Description

This espresso Bundt cake is rich, dark, and chocolaty with a lovely espresso undertone. Don't skip out on the cream cheese-espresso icing—it really takes it to the next level!

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan.
2. In a heat-safe bowl or measuring cup, combine boiling water, cocoa powder, and espresso powder. Whisk until smooth and combined. Allow mixture to cool slightly while you prepare the rest of the cake.
3. Sift together cake flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
4. Beat butter, oil, and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat mixture for about 3 minutes on medium-high speed after adding in last egg. Mix in 1 tablespoon vanilla.
5. Whisk cocoa powder-espresso mixture again to smooth it out, then add to butter-sugar mixture. Beat on low speed until thoroughly combined. Add in half the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add in sour cream and mix until just combined. Add in remaining flour mixture and mix until just combined.
6. Pour batter evenly into the prepared pan. Tap pan sharply on the counter a few times to pop any larger air bubbles.
7. Bake in the preheated oven until top of the cake springs back lightly when touched, 45 to 50 minutes. Allow cake to cool in pan for 30 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter to cool completely.
8. For icing, whisk espresso powder and milk together in a small bowl until espresso powder is dissolved. Beat in cream cheese, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla with an electric mixer on low speed to combine, then turn mixer speed up to high; continue to beat until mixture is smooth and no clumps of cream cheese remain. If mixture is too thick, add milk, a little at a time, until icing is the desired consistency. If mixture is too thin, add more powdered sugar as needed. Drizzle icing over cooled cake.