Chocolate bundt cake {pumpkin style}

Have you seen the photos of two bundt cakes put together to look like pumpkins on Pinterest? I decided to make them as well, now that it is fall. I tried to create orange white chocolate ganache, but I think the orange still wasn't strong enough, yet I wasn't willing to pour in an entire bottle. You can judge for yourselves. You could consider the appearance of this cake to be a fail, but it is pretty clever idea wise.

 The flavour of the cake is AMAZING! It is rich in chocolate and the chocolate ganache tops the cake, metaphorically and literally.

Does it look like a pumpkin?

The biggest problem I faced was waiting so long for both cakes to bake, because I had to bake each cake separately in the pan, so the shape and size would be the same. I first cut the tops of the cakes so they were nice and even. I put the leftovers in the center and filled it with ganache. Between the two cakes I spread regular chocolate ganache and on top, I decided to put coloured white chocolate ganache, so it would look like a pumpkin.

The cake recipe is from here, the ganache recipe is partially from here, I tweaked it a bit.

Ingredients

Cake:

• 4 ounces (115 grams) unsalted butter, plus enough to grease the pan
• 5 ounces (140 grams) dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
• 1/2 cup (60 grams) cocoa powder
• 1 and 3/4 cups (220 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) salt
• 2 teaspoons (14 grams) baking soda
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons (6 grams) baking powder
• 3 eggs
• 1 and 1/4 cups (250 grams) white sugar
• 1/4 cup (55 grams )packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (120 grams) sour creams

Dark Chocolate Ganache: ***

• 6 ounces (175 grams) dark chocolate, chopped
• 2/3 cup and 1 teaspoon (165 ml) heavy cream

White Chocolate Ganache:

• 5 ounces (140 grams) white chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon (135 ml) heavy cream
• food colouring (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C.
2. Melt the butter in a double boiler, when melted, add the chocolate and let it melt as well. Stir in the water and cocoa powder. Stir until the cocoa powder is dissolved and put aside to cool.
3. Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
4. In a stand mixer, beat together the eggs, then add the sugars and whip until light and thick, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and beat until a wide ribbon forms when you lift up the beater.
5. Gently fold in the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Fold in the sour cream, and then fold in the flour mixture in thirds.
6. Pour the batter into a greased bundt cake pan. ***
7. Bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then release from the pan.
9. While the cake is cooling, carefully bring the heavy cream to a boil. Pour it over the white chocolate and whisk until all of the chocolate is incorporated. You may add food colouring to change the colour.

*** Note: This is if you are making a pumpkin cake

• Divide the batter into two small similar bundt cake pans.
• While the cakes are baking, make the dark chocolate ganache the same as you would the white. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and re whip before applying. This ganache is then spread between the two bundt cakes.
• To assemble the cake, place one cake upside down, apply the ganache, the place the other bundt cake right side up. Decorate with the white chocolate ganache.