Chocolate Bundt Cake Wreath (Print version)
Festive chocolate Bundt shaped like a wreath, glazed and topped with sugared cranberries and rosemary.
# What you need:
→ Bundt Cake
01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (310 g)
02 - 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (90 g)
03 - 2 tsp baking powder
04 - 1/2 tsp baking soda
05 - 1/2 tsp salt
06 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks, 225 g)
07 - 2 cups granulated sugar (400 g)
08 - 4 large eggs
09 - 1 tbsp vanilla extract
10 - 1 1/2 cups buttermilk (360 ml)
→ Chocolate Glaze
11 - 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (170 g)
12 - 1/2 cup heavy cream (120 ml)
13 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
→ Wreath Decoration
14 - 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
15 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
16 - 4–5 sprigs fresh rosemary
17 - Powdered sugar, for dusting
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan, ensuring every crevice is coated to prevent sticking.
02 - In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the room-temperature butter and granulated sugar using an electric mixer until pale, light, and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Blend in the vanilla extract until evenly distributed.
05 - Alternately add the sifted dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Fold gently until just combined—do not overmix.
06 - Pour the batter evenly into the prepared Bundt pan, smoothing the surface with a spatula to ensure uniform baking.
07 - Bake on the center rack for 45–50 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the thickest part of the cake emerges clean.
08 - Let the cake rest in the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully invert onto a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before glazing.
09 - In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium-low until just steaming. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and butter in a heatproof bowl. Let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until silky smooth.
10 - Drizzle the chocolate glaze over the fully cooled cake, allowing it to cascade naturally down the sides for an elegant finish.
11 - Lightly dampen fresh cranberries with water, then roll in granulated sugar until evenly coated. Allow to dry on a wire rack. Arrange the sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs atop the glazed cake in a wreath pattern. Finish with a light dusting of powdered sugar for a snowy holiday effect.
# Expert advice:
01 -
- The chocolate glaze drips down the ridges like melted velvet and makes you look like a professional pastry chef with almost zero effort.
- Sugared cranberries and rosemary turn a simple cake into a showstopper that photographs beautifully and tastes even better.
02 -
- I once tried to rush the cooling step and the glaze slid right off the warm cake in a puddle, so patience really matters here.
- Greasing the Bundt pan with melted butter and a pastry brush reaches every crevice better than spraying alone.
03 -
- Tapping the filled Bundt pan firmly on the counter before baking releases trapped air bubbles that cause ugly tunnels in the finished cake.
- A squeeze bottle gives you far more control than a spoon when drizzling the glaze over those dramatic ridges.