Receta Mexican Chocolate Cake
This cake is moist and dense and very chocolate-y and is a nice addition to any celebratory table. I imagine that it is called Mexican Chocolate Cake because of the addition of cinnamon; I have read other versions that call for more cinnamon (up to 2 teaspoons), and the addition of cayenne pepper or ancho chili powder to add even more spice to the mix. While the additional spices are intriguing, I make mine this way to satisfy the kids in my circle who don’t like too much spice in their chocolate cake. The pecans in the glaze are perfect for nut-lovers, but you can leave them out if you like, and the glaze will be shiny, smooth and prettier to look at. The variations are many, but the cake is good anyway and I hope you enjoy it.
Mexican Chocolate Cake
10 to 12 servings
Ingredients:
Cake:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup espresso or other strong coffee
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Glaze:
- 1 ½ cups chopped pecans
- ¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- ½ cup half and half
- ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
- 5 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Preparation:
To make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and position a rack in the middle of the oven. Butter and bundt cake pan and then dust it with cocoa powder.
In a medium saucepan, melt two sticks of butter over medium low heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder. Add the coffee and continue to whisk until completely smooth and then remove from the heat. Whisk in, one ingredient at a time, the sugar, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla.
In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Sift this mixture again into the cocoa mixture and stir until just combined (the batter may have lumps in it, this is fine.)
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, place on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake until a toothpick or skewer comes out with nearly clean (a crumb or two is best) Start testing at 45 minutes.
Cook the cake in the pan for about an hour, then loosen the edges with a knife and invert the cake onto a serving plate.
To make the glaze:
Spread about 6 ounces of pecans in 1 layer on a baking sheet and bake them in a 350-degree oven until they darken such a bit, about 7 minutes.
In a medium saucepan, melt a ½ stick of butter and then add the half and half and the confectioner’s sugar. Stir to combine and then add the chocolate, continuing to stir until the mixture is smooth. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the pecans and the salt. Cool the glaze for about 5 minutes before using, to allow it to thicken.
Spoon the glaze over the top and sides of the cake and use the back of a spoon or a spatula to cover the cake completely.
Tags: chocolate cake, chocolate cake with nuts, mexican chocolate cake