Ingredients
For the cake you’ll need:
2¼ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup dark cocoa powder [i.e. Hershey’s Special Dark]
1 [3.6] oz box chocolate or chocolate fudge instant pudding mix
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup [2 sticks] salted butter, softened
2 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp pure almond extract
4 large eggs
2 cup whole buttermilk
For the ganache:
1 [10 oz] pkg dark chocolate chips
½ cup heavy cream
¼ tsp pure almond extract
grated chocolate for garnishing
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a standard bundt pan, set aside.
Sift together the flour, dark cocoa, pudding mix, baking soda and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, vanilla and almond extracts. Beat for 2-3 minutes until creamy.
Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
Lower the speed of the mixer and add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, ending with buttermilk. Stop and scrape the bowl periodically so all of the ingredients will combine.
After all have been added, increase the mixer speed and continue to beat for 1 minute. The batter will be thick.
Spread the batter into the bundt pan. Bounce the pan on the counter a few times to settle the batter.
Bake for 55-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes back clean. Cool to warm in the pan, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
To make the ganache: In a microwave safe bowl melt the chocolate chips and heavy cream together. Melt in 20 second increments stopping to stir each time. Repeat until smooth, then add the almond extract.
Drizzle over the cooled cake. Sprinkle the top with grated chocolate, if desired.
Author: Melissa Sperka: Recipe Spend with Pennies
Prepared, tried and tested by: Gail Haselsteiner
