Toffee Chip Hot Chocolate Pound Cake for #BundtBakers

There are three elements to hot chocolate: milk, cocoa, and sugar. Beyond those is where flavorings come in to the mix. Baking a hot chocolate cake seemed easy enough. It's pretty much a chocolate cake with a slew of possible add-in goodies. Or so I thought. Then came the first failure. The middle sunk into a giant crater even after baking an extra 15 minutes. It was back to the drawing board time. Success came with Toffee Chip Hot Chocolate Pound Cake.

Thank goodness for pound cakes. They are my go-to for simple and reliable cakes. It's a bonus I enjoy them thoroughly and happy to bake one for whatever reason. The reason this time is Bundt Bakers and a festive Hot Chocolate theme designated by our host, Tara of Noshing with the Nolands. The fun part was deciding on what flavor to add-in to my hot chocolate cake. Toffee won out the choices in a flash.

The road to this cake had some twists and turns. The first one, the failure, called for sweet ground chocolate & cocoa powder. I went to three grocery stores to find it with no luck. It's okay though. There is an easy substitute of 1 part cocoa powder and 1 part sugar. Ingredient adjustment made and I started mixing up the batter. I thought there was a little too much fat (combo of butter and oil) yet went with it. I honestly believe that is what caused the failure in the end. I should have went with my gut instinct.

The next challenge was the toffee part. I had a vision of using English toffee syrup for flavoring. What I discovered is how expensive it is. Sure, I could order an $18 bottle on Amazon and use a smidgen for the cake. Then what would I do with the rest? I figured other folks may not want to buy such a costly ingredient for a cake either. So I scrapped the syrup and simply used toffee bits.

The last challenge was the pan. I should have taken the time to wash the first pan and use it again. Instead I went with another one. It's a little smaller so I wound up with a big bundt like my Peach Brandy Pound Cake. The crispy top broke apart and fell off (you bet I ate it though - best part). I wound up trimming the extra down so it would look nicer on the plate (guess who ate the trimmings too). Be sure you bake this cake in a 12-cup bundt pan like the Nordic Ware original one. (Amazon affiliate link).

How is the Toffee Chip Hot Chocolate Pound Cake? It has the classic dense texture of a pound cake with bits of toffee throughout. It's made with milk, sugar, and cocoa just like hot chocolate. Dark chocolate ganache glaze glistens in the light and adds a bittersweet accent to a milk chocolate-y cake. A few marshmallows make a crowning touch. Besides, one must top hot chocolate with marshmallows.

Are you ready for more hot chocolate bundts? All you have to do is scroll down to see a list of recipes. Each one is a simple click away. I'm excited to see them because, well, chocolate + bundt = pretty tasty cake. Oh, and take a look at my Chocolate Caramel Hot Cocoa Brownies for another yummy treat.

5 from 2 votes

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Toffee Chip Hot Chocolate Pound Cake

Toffee Chip Hot Chocolate Pound Cake is a special treat for a festive occasion. It's made with cocoa, sugar, and milk just like the beverage.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Servings 12 to 16 servings

Author Renee

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• ½ cup shortening
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs at room temperature
• 3 cups cake flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¼ cups milk at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup toffee bits

For the glaze:

• ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate not chips
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter

For garnish:

• Mini marshmallows

Instructions

For the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 12-cup bundt pan (or tube pan) and dust with unsweetened cocoa powder. Tap out excess cocoa powder.
2. Cream butter and shortening in a large bowl. Gradually add sugar, beating well at medium-high speed of an electric mixer.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Add to creamed mixture, alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
5. Mix until just blended after each addition.
6. Stir in vanilla and toffee bits. Pour batter event into prepared pan.
7. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Cool cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
9. Drizzle glaze over cake and garnish with marshmallows.

For the glaze:

1. Place cream, chocolate, and butter in a bowl over simmering water. Cook and stir constantly until smooth.
2. Remove from heat and allow to cool about 10 minutes to thicken slightly. Gently stir a few times while it is cooling. Drizzle glaze over cake.

Recipe Notes

Toffee Chip Hot Chocolate Pound Cake is a special treat for a festive occasion. It's made with cocoa, sugar, and milk just like the beverage.

Cake recipe adapted from one in the Southern Living 1987 Annual Recipes cookbook (no longer in print).

Hot cocoa inspired baking. It is what this month's Bundt Bakers is all about. Take a look at these recipes for hot chocolate cakes by bundt loving bakers:

• Autumn Spiced Pumpkin Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck
• Aztec Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by I Sugar Coat It!
• Baileys Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by Liv for Cake
• Bourbon Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Bourbon Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by I Bake He Shoots
• Carob and Hot Chocolate Cake by A Kingdom for A Cake
• Chocolate and Tiffany's Bundtcake by La Mejor Manera
• Chocolate Chips Orange Bundt Cake by Basic N Delicious
• Hot Chocolate & Caramel Bundt Cake by I love Bundt Cakes
• Hot Chocolate Bundt with Godiva Glaze by Our Good Life
• Hot Chocolate Buttered Rum Bundt by The Crumby Cupcake
• Hot Chocolate Habanero Bundt Cake by Brunch with Joy
• Hot Chocolate Lavender Bundt Cake by Adventures in All Things Food
• Hot Cocoa Almond Bundt Cake by SimplyVeggies
• Irish Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by From Gate to Plate
• Kahlua Drenched Dark Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by Baking in Pyjamas
• Marshmallow Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by Palatable Pastime
• Mocha Bundt Cake by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Nutella & Toffee Bundt Cake by Los Chatos Chefs
• Orange Pisco White Chocolate Bundt by Food Lust People Love
• Peppermint Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake by Making Miracles
• Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cake by The Spiced Life
• Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate Bundt by Tartacadabra
• Toffee Chip Hot Chocolate Pound Cake by Magnolia Days
• White Hot Chocolate Peppermint Bundt by Noshing With The Nolands
• White Hot Chocolate Pound Cake by My Catholic Kitchen

What is Bundt Bakers? It's a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Bundt Bakers Pinterest board for incredible bundt cake recipes and inspiration. Stacy of Food Lust People Love heads up our group and has a #BundtBakers page where you can find information and links to the recipes for each month.

How is the monthly theme determined? We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers can be found on our homepage.