Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake, Soaked in Cointreau, Made From Scratch

It's not so easy to find a decadent chocolate bundt cake recipe made from scratch on the web. I fault the proliferation of advertising-dollar-driven recipe sites like about.com who offer minimal payment to anyone who can write up content for them which increases their web traffic and in turn their revenue dollars. Most recipes start with cake mix as the base--what's the point of that? So here is a made from scratch recipe for a really rich chocolate cake that should satisfy any chocolate lover. I made it last night for Touring and Tasting's Summer/Fall 2011 magazine release party and it garnered many compliments. Our lovely wine club manager, Shannon, hosted the soiree and cooked up a storm with a lavish spread of fresh caught crab claws, grilled albacore, tri-tip, vegetarian treats galore and, of course, great wine.

I had the chance to try some of the wines that will be in upcoming Touring and Tasting wine clubs: the Landmark Pinot Noir (supple and fruity, from Sonoma), Winderlea Pinot Noir (you can taste the French oak; grown on that coveted Jory soil--read about our visit),  Covington Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (I love their Sangiovese; this Cab was excellent as well) and Bianchi Syrah (a big, bold Syrah from Paso Robles).

The cake takes some time to make, so prepare yourself with a big chunk of time. I also whipped up a plate of meringue cookies (recipe from joyofbaking.com) served with fresh strawberries and whipped cream for those odd people (like myself) who don't eat chocolate. I piped the meringue using the flower attachment on the piping bag which gave a nice look to them, like a swirl of soft serve vanilla. These are melt-in-your-mouth meringue cookies. The next time I make them, I'm going to swirl them into a nest to pool some homemade fruit compote inside, then top with whipped cream and toasted almonds--yum.

Touring and Tasting is now over 15 years old and growing strong! Our talented wine club manager, Shannon, also shot the cover photo for the upcoming issue--soon to be in bookstores, airports, and hotels near you! The upcoming issue is the largest yet. Did you know Touring and Tasting was started with a few thousand dollars charged to a credit card? Now the magazine has a distribution of over 100,000 and hundreds of wine club members who enjoy tasting hand-selected wines. The Cellar Tour is the most popular club.

COINTREAU SOAKED TRIPLE CHOCOLATE DECADENCE CAKE
Cake Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups cake flour, sifted into measuring cup
1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup chocolate pudding

1/4 cup Cointreau

4 eggs 

1/4 cup milk 

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cointreau soaking concoction:
4 tablespoons butter 

1/2 cup Cointreau

1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Sweet whipped cream ingredients
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. lemon extract
Other ingredients
1 cup chocolate frosting (I used store bought but homemade is better)
About 1/4 cup strawberry jam
Fresh strawberries, about a pint
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray and flour a bundt pan. Sift together pre-sifted cake flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt into mixer bowl. Add the pudding, Cointreau, eggs, milk, vanilla and oil and beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, then mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan, then sprinkle the top with chocolate chips and gently swirl them into the batter. Bake for 45 minutes, or until done when a toothpick comes out clean. Put the cake still in the bunt pan, on a wire rack. Bring butter, Cointreau and sugar to a boil in a small pan. Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla. Let cool for a few minutes. The top of the cake (which will become the bottom) will be uneven as the center rises more than the sides. With a bread knife, carefully cut the top of the cake flat. Drizzle the butter/sugar/Cointreau mixture over the cake evenly. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Whip the whipping cream in the mixer until it forms soft peaks. Add half the powdered sugar and mix it in, then the other half and mix it in. Add the lemon extract and whip together. Set aside. Use a knife to make sure the sides of the cake will not stick by inserting the knife between the cake and pan around the edges. Spread the strawberry jam over the top of the cake to coat it completely. Place a serving plate over the bundt pan, holding the dish with one hand and the bundt pan in the over, quickly invert them and pull up on the bundt pan to release the cake. Frost the cake using a pastry knife. Fill the center with sliced fresh strawberries, top with whipped cream, make a ring of whipped cream around the base, then decorate with whole fresh strawberries.

6/6/11 UPDATE:

I made the triple chocolate cake again, but soaked it in Kahlua and just dusted it with powdered sugar. It's so dense and rich that a sliver makes a serving. Use the above recipe for the chocolate bundt cake, substituting Kahlua for the Cointreau. For the soaking liquour, use the following:
4 tablespoons butter 

1/2 cup Kahlua

1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract