Cakes

Espresso Bundt Cake

espresso bundt cake
espresso bundt cake

There has been a slight chill in the air the past week – so naturally I found myself in the kitchen baking bundt cakes. I used to make an Espresso Bundt Cake back in my bakery days, but I found the recipe slightly lacking and dry when remaking it in my home kitchen. I decided to revamp my Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake, and was very happy with the results.

This cake is buttery and rich, with coffee flavor from both ground and brewed espresso, and, of course, one can never go wrong with chocolate glazed anything. 

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A few things

*I’ve been reading up a storm the last few weeks, trying to get all my summer books in. I just finished Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple and Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. Before that it was Leave it to Psmith by Wodehouse (which just might be my favorite Blandings Castle Wodehouse) and I just started The Women’s War by Dumas. 

*I got to see Over The Rhine perform last week, which was (and always is) amazing. They played a lot of songs from their new album, but also some favorite classics. The highlight of the evening was Karin singing Given Road – a song to her mother, who just passed away. She held us all spellbound as she sang of life and death and the thin veil that separates us from those who have traveled on. Leigh Nash opened for them, and I was a die-hard Sixpence None the Richer fan back in their Beautiful Mess days, so it was lovely to hear her again (it had been 23 years since I last heard her perform!). Anyway, I highly recommend checking both of them out if you haven’t. 

*My brother-in-law just opened a store at the Mall of America: Heritage Estate Co. They have a unique (and gorgeous) collection of jewelry, so please stop by and check them out if you are out mall walking in that part of town. They were previously opened in Southdale Mall for a year. 

*Interesting read from the Smithsonian about the Moon landing. (Also, I recently downloaded the SkySafari app on my iphone and LOVE it. You can hold your phone up to the sky and it will tell you the names of all the stars and planets you can (and can’t) see. It’s made us take time for nighttime star gazing, and it’s quite magical.) 

espresso bundt cake
espresso bundt cake
espresso bundt cake

More Bundt Cake Recipes:

espresso bundt cake

Espresso Bundt Cake with Chocolate Glaze

Servings: 8 servings
A buttery, rich bundt cake with coffee flavor from both ground and brewed espresso. Finished with a shiny chocolate glaze.
Sarah Kieffer
4.86 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

  • 3 cups [420g] all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups [3 sticks | 339g] unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 6 ounces [170g] cream cheese at room temperature
  • 3 cups [600g] granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons finely ground espresso
  • 6 large eggs at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup whole milk at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup espresso or strong coffee at room temperature
  • 3 ounces [85g] semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped into bite-sized pieces

Chocolate glaze

  • 6 ounces [170g] bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions

To make the cake

  • Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325ºF [160ºC]. Butter and flour a 10-inch 12-cup [25 cm – 2.9L] nonstick Bundt pan.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt together. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until light and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sugar and ground espresso and turn the mixer up to medium high. Mix for 3 to 5 minutes, making sure to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula periodically. The butter and sugar should be light and fluffy.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for about 30 seconds after each addition. Periodically stop the mixer and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.
  • On low speed, add the milk, followed by half the flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Add the brewed espresso, and then the remaining flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer, add the chopped chocolate, and give the mixture a few more turns with a spatula to make sure it’s combined completely. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the pan lightly on the counter to remove any large air bubbles.
  • Bake the cake until it is golden and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 65 minutes, depending on the pan. Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then carefully un-mold it onto a rack to cool a bit more before glazing (I often chill the cake in the refrigerator overnight, wrapped in plastic, before glazing).

For the glaze

  • Place the chocolate in a small bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until it is simmering and just about to boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let sit for 5 minutes.
  • Remove the plastic wrap and whisk until completely smooth. Coat the cake with the ganache while the ganache is still warm, but the cake has cooled. Let the ganache set before slicing the cake.
  • Reply
    Pauleen
    Sunday, November 26, 2023 at 9:39 am

    Looking forward to trying! It sounds amazing!
    I have a smaller 6 cup bundt pan so planning on making a half batch – how long would you recommend the cooking time be? Around 40 min maybe? Looking forward to hearing – thanks in advance.

  • Reply
    Amanda
    Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 8:51 pm

    Can instant expresso powder work in this recipe?

  • Reply
    Gina DeMarco
    Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 5:31 pm

    Can this cake be made WITHOUT the cream cheese? I hate cream cheese.
    Please reply soon as I want to make this, I love everything coffee!! Thank you

    • Reply
      Lori
      Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 7:28 pm

      Leaving out the cream cheese would substantially alter the ratio of dry to wet ingredients. I suggest finding a different recipe.

  • Reply
    Alexis
    Monday, September 12, 2022 at 10:30 pm

    5 stars
    Haven’t finished baking it yet, but the batter tastes like clouds! That said, it made a preposterous amount of batter! I filled a Bundt as well as three mini bundts. Did I do something wrong?

  • Reply
    Rich D
    Sunday, April 24, 2022 at 7:56 am

    4 stars
    I too had to increase the baking time, up to 75 minutes but now the crust in places is hard. I this ok? This is my first bundt in a new pan. Would a lower temperature yield a softer crust? Just an FYI, I do use an oven thermometer, checked the calibration, and my oven is right on.

    • Reply
      Sarah Kieffer
      Thursday, May 26, 2022 at 11:14 am

      Often Bundt cakes have a hard crust when first baked, especially if you are using a dark colored pan. If you wrap it in plastic, the next day it should have softened considerably. The glaze will also help soften it.

