Chocolate Orange Peel Cake

This bundt cake starts with a devil’s food mix but goes so far beyond the box you’d never guess. Sour cream, pudding mix, Kahlua, orange zest, cinnamon, and a full 12 ounces of chocolate chips all go into the batter.

The real star is the orange-butter syrup. Sugar, butter, and orange juice get boiled into a sticky glaze that you spoon over the cake while it’s still hot in the pan. It soaks straight through, making every bite incredibly moist with a caramelized orange flavor.

Dust with powdered sugar once it cools and you’ve got a cake that looks elegant but practically makes itself.

Kitchen Tips

• Grease the bundt pan and dust with cocoa instead of flour so there’s no white residue on the dark cake
• Spoon the syrup over the cake slowly so it absorbs; don’t pour it all at once or it’ll pool at the bottom
• Let the cake stand in the pan for 30 minutes after soaking before turning out so it doesn’t fall apart
• Swap the Kahlua for strong brewed coffee or coffee extract if you prefer an alcohol-free version
• Check with a toothpick at 55 minutes; a few moist crumbs clinging to it is exactly right