Chocolate Bundt Cake

If you're like me, you follow different chefs for different kinds of foods.

When I want down home southern cooking, I go to Paula Deen. If I'm looking for Texas ranch-style dishes... of course! The Pioneer Woman.

But when I want melt-in-your-mouth elegance, it's Martha Stewart.

I found this recipe on her website, and it was everything she (or her website writer) promised!

Chocolate Bundt Cake

ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour (Now the website said "all-purpose" flour, but if you've seen me make cakes before, you know I always use cake flour. Swans Down, Soft as Silk, Wondra...it doesn't matter, as long as it's cake flour!)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole milk (Since I don't buy whole milk, I add about a Tablespoon of cream to the 1% milk and call it whole milk. No one can tell the difference!)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the glaze:
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 325°. Grease a 14-cup Bundt pan.

I haven't tried it, but I'm sure you can bake this in a 9 x 13 inch dish. You would have to adjust the baking time, though.

Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.

Mix the milk and sour cream together in a small bowl. Do you see how I cheat and use measuring cups to mix the ingredients? Fewer dirty dishes for the win!

In your mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until they are light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla.

Reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the flour mixture alternately with the milk mixture, ending with the flour mixture. Be sure to scrape the sides of your mixing bowl once or twice.

Spoon the batter into your prepared bundt pan.

Bake at 325° about 55 to 60 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack, and then invert it onto your serving plate.

And don't worry about that little divot on the far side. The chocolate glaze will cover it up!

Once the cake is cool, make the glaze by melting the ingredients together in a microwave (carefully!) or in a double boiler. Cool the glaze until it has thickened to a pourable consistency, and pour carefully over the cake, letting the glaze drip down the sides part way.

Of course, I forgot to take a picture of the cake at this point - but it was beautiful. And my guests that night thought it was delicious.

But you really can't fail with chocolate cake, can you?

What is your favorite dessert to serve to guests?