Milk Chocolate Mini Bundt Cakes

Total Time: 1 hr 7 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 22 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 7 ounces premium-quality milk chocolate, melted and cooled
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon chopped toasted pecans (optional)

Recipe

• 1 center a rack in the oven; preheat oven to 350°; generously butter a 6-mold mini bundt pan.
• 2 make the swirl: toss the nuts, cocoa, and sugar together in a bowl; set aside.
• 3 make the cake: in a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together; set aside.
• 4 working with a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes (always scrape down sides of bowl as needed when mixing).
• 5 add in the egg; beat 1 minute; then beat in the vanilla (don’t be concerned if the mixture looks curdled—it will smooth out soon).
• 6 decrease mixer speed to low; add in half the flour mixture, mixing only until incorporated.
• 7 add in the milk, and when it is blended into the batter, add the remaining flour mixture, again mixing just to incorporate.
• 8 add in the melted chocolate; mix to blend.
• 9 fill each of the mini bundt molds with a little batter, then divide the swirl mixture evenly among the molds; top off the bundts with the remaining batter.
• 10 bake 20-22 minutes or until test done (pick comes out clean).
• 11 transfer the pan to a rack; let rest for 5 minutes; then invert them onto the rack and let them cool to room temperature.
• 12 make the glaze: melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water or in a microwave oven (my preferred method).
• 13 stir in the corn syrup; using a small offset metal spatula or a table knife, spread the shiny glaze over the tops of the cooled bundts, then scatter the nuts, if using, over the glaze.
• 14 let the glaze set at room temperature; it will take about 15 minutes.