Chocolate Bundt Cake with Orange Syrup

Baking is something I have come to like or should I say love. A few years back I would not have probably imagined I would bake as much as I do today. Though I bake year-round, my favorite baking season is between thanksgiving (pies!!) and X'mas/New Year (when I experiment with different cookie recipes). The cold weather makes it all the more reason to crank up the oven - enjoy the warmth and the aroma of the baked goodies that fill the house.

 
My latest addition to the baking collection is the bundt pan which I have been eyeing for a while. I love the presentation that a bundt cake provides and it sure is a crowd puller. Chocolate cake is one of the most loved cakes (at least in my household!) and presenting it as a bundt cake just makes it even more irresistible. The biggest challenge to baking chocolate cake is getting it to be moist. Even the best bakeries make chocolate cake/muffin that is very dry and crumb-y. Personally I like moist cakes and the recipe that I have adapted from here yields a very moist cake. I have replaced the ganache glaze with an orange syrup where the orange flavor melds extremely well with the strong chocolate flavor. And as the glaze soaks into the cake, each bite is lusciously moist.

Notes:

1. Proper greasing and flouring the bundt pan ensures that cake unmolds without sticking to the pan. So do not skip dusting with flour even if using a non-stick spray or non-stick pan. 
2. I find using oil yields a very moist cake esp. chocolate cakes. 
3. Use the best possible chocolate and cocoa powder to get a good chocolaty flavor. 
4. Under-baking rather than over-baking is suggested to keep the cake moist.

Ingredients
1/2 tbsp softened butter and 1 tbsp all-purpose flour - to prepare the bundt pan
2 oz bittersweet chocolate (either chips or bar, finely chopped)
3/4 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tbsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup strong fresh brewed coffee (at room temperature)
1 cup buttermilk

Orange Glaze 
Juice from 2 small oranges (I used Clementines that are in season now)
Orange zest for garnish
1 tsp Orange flower water or orange flavor
1 tsp Grand Marnier (optional)
1/4 cup sugar (adjust depending on the sweetness of the orange juice)

Method
Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Grease the bundt pan with softened butter and dust with 1 tbsp of the flour.
Melt chocolate in a small pan on low heat or in the microwave oven. Let it cool.
In a bowl sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. 
Stir coffee and buttermilk in another small bowl. Set aside.
Scrape the chocolate into a mixing bowl, add sugar and oil. Whisk by hand or using a hand mixer until well combined.
Add the egg and whisk for a minute or so.
Add half of the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture along with half of the coffee/buttermilk mixture. Whisk until well combined.
Add the remaining flour mixture, coffee mixture and whisk until smooth.
Pour into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 45 min or until knife inserted close to the center comes out moist with just a few crumbs.
Let it cool completely before unmolding the cake.

Orange glaze: In a small saucepan combine orange juice and sugar. Set it on a low flame. Stir until sugar dissolves (about 4-5 minutes). Add the orange flavoring and grand marnier (if using). Stir and remove it from heat. Let it cool just a bit. 

Arranging the cake: Spoon half the glaze evenly over the cooled cake. Let it stand for a few minutes so the glaze is absorbed. Now spoon the rest of the glaze over the cake. Garnish with orange zest. Let it stand for atleast a few hours or overnight before serving.

This will be my entry to Pari's "'Only' - cakes and cookies" event. 

Enjoy !!