Candy Cane Chocolate Bundt Cake

Anyone else starting to feel the holiday crunch? This December has been less hectic than usual for me, but I still like cutting corners where I can – and that’s where this Candy Cane Chocolate Bundt Cake comes in! This cake may look complicated, but the recipe starts with a cake mix (with a few add-ins) and ends with a simple frosting and some crushed candy canes. Easy! The recipe can also be made as mini bundt cakes. I promise you’ll love this cake!!

Cake Mix

Sometimes I feel like making cake from scratch and sometimes I don’t, this recipe is for the times when I don’t. And with just a few simple additions to the cake mix, this cake honestly tastes as good as any homemade recipe – and is so much faster!

Just pour a cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract (or peppermint extract if you’re feeling adventurous) into a mixer bowl and stir just until combined. Lastly, add a bag of chocolate chips and stir to combine.

You will have a thick batter and that will result in a moist bundt cake!

Bundt Pan

Bundt pans come in all shapes and sizes and make beautiful cakes, with minimal effort. Occasionally, however, the cake may stick a little and not release easily from the pan. But I have a few tricks that guarantee success every time!

Spray the pan with Baker’s Joy before baking.

Baker’s Joy is a cooking spray that also contains flour. The flour in the spray will keep the cake from sticking to your bundt. Alternately, you can spray the pan with regular cooking spray and lightly flour the inside of the pan.

Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan before inverting. The quick rest in the bundt will solidify the shape and help the cake to easily release from the pan.

The Frosting

Start by melting some butter in the microwave.

To the melted butter add, powdered sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla (or peppermint) extract. Whisk until smooth and spoon immediately over warm cake.

Smash some candy canes with a rolling pin, mallet, or other hard object and sprinkle over the frosted cake.

I hope this cake makes the holidays a little less hectic and a little more enjoyable for you!! I know my head is spinning right now with everything I need to get done, but sometimes what I really need to do is to bake a favorite treat and spend a night on the couch watching a movie with my family (instead of tackling my to-do list). This has been a rough year, we all need to show ourselves a little grace. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend (and get to eat some fun treats)!

Candy Cane Chocolate Bundt Cake

Cake:
1 Devil’s Food Cake Mix (I like the Betty Crocker brand)
4 large eggs
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (4 ounce) package chocolate pudding
1 cup sour cream or yogurt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or peppermint extract)

Chocolate Icing:
6 tablespoons melted butter
3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or peppermint extract)
5 to 6 tablespoons whole milk

Directions

Mix together all ingredients except the chocolate chips until well combined. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and pour the mixture into a greased bundt cake pan. I like to spray the pan with Baker’s Joy to help it release more easily (see above post for tips)

Bake at 350 F for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Careful not to over-bake. Let the cake cool in its pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto cake plate and drizzle with chocolate icing. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Enjoy!