Description
This Gingerbread Chocolate Bundt Cake Christmas Wreath combines the rich flavors of cocoa and lebkuchen spices with tender buttermilk and sour cream, baked in a classic bundt pan. The cake is infused with fresh brewed coffee to enhance the chocolate depth and studded with chopped Lebkuchen chocolate pieces. Finished with a glossy semi-sweet chocolate glaze and decorated festively with fresh cranberries, raspberries, and rosemary sprigs, this cake is perfect for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
For the cake:
- 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200g) sugar
- 3/4 cup (90g) cocoa powder
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. lebkuchen spice
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup (160ml) buttermilk
- 1/3 cup (80g) sour cream
- 1/3 cup (80ml) sunflower oil
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240ml) fresh-brewed coffee
- 3.5 oz. (100g) Ritter Sport Lebkuchen, chopped
For the chocolate glaze:
- 7 oz. (200g) semi-sweet chocolate (>60% cocoa), e.g. Ritter Sport Kakao Klasse
- 1 tsp. coconut oil
For the decoration:
- Some fresh cranberries and/or raspberries
- Some stems of rosemary
Instructions
- Prepare the pan and ingredients: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a large bundt pan thoroughly and dust it with some cocoa powder to prevent sticking. Brew the coffee and allow it to cool slightly. Chop the Lebkuchen chocolate and set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, lebkuchen spice, and salt. Mix until all the dry ingredients are evenly combined.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with buttermilk, sour cream, sunflower oil, and vanilla extract until smooth and homogeneous.
- Make the batter: Gradually pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients while mixing on low speed. Slowly add the warm, but not hot, coffee while continuing to mix until the batter is well combined. Be careful not to overmix to maintain a tender crumb. Fold in the chopped Lebkuchen chocolate gently by hand.
- Bake the cake: Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan, spreading evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes.
- Cool the cake: Carefully remove the cake from the bundt pan and transfer to a wire rack. Allow it to cool completely before glazing to ensure the chocolate glaze sets properly.
- Prepare the chocolate glaze: Finely chop the semi-sweet chocolate and place it in a microwave-safe bowl with the coconut oil. Melt the mixture slowly in the microwave in short intervals, stirring between each, until smooth and fully melted. Let it cool slightly to roughly body temperature to avoid melting the cake surface.
- Glaze and decorate: Pour the melted chocolate glaze evenly over the cooled cake, allowing it to drip elegantly down the sides. Decorate the top with fresh cranberries or raspberries and sprigs of rosemary to create a festive wreath appearance. Let the glaze harden completely at room temperature before serving.
Notes
- Merry Christmas! This festive cake makes a perfect holiday centerpiece for your celebrations.
- Be sure not to overmix the batter to keep the texture light and moist.
- If you don’t have lebkuchen spice, you can substitute with a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.
- Allow the coffee to be warm—not hot—when adding to avoid curdling the mixture.
- The bundt pan must be well greased and dusted with cocoa powder to prevent sticking, especially due to the high moisture content of the batter.
- The chocolate glaze should be poured at about body temperature to ensure a smooth finish without melting the cake.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/12 of cake)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 24g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
