#BundtBakers - Chocolate-Peppermint Bundt Cake

#BundtBakers is a group of bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient. This month’s theme is mint and our creative host is Laura of The Spiced Life. Mint is just in time for December - and you will see a wide variety of mint selections in the list of bundts prepared for today - everything from orange and mint, to peppermint patties, candy canes, creme de menthe and more!

If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. All recipes and photographs can be found on our individual blogs, on our Pinterest board, and the #BundtBakers homepage.

The cake I am sharing today is a WONDERFUL addition to any cake recipe collection. It is moist, full of yummy sweet bites of mini chocolate chips, and lightly coated with a pepperminty glaze which makes this the perfect holiday treat.

The cake itself is very lightly flavored - you can taste the chocolate and the peppermint extract, but neither flavor is overpowering or strong. It is mild, and goes perfectly with the delicious, sweet, minty glaze. The pieces of candy cane crushed and sprinkled in are a wonderful accompaniment - giving a little bit of chewy and crunchy texture, and another pop of refreshing peppermint flavor.

This would look very pretty on a holiday dessert buffet table, take one to work to wow your co-workers, or share with your chocolate and peppermint loving family. I think a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream would go perfectly with a slice of cake!

I am so ready for Christmas to be here - it has been non-stop for me since we moved in late October - every single weekend has been full of driving about 2.5 - 3 hours total to head back to the Hiram house for cleaning, painting, packing up and carrying out the last of the items still in the garage, cleaning up landscaping, etc. One project after the next has been slowly ticked off the list, and the house is listed for sale now, but the work isn't done yet. We still have a couple more loads to bring over from the garage, and staining of the deck and porch, finishing the pressure washing and we're probably going to have the living room carpet professionally cleaned and pulled tight again to see if they can get it looking better than our steam vacuum was able to accomplish. I work a 40 hour week Monday through Friday, come home and jump straight into cooking dinner and caring for Lindsey to give Kenneth a break every night. I love those precious hours with her, and am thankful for them - but it makes the evenings pass in a blur. One day rolls into the next, rolls into the next and I am wiped out. We're approaching 2 months since our move and I'm really feeling all those weekends of working and not resting catching up with me. My mind and body are tired and really just need a break. We still have more to do, so we'll be back at the house at least once this weekend, but all of that to say - I am REALLY looking forward to the extra days off coming up. I desperately need a break. I haven't wrapped any presents, and our tree is up but there are no decorations on it. It's pretty with the lights plugged in, but depressing that it's December 18th and no decorations have made it up at all... I kind of guessed this is how it would go since we moved so close to the Holidays, but it still makes me a little sad!

With all that said, I am so thankful to be where we are now. I love our little house surrounded by the woods, at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac. No road noise, no visible cars driving by, just a few neighbors, and lots of pretty trees and leaves. The leaves have to be blown off about every week or other week or so from the driveway which is new for us - we didn't really have any trees at the last house!

Last night the power went out, and that really stunk. This is an older house and the insulation is not that great, we've been talking a lot about beefing up the insulation to help achieve a little more energy efficiency and keep the house warmer. The windows need to be replaced eventually as well as most are not double paned. So, when the power went out in the middle of the cold, cold night our little Lindsey awoke with no nightlight and no noise machine and started crying. I didn't want to just leave her to cry herself back to sleep because I was afraid she was going to get cold since she will not leave a blanket over herself - so after trying rocking her for awhile and then laying down on the floor in her room for awhile, I gave up and brought her to bed. That is pretty much the only sleep I got - a couple hours of fitful sleep worrying about rolling on my baby. I am not used to having her in bed with me so it stresses me out a little - plus she is a wild woman and moves around a lot.

In any event, I am extra exhausted today - and we'll see if caffeine is enough to get me through the day. I think a nap, a long one, may be required to catch up... soooo tired....

Maybe I just need a slice of yummy chocolate cake with my coffee to perk me up. :)

Look at all these delicious cakes to pick from today!

• Mint Chocolate Truffle Bundt from Food Lust People Love
• Creme de menthe butter bundt from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Double Mint Mountain Bundt Cake from Baking in Pyjamas
• Bundt cake with chocolate glaze and mint frosting from La cocina de Aisha
• Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake from Making Miracles
• Peppermint Cappuccino Cake from Magnolia Days
• Mini Minty Bundt Cakes from Brunch with Joy
• Candy Cane Bundt from Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Fudgy Peppermint Bundt from A Day in the LIfe on the Farm
• Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake from Adventures In All Things Food
• Chocolate bundt cake with peppermint dark chocolate ganache from Brooklyn Homemaker
• Candy Cane Chocolate Bundt Cake from Cassie's Kitchen
• Chocolate Mint Bundt Cake from Box of Stolen Socks
• Double Chocolate and Mint Cheesecake Bundt Cake from Un Mordisco Un Pecado
• Peppermint Mocha Pound Cake Bundt from DessertStalking Blog
• Peppermint Candy Cane Bundt Cake from I love Bundt Cakes
• Candy Cane Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake from Patty's Cake
• Candy Cane Bundt Cake w/a Chocolate Ganache Drizzle from The Freshman Cook
• Peppermint Whipped Cream Pound Cake with Shaved Mint Chocolate from The Spiced Life
• Peppermint Patty Bundt Cake from Eat, Drink, Be Mighty
• Peppermint Candy Bundt from Tea and Scones
• Mint Tea Mini Bundts from Passion Kneaded
• Candy Cane Cup Bundt Cake from From Gate to Plate
• Orange and Mint Bundt bread from A Kingdom For a Cake

Chocolate-Peppermint Bundt Cake from Tutti Dolci

Ingredients
Batter
1 cup boiling water
6 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 2 TBS sugar
1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp peppermint extract
3 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Glaze:
3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 to 2 TBS milk

1 TBS butter, melted and cooled
1/8 tsp peppermint extract

2 peppermint candy canes, crushed

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick baking spray (or generously grease and flour your pan). 
2. Whisk together boiling water and cocoa powder in a small bowl, then set aside to cool. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. In the bowl of a Kitchen Aid, beat the room temperature butter, sugar, and peppermint extract at medium speed until well blended (about 2 - 3 minutes); add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. 
4. Blend the yogurt into the butter mixture, followed by the cooled cocoa mixture. Slowly add the flour mixture in batches, blending between additions but just until combined (do not over mix).  Fold in chocolate chips.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth; tap pan once or twice sharply to remove any air bubbles. Bake 34 - 35 minutes, until cake begins to pull away from edges of pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then carefully invert onto the rack and allow to cool completely (or invert directly onto a cake plate if preferred).
6. For the glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk, butter, and peppermint extract in a small bowl; stir in half of the crushed candy canes. Place the wire rack with cooled cake over a piece of wax paper and drizzle the cake with glaze and then sprinkle the top with the remaining crushed candy canes. Allow to set before serving. 
7. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.