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  • Reply
    Abby
    Saturday, September 7, 2019 at 10:25 am

    SUCH a dreamy bundt cake, Sarah. I wish I had an oven so I could bake this. <3

  • Reply
    maria
    Friday, August 30, 2019 at 7:41 am

    this cake was great, a very moist and dense texture that went perfectly with the ganache. It did take longer that 60 mins to bake in my oven, and I increased the temp at the end to brown it a bit more (I find bundts release more easily when browned too).

  • Reply
    Floranet
    Thursday, August 29, 2019 at 12:41 am

    Great Post!! Absolutely amazing.

  • Reply
    Shannon
    Sunday, August 25, 2019 at 8:06 am

    The confusing question marks on my comment above were smile emoji but must not translate and appear as question marks. 🙂

    • Reply
      Sarah
      Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at 9:36 am

      No worries, ha! 🙂

  • Reply
    Shannon
    Sunday, August 25, 2019 at 8:03 am

    The confusing question marks on my comments above were smile emoticon, but must not translate! 🙂

  • Reply
    Shannon
    Sunday, August 25, 2019 at 8:00 am

    Good morning Sarah!
    Wow, what a beautiful compliment from Patty above! Well said ?
    Wondering, I have instant espresso powder in the jar….can I use that instead of espresso grounds? I have regular ground coffee,but not ground espresso. If I can, how much powder should I use?
    This month I changed my life in a major way and in the process of fulfilling a years long dream and career change all at once. I moved from a TC suburb to the beautiful north shore town of Grand Marais, MN. Staying in a small cottage until our new home is being built (with almost the same dream kitchen I left behind in Woodbury) and am working a dream job at the Cook County Whole Foods Co-op!! ?. I’m surrounded by stunning scenery, laid back folks and beautiful healthy food and am SO happy I made this change! Change is hard, change is good,change is necessary and change is harder as you get older (40’s) 😉 ending a 23 year Flight Attendant career to work at this beautiful Co-op is such a blessing! Who’s ever grouchy in a co-op right!. As opposed to passengers on airplanes….?
    Making this cake for my new co-workers would be perfect ?
    Looking forward to your next book, when does it come out?
    Happy Sunday
    Ps. I’m borealbakermn on Instagram ?

  • Reply
    James
    Sunday, August 25, 2019 at 4:26 am

    Can’t wait to make this except with Lebanese Coffee which is flavoured with Cardamom! !!!

  • Reply
    Kelly
    Saturday, August 24, 2019 at 10:55 pm

    What if one can’t stand the smell or taste of coffee? What can be substituted for the coffee and espresso? Something along the lines of hot cocoa?

    • Reply
      Sarah
      Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at 9:38 am

      Hi Kelly – I would suggest making a different recipe; if you search ‘bundt cake’ in the search bar, a bunch of different ones will come up. Otherwise, you could omit the coffee grounds and replace the coffee with milk. Hot cocoa wouldn’t work here – it wouldn’t be enough to make the chocolate flavor come through.

  • Reply
    Patty Kenny
    Saturday, August 24, 2019 at 9:36 am

    Hi,
    Whenever I have been in a mood, that I wish I could shake, I read your blog. Often, your poetic writings, your vulnerable observations, and your links to music and writing help put the ground back under my feet. Nothing is more centering than being reminded that we all have our moments where ugliness, cruelty, struggle, and worry make us feel isolated. Because if someone else can write about it in a way that is recognizable, then we aren’t alone. This summer has been a serious challenge for my husband and me. Emergency back surgeries, his 3 weeks after mine, having to do things my back wasn’t ready to do; and then, one complication for him after another (the latest, blood clots in both legs), resulting in a vital man being rendered to bed and a wheelchair for months and my limited physical abilities making things more overwhelming. Our frailties were an ever-present threat to us these past months. But, I could go to your blog for comfort, in the quiet of night after putting him to bed. Your recipes are remarkable, and your writing allowed me to see some beauty in the mess of life. Since this post chronicled some of your readings of late, I wondered if you have read, Once More We Saw Stars, by Jayson Greene. If not, I recommend it. Stunning prose, detailing the worst of tragedies and the ability to rise out of it with a strengthened love for this life. We really are thirsty for those stories in the midst of our tumultuous times. Thank you for giving yourself to this blog, because it really does do even more than share delicious recipes. It gives respite.

    • Reply
      Sarah
      Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at 9:32 am

      Hi Patty – Thank you so much for this note. I am sending you an email right now; wishing you much peace. – Sarah

  • Reply
    Aafke
    Saturday, August 24, 2019 at 7:19 am

    Looks perfect and so beautiful. Need to make it one of these days. However, there seems to be a discrepancy in your grams of butter. 1 stick ( 1/2 cup) is about 113.5 grams, 1 cup butter is about 227 grams, so 1 1/2 cups butter should be about 340 grams. But thank you for your lovely recipe. Love your website!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      Saturday, August 24, 2019 at 9:30 am

      Thank you for letting me know! I had meant to type 339g and it looks like I hit 2’s instead of 3’s. I fixed it. 🙂

  • Reply
    Natalie
    Saturday, August 24, 2019 at 2:37 am

    Such a great cake! Looks perfect with a cup of coffee ?

  • Reply
    Becky
    Saturday, August 24, 2019 at 12:06 am

    Hooray for a coffee flavored cake! I know what I am baking this weekend. Ground espresso like you’d use in an espresso machine? Not instant espresso powder?

    • Reply
      Sarah
      Saturday, August 24, 2019 at 9:31 am

      Yes! I just use actual espresso grounds – they add a lot of flavor, and I find I have espresso around more than instant espresso powder. You could also use finely ground coffee, too.

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