Mocha Bundt Cake

This mocha bundt cake is the cake-mix shortcut that fools every dinner party. The base is a white cake mix and a box of instant chocolate pudding (the classic doctored-cake-mix combination), but the real magic is the booze: two-thirds of a cup of vodka and a quarter cup of Kahlua go into the batter alongside the eggs and oil. The vodka contributes no flavor of its own but supplies moisture without sugar that would weigh down the crumb, while Kahlua brings the coffee depth that earns this cake its ‘mocha’ name.

The instant pudding mix is what makes doctored bundt cakes work. The starches in the pudding bind extra moisture into the crumb, so the finished cake stays moist for days while regular cake-mix bundts dry out within twenty-four hours. It also adds enough structure to support the heavy bundt shape without sagging.

A second hit of Kahlua goes into the glaze. A quarter cup of coffee liqueur whisked with powdered sugar makes a thin glossy drizzle that soaks into the warm cake on contact, leaving glassy streaks of coffee-spiked icing along the bundt’s grooves.

Pro Tips

• Grease the bundt pan generously, getting into every crease with a pastry brush dipped in melted shortening. A dusting of cocoa powder (instead of flour) for the dust prevents white streaks on the dark cake.
• Cool exactly 5 minutes in the pan before inverting. Less and the cake tears; more and it sweats itself stuck.
• Drizzle the glaze while the cake is still warm. Cold cake makes the glaze sit on top instead of soaking in.
• Store covered at room temperature for up to four days. The cake gets better on day two as the alcohol mellows.

Variations

• Swap vodka for strong brewed espresso for a non-alcoholic cake.
• Use Frangelico instead of Kahlua for a hazelnut-mocha twist.
• Stir a half cup of mini chocolate chips into the batter for molten pockets.
• Top with sweetened whipped cream and chocolate-covered espresso beans.