Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes with Silky Ganache
These Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes are decadent individual treats or desserts with the richness of classic chocolate cake in mini bundt cake form, topped with silky smooth chocolate ganache. Decorate your mini chocolate bundt cakes with nuts, sprinkles, or chocolate shavings!
If you don't want to make and serve a traditional bundt cake, mini bundt cakes are the way to go! They look like sophisticated individual desserts, much like my Chocolate Peppermint Mini Bundt Cakes, don't require much recipe variation from a large bundt cake, and seem to get everyone really excited!
Why You'll Love This Chocolatey Recipe
- The instant coffee enhances the chocolatey flavor of these mini bundt cakes while it also helps to balance out the sweetness and richness!
- These mini bundt cakes are just as moist and fluffy as regular bundt cakes.
- Mini chocolate bundt cakes are cute alternatives to large traditional bundt cakes. They look great as an individual dessert that you can serve after dinner to impress your guests. They'll also steal the show at special occasions, such as bridal or baby showers, and other parties.
Make these indulgent mini chocolate bundt cakes any time of the year, decorated with your favorite optional toppings, and enjoyed with whipped cream or ice cream.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Granulated sugar – Granulated sugar offers a good amount of sweetness, but you could also use light brown sugar.
- Cocoa powder – Use an unsweetened cocoa powder if you can as these chocolate bundt cakes are already quite sweet.
- Flour – Regular all-purpose flour is my choice of sturdy flour for baking. Gluten-free all-purpose flour could be used instead, if needed.
- Baking powder and soda – To help give these mini chocolate bundt cakes a good rise.
- Salt – A little bit of salt in your batter will balance the flavors and also highlight them.
- Vegetable oil – I've chosen to use oil in this recipe to create a more moist and tender result. Unsalted butter could be used instead if you prefer a richer flavor and a more dense cake.
- Vanilla extract – For depth of flavor.
- Eggs – Bring your eggs to room temperature for easy mixing.
- Whole milk – Use full-fat milk for best flavor. Buttermilk is a great option if you want super moist mini chocolate bundt cakes.
- Instant coffee – The instant coffee naturally enhances the flavor of the chocolate, providing richness. Let the instant coffee reach room temperature before you mix it into the batter.
- Chocolate ganache – This decadent ganache is made with heavy cream and a melted chocolate bar of your choice.
How to Make the Best Mini Bundt Cakes
Just like regular bundt cake recipes, there are certain steps you can take to ensure that you get perfect-looking mini bundt cakes with the best flavor and texture. Here are some of my top tips to try:
For The Best Presentation
To prevent the baked mini chocolate bundt cakes from sticking to their molds, it's important that each mold is greased with non-stick cooking spray or butter, and then dusted with flour. Tap each mold to get rid of excess flour. This will ensure that you end up with perfectly shaped mini bundt cakes, without any of the cake remaining in the molds.
Allow the baked mini bundt cakes to sit in the molds for 15 minutes before attempting to remove them. This time allows the cake to cool sufficiently for easy removal and also helps the cake to set so that they are less fragile in handling and won't crumble apart.
Always cool the cakes completely before adding the chocolate ganache, or you will end up with a runny mess. Likewise, let the ganache cool to room temperature before pouring over the bundt cakes. Hot or warm ganache will be overly runny while overly cool ganache may be too thick to pour overly smoothly.
Only fill each mini bundt cavity about ¾ full. This will allow enough room for the cakes to rise without overflowing.
For The Best Texture
Just like any cake recipe, one of the first tips to ensure light and fluffy cake is to avoid overmixing the cake batter. Mix only until combined, and nothing more.
Always check the expiry date for rising agents, such as baking powder and baking soda. This will help the mini bundt cakes to achieve a good rise while baking.
Be sure to follow the baking time recommended in the recipe. Keep a close watch to avoid overbaking and drying out the mini bundt cakes.
Lastly, bring the eggs and milk to room temperature as this will help the batter mix more smoothly and evenly, resulting in an improved texture.
Make Ahead Instructions
Refrigeration Instructions:
Both the bundt cakes and the ganache can be made a few days ahead of serving and stored separately in the fridge. When ready to enjoy, simply allow both to sit at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes and then loosen the ganache with a splash of milk or cream to top the mini bundt cakes with.
Storage & Freezer
- Room Temperature: Store these mini chocolate bundt cakes (without the ganache) in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- Refrigeration: Mini chocolate bundt cakes with the ganache topping can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Wrap the mini bundt cakes (without the ganache) with plastic wrap and again with foil to store in an airtight container or sealable bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the cakes overnight in the fridge and add fresh ganache just before serving.
More Mini Cake Recipes
Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spoon and level
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup instant coffee room temperature
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 6 oz chocolate bar of choice I like to use 70% cacao
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the mini bundt pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk oil, vanilla, eggs, milk, and instant coffee.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, whisking until no lumps remain. Pour in room-temperature coffee and mix until just combined.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean (with a few crumbs on it). Let the cakes cool on a drying rack in the pan for 15 minutes before removing them from the pan. Cool the cakes completely before adding the ganache.
- In a saucepan on medium heat, bring heavy cream to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Next, remove from heat and add chopped chocolate to the pan. Place lid on chocolate chips and let sit without mixing for 5 minutes. Lastly, mix until combined. Let the ganache sit uncovered for 15 minutes or until it is room temperature before pouring it over your cakes.
Notes
David's Tips for Success
Coffee hack: Use instant espresso powder for deeper flavor.Room temp ingredients: Ensures even mixing and rise.
Ganache control:
- Thicker glaze: Cool ganache longer.
- Drizzle consistency: Use warm.
- Pan prep: Dust greased pans with cocoa powder to prevent sticking.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use a regular Bundt pan?
Yes! Bake 40-50 mins at 350°F (adjust servings to 10-12).
Can I omit coffee?
Yes, replace with ½ cup hot water + 1 tsp vanilla to help enrich the flavor.
Can I use milk chocolate for ganache?
Yes, but reduce cream to ½ cup (milk chocolate is softer). However, I prefer a chocolate bar with at least 70% cacao for a rich, smooth ganache.
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