Chocolate Bundt Cake Christmas Wreath (Printable)
Rich chocolate Bundt glazed and garnished with sugared cranberries and rosemary for a festive holiday centerpiece.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cake
01 - 2½ cups (310 g) all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup (90 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 2 tsp baking powder
04 - ½ tsp baking soda
05 - ½ tsp salt
06 - 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
07 - 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
08 - 4 large eggs
09 - 1 tbsp vanilla extract
10 - 1½ cups (360 ml) buttermilk
→ Chocolate Glaze
11 - 1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips
12 - ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
13 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
→ Decoration
14 - ½ cup fresh cranberries
15 - ⅓ cup granulated sugar
16 - 4–5 sprigs fresh rosemary
17 - Powdered sugar, for dusting
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan, ensuring every crevice is coated to prevent sticking.
02 - In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the room-temperature unsalted butter and granulated sugar together using an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale, light, and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Add the large eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition until fully incorporated. Blend in the vanilla extract until combined.
05 - Alternately add the sifted dry ingredient mixture and the buttermilk to the butter-sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Fold gently until just combined — avoid overmixing to keep the crumb tender.
06 - Pour the batter evenly into the prepared Bundt pan. Use a spatula to smooth the top and tap the pan gently on the counter to release any trapped air bubbles.
07 - Bake on the center rack for 45–50 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the thickest part of the cake emerges clean and the top springs back lightly when touched.
08 - Allow the cake to rest in the Bundt pan for 15 minutes to set. Carefully invert onto a wire cooling rack and let cool completely before glazing.
09 - In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat until just steaming — do not boil. Place the semisweet chocolate chips and unsalted butter in a heatproof bowl, pour the hot cream over the top, and let stand for 2 minutes. Whisk until silky and smooth.
10 - Position the cooled cake on the wire rack set over a sheet of parchment paper. Drizzle the chocolate glaze generously over the cake, allowing it to cascade naturally down the sides.
11 - Lightly dampen the fresh cranberries with water, then roll them in granulated sugar until evenly coated. Let dry on a wire rack. Arrange the sugared cranberries and fresh rosemary sprigs artfully around the top of the glazed cake to resemble a holiday wreath. Finish with a light dusting of powdered sugar for a snowy effect.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It looks like something from a bakery window but comes together with pantry staples and a Bundt pan you probably already own.
- The combination of sugared cranberries and rosemary turns a simple chocolate cake into a showstopper that gets photographed before it gets eaten.
02 -
- Grease that Bundt pan like your sanity depends on it because nothing hurts more than a cake that releases in pieces.
- Letting the cake cool completely before glazing is nonnegotiable, warmth turns ganache into a puddle instead of a coating.
03 -
- Tapping the filled Bundt pan firmly on the counter before baking releases trapped air bubbles that cause tunnels in the finished cake.
- Roll the cranberries in water first, then sugar, and let them dry on a rack for at least 20 minutes so the coating actually adheres and sparkles.