Triple Chocolate Applesauce Bundt Cake

Brunchner posts have been noticeably missing over the past two weeks. Fear not! My love of cooking and enjoying food has not fallen awry. Over the past 18-weeks I have been enjoying meals more than ever to fuel a rigorous ING NYC Marathon training regimen. If you think there are not enough meals in a day, consider marathon training! At peak weekly mileage you may be able to enjoy almost 5 full meals a day, and it will be a lot of fun. Completing the marathon on Sunday, November 7^th proved to be nothing shy of an extraordinary experience after much anticipation, excitement and nerves. Give a girl a day off of work for post-marathon recoup and she will cook – a bundt (!) – well, after staying in bed for half of the day.

Hello, Triple Chocolate Applesauce Bundt Cake. This is a majestically rich cake with an identifiable taste of applesauce within the batter. Applesauce is frequently used as a healthy recipe substitution for oil or other fats; neither the case in this recipe nor did I make any alterations as it adds flavor and additional moisture to the cake for an indulgent treat. The Food & Wine recipe I followed called for only chocolate chips. I added 1/2 c Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder to give the batter a deep chocolate color, then poured a Deep Chocolate Glaze over the cooled top – delicious, and not overpowering additions for a chocolate lover.

I definitely recommended enjoying this cake alongside a tall glass of milk. To me, there is something fun and almost novel about making a bundt. The classic donut shape makes cutting and portioning a breeze. Bundts are heavy in weight and often dense in texture and flavor; almost similar to a pound cake. Consider a bundt for a holiday gathering or brunch menu item, accompany with coffee in the morning or bring to the office for a mid-day sweet; they are not terribly often seen given the spectrum of modern day, trendy sweets, but will be wildly received.

Triple Chocolate Applesauce Bundt Cake 
Adapted from Food & Wine
Makes 12 servings

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups unsweetened applesauce
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 cups (about 12-ounce) semisweet-chocolate chunks

Deep Chocolate Glaze
From Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker

Ingredients
8 ounces Scharffen Berger 62% Cacao Semisweet Chocolate
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons sweet butter

Preparation

For the Triple Chocolate Applesauce Bundt Cake 
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. *For chocolate cakes, dust the pan with cocoa powder instead of flour so the resulting cake does not show traces of white “chalk” when unmolded.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the granulated sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, cloves and pepper. Whisk in the applesauce, eggs, oil and melted butter. Fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.
4. Transfer the pan to a rack and let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then invert it onto the rack and let cool completely, about 20 minutes. Pour the Deep Chocolate Glaze over the cake, letting the chocolate run down the sides.

For the Deep Chocolate Glaze
1. Heat the chocolate, cream, and butter in the top of a double boiler. Stir gently until the mixture is completely melted and smooth. Let stand until mixture thickens slightly, but still a pourable glaze.

Make Ahead: The bundt cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Leftover chocolate glaze may be refrigerate or frozen, then reheated to soften.