Buttermilk Mexican Chocolate Chile Bundt Cake: Cinco de Mayo

Here's one of my favorite Chocolate Cake recipes: Buttermilk Mexican Chocolate Cake. It's perfect for Cinco de Mayo or any time. I adapted this from a recipe in Southern Living a few years ago. I add ground chiles and use Taza Mexican Chocolate with Chiles for a little more kick. I bake this pound cake in a bundt pan. It's quick, easy, and delicious.

Buttermilk Mexican Chocolate Chile Bundt Cake

Ingredients
8 oz chopped dark (65-75% cacao)chocolate (I use either Taza Chipotle Chili Chocolate Mexicano or Guajillo Chili Chocolate Mexicano, but you can use any dark chocolate)
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 cup chocolate syrup
2 teaspoons Mexican vanilla
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ancho chiles
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk 

Directions
Melt chocolate in saucepan over saucepan of simmering water.
Beat butter at medium speed with electric mixer 2 minutes or until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating 5 to 7 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Stir in melted chocolate, chocolate syrup, and vanilla until smooth.
Combine flour and next 4 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Pour batter into a greased and floured 12-cup Bundt pan.
Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and let cool for another hour.

National Chocolate Pound Cake Day

Today is National Chocolate Pound Cake Day. I've posted various pound cake recipes such as Kay Barley's Chocolate Walnut Pound Cake on Bittersweet Chocolate Day,  and here's another of my favorite Chocolate Pound Cake recipes that I've adapted from Southern Living. I've added ground chiles for a little more kick, but you knew I'd do that.

Buttermilk-Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake

8 oz chopped dark organic fair-trade chocolate
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 cup chocolate syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla (Madagascar)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ancho chiles
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
* Dust with powdered sugar (optional)


1. Melt chocolate in a saucepan over a saucepan of boiling water.

2. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating 5 to 7 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Stir in melted chocolate, chocolate syrup, and vanilla until smooth.

3. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Pour batter into a greased and floured 12-cup Bundt pan.

4. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan to a wire rack, and let cool for another hour. Garnish with powdered sugar if you feel like it.

Interested in learning more about Food Celebrations in March. Check out Months of Edible Celebrations! Louise has everything you need to know... and then some!