Deep Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake, Gluten Free

Instructions

1. 1

   Paint the pan

   Stir the melted butter and 1 tablespoon cocoa into a thin paste. Using a pastry brush, work it into every ridge, crease, and up the center tube of a 12-cup Bundt pan until the whole interior looks matte brown. This beats flour, which leaves pale streaks on a dark cake, and it is the single biggest factor in a clean release. Slide the pan into the fridge while you mix.

2. 2

   Whisk the dry ingredients

   In a large bowl, whisk the gluten-free flour blend, xanthan gum, cocoa, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt for a solid 30 seconds. If your blend already lists xanthan or guar gum, leave the extra gum out or the cake will turn gummy.

3. 3

   Combine the wet ingredients

   In a second bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth, then whisk in the oil, sour cream, buttermilk, and vanilla until uniform. Stir the espresso powder into the hot coffee and set it aside; it deepens the chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee.

4. 4

   Bring the batter together

   Pour the wet mixture into the dry and whisk until smooth, then slowly stream in the hot coffee while whisking. There is no gluten to overdevelop here, so whisk confidently until every lump of starch is gone.

5. 5

   Rest the batter

   Cover the bowl and let the batter sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. The rice flours and starches need this time to drink up the liquid, and skipping it is what leaves gluten-free cakes gritty. The batter will visibly thicken from thin and pourable to the consistency of heavy cream. Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C) with a rack in the lower third during the rest.

6. 6

   Fold in the chocolate

   Toss the chocolate chips with a teaspoon of the flour blend, then fold them in with a spatula, stirring just enough to redistribute anything that settled during the rest.

7. 7

   Fill and bake

   Pour the batter into the chilled pan, filling it no more than two-thirds full, and rap the pan firmly on the counter a few times. Bake 55 to 65 minutes. Gluten-free cakes hold moisture longer, so trust the thermometer over the skewer: the center should read 205 to 210°F (96 to 99°C) and the top should feel set and springy rather than tacky.

8. 8

   Cool and unmold

   Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, slightly longer than a wheat-flour cake, since the starch structure needs that extra time to firm up before it can support its own weight. Invert onto a rack and lift the pan straight up, then cool completely, at least 2 hours, before glazing.

9. 9

   Make the ganache

   Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream and corn syrup until it just begins to steam and bubble at the edges, pour it over the chocolate, and wait 3 minutes before whisking from the center outward until glossy. Let it thicken 5 to 10 minutes, until it coats a spoon like warm honey.

10. 10

    Glaze and serve

    Spoon the ganache over the crown of the cake so it runs down the ridges, then let it set for about 30 minutes before slicing with a long serrated knife.

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Baker's Tips

• 1.

  Weigh your flour if you can. A heavy-handed cup or two of flour is the difference between a fudgy cake and a dry one.

• 2.

  Cold sour cream, buttermilk, or eggs will make the batter seize and look curdled. Set them on the counter for 30 minutes, or warm the dairy briefly in the microwave in 10-second bursts.

• 3.

  No coffee? Use the same amount of boiling water. You lose a little depth but the cake still works.

• 4.

  If your Bundt pan is 10 cups rather than 12, bake any extra batter as a few cupcakes for 18 to 20 minutes instead of overfilling the pan.

• 5.

  This cake is genuinely better on day two, once the crumb has settled and the chocolate flavor has rounded out. Bake it the day before a party.

• 6.

  For a lighter finish, skip the ganache entirely and dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar just before serving.