Black Bottom Bundt Cake

Black Bottom Bundt Cake

Inspired by the Maryland classic black bottom cupcakes.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Ingredients

  

For the cream cheese filling:

• 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 egg at room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/3 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips

For the cake:

• 1/2 cup buttermilk at room temperature
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 2/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch salt
• 2/3 cup warm tap water

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350. Throughly butter a Bundt pan and dust with cocoa powder. Set aside.

For the cream cheese filling:

• Beat cream cheese in a large bowl or the bowl of in a stand mixer until smooth. Add egg, sugar and vanilla and cornstarch and beat until smooth. Fold in the chips.
• Scrape into a bowl (or swap bowls) and set aside.

For the cake:

• In a large bowl or bowl of standmixer, mix together the sugars, oil, buttermilk, eggs, espresso powder and vanilla until smooth.
• Slowly add the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat until combined. Mix in the water until a smooth batter forms.
• Pour about 2/3 of the batter into the Bundt pan and smooth into an even layer if needed.
• Taking care not to get it on the sides of the pan, spoon the cream cheese mixture over the chocolate batter to form a ring.
• Carefully pour the remaining batter over the cream cheese mixture.
• Bake 45-50 minutes or until a a thin inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool, in pan, on wire rack for 20 minutes.
• Invert the cake onto the wire rack and cool completely. This can take up to 2 hrs!
• Place the Bundt pan on a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Flip the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely, at least 1 1/2 hours more.

Notes

I used decaffeinated espresso powder because my husband is sensitive to caffeine. Regular would work fine as well but decaffeinated is worth seeking out if you have similar concerns. It adds some richness and depth to the cake.

Keyword cake

My family always made and gave away black bottoms at Christmas time. I first shared our recipe back in 2005 and then updated it in 2019 when I made the family batch when my mom was sick. Now both of my parents are gone and making 5 dozen mini cupcakes felt like too much.

I wasn’t totally willing to give up the tradition so this year I decided to make it in a different form. I made black bottom brownies years ago so thought sticking closer the original might be fun. This cake has buttermilk instead of vinegar for the acidity but it is still an easy, oil based cake. I stuck with mini chips because I don’t want to bite into a big, hard chip once it’s cooled. Plus it’s cuter. I used Dutch process cocoa instead of the regular kind for a richer flavor.

I had the impulse to add a glaze initially but once I actually made the cake and realized how rich it was, it was clear there was no need. This is a super chocolatey cake! The filling is surprisingly light and has a nice tang. Since it is in the middle, I added a little cornstarch to stabilize it but you can’t taste it.

It is just such a good cake!

I struggled with the name of this cake a bit. It’s based on a very specific dessert and the name is even descriptive! The flavors are the same but the topping is in the middle. Would people expect a Black Bottom Bundt to have the cream cheese on top when it is unmolded? I think I would but for a Bundt that would mean that the cream cheese layer would go in first and then it would really brown. What I’ve made is a filled cake. We are just going to have to deal.

Longtime readers might remember I did make a swirl version years ago but this one has a more substantial filling and the cake is richer.