles here and there but this version is more compact without being overly dense.
Natural Vs. Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder
This recipe uses Dutch-process cocoa powder. Did you know that different types of cocoa powder can produce different results in your recipe? If you’d like to know more about this, check out my post Natural vs. Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder.
Mini Dark Chocolate Chambord Bundt Cakes
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 3 1/2 ounces cake flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ounce Dutch-processed cocoa powder (I recommend Valrhona)
- 1/2 cup half & half, or 1/4 cup heavy cream + 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon Chambord Liqueur
- 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted (see notes)
- 3 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
- 7 ounces granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
For the sauce:
- 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons Chambord Liqueur
Instructions
Prepare the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place an oven rack in the middle position. Lightly grease a mini bundt pan (I prefer using baking spray with powder).
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Sift in the cocoa powder and whisk until the dry ingredients are evenly combined. In a separate small bowl, combine the half and half, Chambord and vanilla extract.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on low speed for 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, allowing each egg to incorporate before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the melted chocolate. With the mixer still on low speed, swiftly alternate between adding the dry and liquid ingredients over the course of a minute. Scrape down the sides well, making sure to reach the bottom of the bowl. Turn the mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds.
- Distribute the batter evenly between the mini bundt molds.
- Bake until the a toothpick comes out of the center of one of the cakes, approximately 22 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool for ten minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack. If the cake has risen above the top of the pan, use the underside of a baking sheet to gently press the cake into the molds before turning them out onto the racks. This will create a more dense cake.
Prepare the sauce:
- Heat a medium saucepan with approximately 2-3 inches of water over high heat. Place a metal bowl on top of the saucepan and add the bittersweet chocolate, heavy cream and Chambord.
- As the water boils and turns to steam, gently stir the ingredients together as they melt. If it looks like the sauce is getting too hot, remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the sauce to continue melting over the residual steam.
- Serve over the chocolate cakes.
Notes
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Recipe Troubleshooting
For immediate help troubleshooting a recipe, please email me using the form on my contact page. I’ll try to respond to urgent questions as quickly as possible! For all general questions, please leave a comment here :)
Valerie says
What handsome, debonair little bundt cakes! I need one (or four) in my life right now. :D
I’m happy to hear the surgery was a success! Noting rejuvenates the soul like a long sigh of relief in knowing all will be well. xo
Valerie says
*edit* That last sentence should have said “Nothing…” not “Noting.”
So much for being prolific. (I blame the rum.)
Two Red Bowls says
I didn’t get a chance to comment on this earlier this week, but not only are these cakes gorgeous and decadent (I love that you perfected the recipe for us before posting, that dedication is so admirable) but I am so happy to hear that your husband is on the road to recovery. There’s nothing harder than seeing a loved one in pain, just like you said — I can’t imagine your relief that he’s on the mend. Thank you for this post in the midst of a tough time for you!
Kathryn says
I’m so glad to hear that Jeff’s surgery went well; I hope you can start to relax and enjoy the holiday season a bit now xo
Lindsay @ Life, Love and Sugar says
I’m glad your husband is recovering well! This bundt cake looks absolutely decadent! OMG! Definitely pinned.
Rosanna says
I can’t resist Chambord and chocolate and these miniature bundt cakes look particularly enticing. Great photos! I want to eat one right now.
Culinary Cory says
Oh my! These little cuties look and sound amazing.
Kirsten@FarmFreshFeasts says
Jen,
I hope Jeff’s road to recovery is as smooth as possible. It’s a very helpless feeling when your spouse is hurting, and though you’d wish surgery to make it instantly better for him, it takes time.
Hang in there–though with trials of cake like this it should be . . . yummy.
Nutmeg Nanny says
Oh my, this looks divine! I bet it tastes just amazing :)
Reina says
These look amazing. I have tried the cake recipe twice with muddled results, however. First cakes fell (but were delicious). Second try boiled over while baking leaving cake batter residue all over the pan and bits of carmelized cake on a cookie sheet (also delicious). Any thoughts on what I’m doing incorrectly? I also noticed that you don’t really describe when to add the half n half chambord mixture; Perhaps this is my error. I added this after the melted chocolate.
Jennifer Farley says
Hi Reina, sorry you’re having difficulties! The half and half/Chambord mixture is the “liquid mixture” and the flour, etc is the “dry mixture.” The ingredients state “With the mixer still on low speed, swiftly alternate between adding the dry and liquid ingredients over the course of a minute.” You definitely want to follow this step to ensure the correct batter consistency (as opposed to adding the dry all at once at the end). If you made it the same way twice and got different results, you may want to check the date on your baking powder. Good luck!
Colleen (Souffle Bombay) says
Beautiful! I make so many things with Chambord -its truly one of my favorite ingredients! I adore your (pewter maybe??) plate!
Gina Guthrie says
These look AMAZING! I think I’d like to save this recipe for a sweet valentines day dessert.
Judy says
Raspberries and Chocolate are a favorite flavor combination. I’ll need to get myself a mini bundt pan.
Jackie Blades says
Another job well done. Excellent ingredients Exquisite taste
Marale Garabetian says
Hi Jen,
I am glad your husband is doing better!
Is it possible to make this in a 10-cup or smaller bundt pan or two 8-inch pans?
Thanks.