If you like the combination of chocolate, coffee, and liquor, these chocolate cakes belong to your recipe file. Whether you make mini cakes, one large bundt cake, cupcakes, or loaf, they're easy to make (one bowl) and incredibly moist. The crackly glaze adds another layer of yumminess, but they're also good with a dusting of powdered sugar.
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Originally published in 2012, the text and images in this post have been updated to serve you better. The recipe remains the same.
Chocolate and coffee are a magic combination and they take a simple chocolate cake recipe to the next level.
The coffee enhances the chocolate flavor without being 'a cake that tastes like coffee'. With this recipe, you'll have a faint coffee flavor from the Kahlua.
What is Kahlua?
It's one of the most popular coffee liquors and easily available in stores and online.
The strong boozy flavor evaporates during baking, leaving behind a coffee caramel tone in the cake. It adds richness and pairs wonderfully with chocolate.
For Valentine's Day these mini bundt cakes are just cute and perfect to celebrate the things we love. An ongoing romance.
Why this recipe works
- One bowl recipe: the batter is mixed in one bowl. So there's little to wash afterward! It's not only convenient but easy to make.
- Flavor and texture: the combination of chocolate and coffee is one for the books. Coffee brings out the best qualities of the cocoa powder used in this recipe and deepens the flavor. By the way, these cakes are much fudgier the next day or even the next one. They stay ridiculously moist for many days.
- Oil: this recipe uses oil instead of butter. This is good because it makes for a moister cake, and it's so much easier to mix. There's no bringing butter to room temperature, creaming, or any of those somewhat more laborious steps. Oil makes this recipe simpler and the cake lasts longer.
- Removing it from the pan: a huge deal breaker with bundt cakes is the unmolding. Pans with intricate patterns can be tricky and it's beyond frustrating to make a recipe and have it stick to the pan when unmolding it. This recipe unmolds very well.
- Storing: these mini cakes keep for a few days at room temperature and can be frozen for up to a month (wrapped separately).
Ingredient list
- Kahlua: or other coffee liqueur.
- Sugar: white or brown.
- All-purpose flour.
- Salt: I like to use kosher salt when baking. But regular table salt works just fine.
- Baking powder and baking soda: are used as leaveners to help the cake rise, so make sure they aren't expired.
- Eggs: fresh, large.
- Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works and is infinitely cheaper.
- Milk: whole makes a richer cake but reduced in fat and almond milk can also be used.
- Vegetable oil: sunflower oil is my recommendation.
- Coffee: prepared drip, espresso, instant coffee, or any other type you have.
- Powdered sugar: also called confectioners or icing sugar, you can easily buy it online. Domino powdered sugar is a very popular one.
See the recipe card towards the end of this post for quantities.
The Kahlua glaze
This is a simple powdered sugar glaze, where said sugar is mixed with a liquid until creamy.
- Type of liquid to use: using more Kahlua makes the flavor stronger and complements the cake wonderfully. Drip coffee is another alternative, as we use in our popular Brown Butter Coffee Cake.
- Consistency: it varies with the amount of liquid you use, so you can have a runnier glaze covering more of the cake, or a thicker glaze that drips less down the sides.
Alternative glaze
Use the chocolate ganache recipe from the best chocolate bundt cake, adding a tablespoon of Kahlua for an extra dose of chocolate.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Different pans: I love mini bundts, but you can use a regular large bundt or 2 medium loaf pans. I never tried this recipe as a layer cake and I think it would be a bit too tender to fill. But it would work baked as a sheet cake.
- Preparing the pan: I brush it with soft butter (or use my hands), flouring and refrigerating the pan while you make the filling. Or use a baking spray that comes with added flour.
- Glaze: use the liquor as stated in the recipe, prepared strong coffee, or a tablespoon of each. They all work great.
- Keeping: this is a very moist cake recipe and it keeps very well at room temperature, well covered in plastic wrap. The flavor is fudgier the next day. You can freeze it for a month, wrapped first in plastic and then aluminum foil.
- Alternative liquors: a coffee liquor is what complements best this chocolate cake, but it works well with orange liquor (Cointreau, Grand Marnier), with almond liquor (such as Amaretto). And probably others I never tried. I use Kahlua because it's my favorite one, but there are other coffee liquors you can use.
Related recipes you might like:
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Kahlua Chocolate Cake
If you like the combination of chocolate, coffee, and liquor, these glazed chocolate cakes belong to your recipe file. Whether you make mini cakes, one large bundt cake, cupcakes, or loaf, they're easy to make (one bowl) and incredibly moist.
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 mini cakes
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 ¾ cups (350g) sugar
- 2 cups (270g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (80g) cocoa powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (240g) milk
- ½ cup (120g) of vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup drip (or espresso) coffee (very hot)
- ½ cup Kahlua or other coffee liqueur
For the glaze:
- 1 cup (160g) powdered sugar
- 1 or 2 tablespoons Kahlua or other coffee liqueur
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF /180ºC.
- Butter and flour or spray well with cooking spray, 12 mini bundt molds.
- Sift together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. I measure everything and sift it directly over the wet ingredients.
- In a large bowl beat eggs, milk, vanilla, and oil for 1 minute.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet, ½ cup at a time, while beating on low speed. Do this slowly so the batter doesn't develop clumps.
