Mocha Swirled Bundt Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce
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Your favorite coffee-shop order…now made into a delicious cake! Mocha Swirled Bundt Cake with a salted caramel sauce drizzle, of course. A light and fluffy espresso flavored cake, swirled with rich dark chocolate cake, and topped with a simple homemade salted caramel. What’s not to love?! Every bite is the perfect blend of bitter coffee, rich chocolate, and salty-sweet caramel. The best part? This recipe is made in only two bowls, takes only minutes to mix up, and bakes in less than an hour! Oh, yes. This cake really does have it all. Serve as an extra decadent brunch treat or an after dinner dessert that everyone is sure to enjoy!
About The Recipe
October is finally here and we are super excited! Though, to welcome in the new month, we thought it would be fun to do something totally unexpected (but totally delicious!). Chocolate and espresso for the first Monday of spooky season?
Well, the one thing I can tell you is that your Monday NEEDS this scarily (😉) delicious bundt.
Okay, a bit of a bad pun…but this cake really is amazing.
The inspiration was one of teenage-years favorite drinks to order at a coffee shop. Dark chocolate mocha with a caramel drizzle. It was sweet, without being too sweet, and just the right balance of flavors.
I used to order it every time the weather got cold!
And, I am happy to report that we are starting to see some low’s in the 60’s. Which meant, I have a craving for some chocolate-y caramel-y goodness.
And what better way to satisfy a craving than by baking up an extra decadent cake?
My mom and I actually have changed this recipe idea about 4 or 5 times before finally landing on something we were happy with. We started with a caramel stuffed cake, but we couldn’t quite wrap out heads on how to keep the caramel from melting into the cake as it baked.
So, we changed gears and opted to drizzle it on top. Then, came what to do with the cake…we knew we wanted something special. We thought about making this cake one flavor, stuffing it…
Nothing seemed to click.
It wasn’t until we thought to make two flavors of batter and swirling them together that this cake recipe finally seemed to make sense! Deep espresso, swirled with rich dark chocolate, and topped with salted caramel.
Every bite was reminiscent of my favorite coffee shop order, but now made even more delicious!
Reasons You Will Love This Mocha Swirled Bundt Cake
- Made in only two bowls! No electric mixers required.
- Bakes in less than an hour!
- Topped with a homemade salted caramel.
- Perfect for any time of year.
- Sweet without being too sweet, tender, and full of flavor.
- Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Equipment Needed
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- 10 Cup Bundt Pan
- Large Cookie Scoop
- Cake Tester
- 2 Quart Saucepan
Ingredients
Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
For The Cake:
- All-Purpose Flour – Creates the perfect structure for this cake!
- Granulated Sugar – Adds just the right amount of sweetness.
- Baking Powder – Provides lift to give this pumpkin bread a light texture.
- Baking Soda – A second acting leavening to ensure the perfect rise!
- Salt – Cuts some of the sweetness, while also enhancing the flavor of this cake!
- Whole Milk – Creates a light, but moist and strong structure that makes for a crave-worthy cake.
- Large Eggs – Remember to set the eggs out ahead of time to allow them to come to room temperature.
- Vegetable Oil – Keeps this cake moist and oh-so tender.
- Vanilla Extract – A splash of vanilla to round out the flavors in this cake!
- Bittersweet Chocolate – We opted to use bittersweet chocolate for this recipe to keep the cake from becoming too sweet and providing an intensely rich chocolate flavor.
- Espresso Powder – Gives a strong coffee flavor to every bite.
For The Caramel Sauce:
- Granulated Sugar – To make caramel, using granulated sugar is essential! It melts, browns, and caramelizes into the deliciousness we know as caramel.
- Salt – Just a dash of salt really makes this caramel sauce irresistible!
- Lemon Juice – Our secret ingredient! By using lemon juice in this recipe, it helps prevent crystallization which means…no fail caramel every-time!
- Unsalted Butter – Since we are adding salt to this recipe, we opted to use unsalted butter to keep it from being too much.
- Heavy Cream – Makes this caramel sauce extra rich and creamy!
How To Make This Mocha Swirled Bundt Cake
Step 1: Prepare batter
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla.
Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients. Stir to combine.
Step 2: Divide
Spoon ¼ of the batter into a small bowl. Fold in melted chocolate. Set aside. Stir espresso powder into larger amount of batter.
Step 3: Swirl and bake
Use a cookie scoop or a ladle to add batters to pan, alternating as desired. When done, use a flat-bladed knife to swirl the batter.
Bake for 50 minutes, or until cake tests done.
Step 4: Make caramel
Heat cream and keep warm.
In a medium, heavy duty saucepan, combine sugar, salt, and lemon juice. Cook over medium low heat, stirring continuously, until sugar melts and comes to a boil. Continue cooking and stirring until sugar syrup turns golden brown.
Immediately remove from heat and whisk in butter.
Stir in warm cream.
Drizzle over top of cooled cake before serving.
FAQ’s and Troubleshooting
If your batter is lumpy, it may be the flour did not get completely incorporated fully. Be sure that the flour is completely incorporated before baking!
Since the chocolate batter has the addition of melted chocolate, this causes the cake batter to thicken as the melted chocolate cools to the same temperature as the batter.
