Four for Dinner

My friend RN gave me a rose shaped bundt cake pan that I’ve wanted to try for a while. The shape that it makes is so pretty and delicate looking. I don’t know why I haven’t used it, but probably because I’m usually making layer cakes or cakes in a tube pan (that you wouldn’t invert) or cupcakes or loaf cakes. Yeah, I make a lot of cake.

S and I are going to Grandma and WG’s for dinner tonight. WG is making a duck on the rotisserie. He made one last year and it was out of this world. Crisp, moist. It didn’t taste fatty, but I wouldn’t want to get my cholesterol checked right afterward. WG picks fantastic fruit and we have been told there will be some good melon on hand. I said that I would bring dessert.

Since Grandma and WG are chocoholics, I thought I’d bring something a little decadent, but not overly so. And, I wanted to bring something that would last for a while, maybe even improve with age. I started looking at bundt cake recipes and so many that were on-line were made by doctoring cake mixes, which I love, generally, but also don’t generally make (or have in the house). I happened upon a recipe for a vegan chocolate bundt cake that seemed pretty similar to the vegan chocolate cake that I have made many times. This one used olive oil and balsamic vinegar, instead of regular vegetable oil and cider vinegar. Hmmm. I like that idea, but I thought I’d need eggs for structure in the larger cake. I did a little more searching and a little bit more fiddling. I’m hoping that what I came up with tastes good!


Chocolate Bundt Cake
serves 16

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa, natural, not dutched
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
5 eggs
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup coffee (or 1 cup water mixed with 1 tsp. instant coffee)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Spray a bundt pan with non-stick baking spray.

Sift dry ingredients together into a medium sized bowl. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, olive oil, coffee, vanilla extract and balsamic vinegar. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the large bowl of wet ingredients. Stir until well mixed, but not lump free. Take care not to over mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 30 minutes. Invert the cake onto a platter. Dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.