Pin It This chocolate Bundt combines cocoa-scented batter with a tender, moist crumb. Creamed butter and sugar, eggs, vanilla and alternating flour and buttermilk yield a rich loaf baked in a 10-cup Bundt at 350°F for 45–50 minutes; cool slightly before unmolding.
Heat cream over chocolate and butter for a glossy glaze, drizzle over the cooled cake, then arrange sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs to mimic a wreath. Add toasted nuts or swap sour cream for buttermilk to vary texture.
The first time I made this chocolate wreath cake, I was hosting Christmas Eve dinner and completely forgot dessert until 4 PM. My mother in law walked into a kitchen covered in cocoa powder and just started laughing, then rolled up her sleeves to help me sugar the cranberries. Now it does not feel like Christmas until we are both standing over the sink, tossing those ruby red berries in sugar and wondering if we have made enough of a mess yet.
Last year my youngest announced she was going to be a pastry chef, mostly so she could be the official cranberry sugaring expert. She takes her job very seriously, testing each berry for proper crunch. The cake has become this anchor of our Christmas morning, something we build together while the coffee brews and present wrapping paper is still scattered across the living room floor.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: Provides the structure for this dense cake and sifting it first prevents any lumps in your final crumb
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Choose a good quality Dutch process cocoa for that intense dark chocolate flavor and deep mahogany color
- Baking powder and baking soda: Both leavening agents work together to give the cake its tender rise without making it too airy
- Salt: Just a pinch balances the sweetness and makes the chocolate flavor really pop forward
- Unsalted butter: Room temperature butter creams perfectly with sugar and using unsalted lets you control the sodium
- Granulated sugar: Creaming this with butter creates those tiny air pockets that make the cake tender
- Large eggs: Add these one at a time to help them emulsify properly into the batter
- Vanilla extract: Do not underestimate how much depth pure vanilla adds to chocolate
- Buttermilk: The acidity reacts with the baking soda and adds incredible tenderness plus a subtle tang
- Semisweet chocolate chips: For the glaze, these melt beautifully and provide just enough sweetness to complement the cake
- Heavy cream: Warming this before pouring over chocolate creates the most luxurious silky ganache
- Fresh cranberries: These little jewels become sparkling jewels when sugared and add tart contrast to all that chocolate
- Fresh rosemary: Piney and aromatic, it looks remarkably like evergreen on your edible wreath
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare your pan:
- Set your oven to 350°F and generously butter and flour every nook and cranny of your Bundt pan, because chocolate cakes love to stick in those decorative curves
- Whisk together the dry ingredients:
- In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt so everything is evenly distributed
- Cream the butter and sugar:
- Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl for about 3 minutes until it is pale and fluffy, then add eggs one at a time, letting each fully incorporate before adding the next
- Combine everything:
- Mix in the vanilla, then alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing just until you no longer see flour streaks
- Bake until done:
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top, then bake for 45 to 50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean
- Cool completely:
- Let the cake rest in the pan for 15 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely
- Make the chocolate glaze:
- Heat the cream until it is steaming but not boiling, pour it over the chocolate chips and butter, let it sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until glossy and smooth
- Add the finishing touches:
- Sugared cranberries are made by rolling damp berries in sugar and letting them dry, then arrange them with rosemary sprigs to resemble a festive wreath and dust everything with powdered sugar
Pin It One year I tried rushing the cooling process and ended up with chocolate glaze pooling on the serving plate instead of clinging to the cake. We still ate every messy bite, but my sister took photos as evidence. Now I plan ahead and make the cake the night before, which actually improves the flavor and gives me one less thing to stress about on Christmas morning.
Making It Your Own
The cake base is incredibly forgiving. I have added espresso powder when I wanted an even more intense chocolate flavor. Chopped toasted pecans folded into the batter add this wonderful crunch and nuttiness that pairs beautifully with the rosemary on top.
Serving Suggestions
This cake is rich enough that thin slices satisfy everyone, which means it stretches further than you might expect. I love serving it with mulled wine or after dinner with coffee, the warm spices complementing the deep chocolate perfectly.
Storage And Make Ahead Tips
The unfrosted cake keeps beautifully wrapped tightly at room temperature for up to two days, or you can freeze it for up to three months. Thaw frozen cake overnight before glazing and decorating, and add the fresh cranberry and rosemary garnish just before serving for the prettiest presentation.
- Make the sugared cranberries up to two days ahead and store them in a single layer
- The glaze can be made ahead and gently reheated if it becomes too firm
- Leftover cake actually tastes better the next day as the flavors mature
Pin It There is something so satisfying about bringing a wreath to the table that you can actually eat. Wishing you the sweetest holiday season filled with chocolate, laughter, and maybe a little flour on your apron.