If your cake is stuck to the pan, it could be one of two things. Either the pan wasn’t greased enough (it happens to all of us!) or the cake is still a little too warm to be turned out. If you suspect it’s still too warm, let it cool for a little longer and try to turn out again. If it’s stuck because the pan isn’t greased enough, run a knife along the edges of the cake and place upside down on a cooling rack and tap the top and sides of the pan. The cake may tear, but it will still taste delicious!
If the cake did not marble, it wasn’t swirled enough or properly. It’s best to use a thin bladed knife and swirl it through multiple times. It’s best to constantly change the directions to create the best marbling effect!
If the cake didn’t rise, this could be one of two things. Check your baking powder or baking soda to make sure it’s in-date! If either are expired, this is most likely the culprit. If your leavening is in-date, then the cake batter was most likely over-mixed. This doesn’t mean the cake is ruined! It will still taste delicious, but it may be more dense than desired.
Dryness can be a common issue with baking cakes. It’s either a result of over-mixing or over-baking! Though, keep in mind that under-mixing and under-baking can be equally as bad. So, be sure to follow the directions in the recipe card below (and make sure your oven is at the right temperature!) for the best results in this cake!
Tough cake is usually caused by over-mixing, which over-develops the gluten and that leads to a tough, dry, and dense cake.
How To Store
Once this cake is baked and cooled, it can be kept in a covered cake plate for 3-5 days at room temperature or in the fridge for up to a week.
You can also freeze this bundt as a whole or in individual slices. Just be sure to wrap the slices in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer safe container or zip top bag!
Substitutions
- If you don’t have espresso powder, you can use instant coffee.
- A store-bought caramel sauce can be used on top of this cake, if desired.
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Expert Tips
- Check the expiration date on your baking powder and baking soda.
- Remember to preheat your oven!
- Be careful to not over-mix your cake batter.
- Don’t let the melted chocolate for the cake sit too long before stirring in the cake batter. The longer you let it cool, the higher chance you have of it solidifying.
- The chocolate cake is a little thicker than the espresso cake batter. Swirling them may be difficult so be sure to swirl it thoroughly to ensure the perfect marbling.
- If you’re unsure if the cake is baked, use a cake tester or an instant read thermometer to check! A cake tester should come out clean with no crumbs once the cake is completely baked. If you use a thermometer, a completely baked cake should read about 210°F.
- Be sure to let this cake cool completely before serving.
- When you’re melting the sugar, make sure you keep stirring! It burns very quickly.
- The hardest thing about candy can actually be your burner temperatures. We cook on a natural gas range so, our low could be your medium. Keep an eye on the sugar and adjust as necessary!
- A wooden spoon is the best to stir with, but you can use a whisk.
- Make sure you stir around the corners of the pot as well, not just the center!
- The caramel will bubble intensely after each addition – butter, cream, vanilla. Be careful!
- If desired, the caramel can be made in advance.
When you make this Mocha Swirled Bundt Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.
Mocha Swirled Bundt Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
Cake
- 3½ cups all purpose flour*
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1⅛ teaspoons salt
- 1¾ cups whole milk
- 3 large eggs
- ⅞ cup vegetable oil
- 1¾ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup bittersweet chocolate
- 3 Tablespoons espresso powder
Caramel
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, sliced
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
Cake
- Heat oven to 350℉.
- Spray a 10-inch bundt pan with baking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla.
- Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients.
- Stir to combine.
- Spoon ¼ of the batter into a small bowl.
- Fold in melted chocolate. Set aside.
- Stir espresso powder into larger amount of batter.
- Use a cookie scoop or a ladle to add batters to pan, alternating as desired.
- When done, use a flat-bladed knife to swirl the batter.
- Bake for 50 minutes, or until cake tests done.
- Allow to cool in pan for 20-30 minutes.
- Turn out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
Caramel
- Heat cream and keep warm.
- In a medium, heavy duty saucepan, combine sugar, salt, and lemon juice.
- Cook over medium low heat, stirring continuously, until sugar melts and comes to a boil.
- Continue cooking and stirring until sugar syrup turns golden brown.
- Immediately remove from heat and whisk in butter.
- Stir in warm cream.
- Drizzle over top of cooled cake before serving.
Notes + Tips!
- If you don’t have espresso powder, you can use instant coffee.
- A store-bought caramel sauce can be used on top of this cake, if desired.
- Check the expiration date on your baking powder and baking soda.
- Remember to preheat your oven!
- Be careful to not over-mix your cake batter.
- Don’t let the melted chocolate for the cake sit too long before stirring in the cake batter. The longer you let it cool, the higher chance you have of it solidifying.
- The chocolate cake is a little thicker than the espresso cake batter. Swirling them may be difficult so be sure to swirl it thoroughly to ensure the perfect marbling.
- If you’re unsure if the cake is baked, use a cake tester or an instant read thermometer to check! A cake tester should come out clean with no crumbs once the cake is completely baked. If you use a thermometer, a completely baked cake should read about 210°F.
- Be sure to let this cake cool completely before serving.
- When you’re melting the sugar, make sure you keep stirring! It burns very quickly.
- The hardest thing about candy can actually be your burner temperatures. We cook on a natural gas range so, our low could be your medium. Keep an eye on the sugar and adjust as necessary!
- A wooden spoon is the best to stir with, but you can use a whisk.
- Make sure you stir around the corners of the pot as well, not just the center!
- The caramel will bubble intensely after each addition – butter, cream, vanilla. Be careful!
- If desired, the caramel can be made in advance.
Tools You May Need (affiliate links)
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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