Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake

By AzWench

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) package semisweet chocolate baking squares, coarsely chopped
• 1 (16-ounce) can chocolate syrup
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Garnish: powdered sugar

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH for 30-second intervals until melted (about 1 1/2 minutes total). Stir in chocolate syrup until smooth.

2. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

3. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla and melted chocolate just until blended. Pour batter into a greased and floured 14-cup Bundt pan.

4. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour). Garnish, if desired.

Tip: To ensure the Bundt cake releases easily from the pan, use a pastry brush to generously coat the inside with solid vegetable shortening. Then sprinkle with flour, tilting, and tapping the pan to evenly cover all the narrow crevices. If the pan has a nonstick coating, a vegetable cooking spray made especially for baking, such as Pam Baking or Crisco with Flour, works equally well.