BUNDT COOKBOOK RECIPES

Steps:

• In a microwave, melt chocolate and 1/4 cup butter; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, cream the remaining butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs., In a small bowl, combine the chocolate mixture, beets and vanilla. , Beat into creamed mixture (mixture will appear separated). Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. , Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 375° for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar.

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
• In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter and cocoa to make a thick paste. Using a pastry brush, coat the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan, making sure to get into all the crevices. If the paste starts to thicken too much as you work, warm it in the microwave for about 10 seconds and then continue. Set aside. (The coating will set while you mix your batter.)
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the hot coffee and whisk until completely combined. Add the eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla and whisk until completely incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 40 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then invert it onto another rack and let cool completely.
• Combine the cream, butter, sugar, and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water) and stir frequently until the butter is melted. Add the chocolate and stir until it is about 80 percent melted.
• Remove the bowl from the heat and stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the coffee and vanilla, stirring until the ganache is smooth and shiny. (If you have overheated the chocolate, the ganache may have separated or broken and will be dull and lumpy, and this is not what you want to serve to your guests. If that happens, return the bowl to the heat, add a splash or two of whole milk, and whisk briskly to return the ganache to its shining glory.) Then stir occasionally as the ganache cools and thickens enough to frost your cake. Making the perfect ganache cannot be rushed; resist the urge to refrigerate it or whisk it faster to cool it.
• Pile the ganache frosting onto the center of the cake and spread it evenly over the top, letting it drip down the sides. The cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.