- Heat coffee until almost boiling.
- Mix with liqueur and add slowly to the chocolate batter. The mixture will be thin.
- Fill molds up to ¾ of its full capacity. I put the batter in a glass measuring cup so it's easier to pour.
- Bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes for mini bundts and 45 minutes for a big bundt.
- Cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes.
- Invert the pan and release the cakes. You might want to use a smooth-bladed knife first to make sure no bits of cake are stuck to the sides and the center tuve. If cake resists, cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting.
For the glaze:
- In a small bowl mix a cup of powdered sugar with 1 Tbs or more of coffee liqueur, depending on how runny you want your glaze to be.
- Pour glaze on top of cakes and let it drip to the sides.
Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Different pans: I love mini bundts, but you can use a regular large bundt or 2 medium loaf pans. I never tried this recipe as a layer cake and I think it would be a bit too tender to fill. But it would work baked as a sheet cake.
- Preparing the pan: I brush it with soft butter (or use my hands), flouring and refrigerating the pan while you make the filling. Or use a baking spray that comes with added flour.
- Glaze: use the liquor as stated in the recipe, prepared strong coffee, or a tablespoon of each. They all work great.
- Storing: this is a very moist cake recipe and it keeps very well at room temperature, well covered in plastic wrap. The flavor is fudgier the next day. You can freeze it for a month, wrapped first in plastic and then aluminum foil.
- Alternative liquors: a coffee liquor is what complements best this chocolate cake, but it works well with orange liquor (Cointreau, Grand Marnier), with almond liquor (such as Amaretto). And probably others I never tried. I use Kahlua because it's my favorite one, but there are other coffee liquors you can use.
- Alternative glaze: use the chocolate ganache recipe from the best chocolate bundt cake, adding a tablespoon of Kahlua for an extra dose of chocolate.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/12
- Calories: 383
- Sugar: 43.5 g
- Sodium: 301.3 mg
- Fat: 11.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 64.1 g
- Fiber: 2.6 g
- Protein: 4.9 g
- Cholesterol: 33 mg
Keywords: chocolate kahlua cake
Adapted from Kiss My Bundt, by Christa Wilson
B says
I've used this recipe multiple times, and it always turns out great! I substitute liquor for another 1/2 cup of espresso, they make great gifts and treats!
★★★★★
erica says
I can't wait to try this! I just purchased silicone mini bundt cake pan.. do I still need to spray and flour it? Thanks
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Erica! There's no need to flour silicone pans, and, though I hardly use them, I might've lightly sprayed them the few times I baked with them. The manufacturer might have some info online about it. Happy baking!
Barb says
Coffee and chocolate, you can't go wrong with that combination.
What was the capacity of the individual molds, around 1/2 cup?
I don't have a pan with 12 mini molds, but I do have other pans. Just wondering if this batter would make 6, 1 cup mini bundts.
Thanks
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Barb! It should make six 1-cup mini bundts, since I use the bundtlette mini pans from Nordic Ware and the capacity of each one is 3/4 cup filled to the brim (the six of them amount to 4,5 cups). So I'm using between 1/2 to 2/3 cup batter for each individual cake because you never fill them completely.
Tamara says
Can I bake the bundt cakes one day and glaze them the next or should they be warm when glazed? I want to make these for Father's Day
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Tamara! The cakes need to be cold when you glaze them. So it's perfect to do it the next day. Simply keep them wrapped in plastic do they don't lose moisture.
Doreen says
I would like to make these 4 days before my event, could I just keep them at room temperature? or should they be refrigerated or put in the freezer and then thawed?
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Doreen! I recommend wrapping them well and freezing them. Four days is a long time and they will start to dry out at room temperature.
Cherie Wallace says
I'm excited to try this recipe, however I live in Australia and I'm aware that our teaspoon and tablespoon measurements are different to the US. ie: in Australia 1 tablespoon is 20ml (or g) and is equivalent to 4 teaspoons; which means that a teaspoon measurement here is 5ml (or g). What are your teaspoon measurements?
Also, what size eggs should I use?
Thank you!
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Cherie, I added the measurements in grams for easier conversion. Hope that helps!
Cherie Wallace says
Oh wow!! Thank you so much
Sallie says
I've made these as mini bundt cakes and also as one big bundt cake (two weekends in a row!) and this recipe is fabulous! I didn't change a thing and used kahlua in the cake and the glaze. Rave reviews all around and it's super moist. I will make this again and again. So easy too!
★★★★★
Paula Montenegro says
SO glad you all liked it Sallie! I tend to agree
Have a great week.
Cara says
Hi, I’ve been looking for a coffee Bundt recipe without the chocolate – is there anything you can recommend when knitting the cocoa? Or does the cake still taste predominantly of the coffee? Thanks!!
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Cara, this recipe has coffee liquor so it's a different flavor. This would be a much better recipe I think https://vintagekitchennotes.com/brown-butter-cake-coffee-glaze/ You can add some coffee extract or a tablespoon of very strong coffee to the batter.
Cara says
Oops, I meant omitting* the cocoa! I’ve just tried that other recipe now (cooking as I type) but I can’t get my mind off this recipe – using Kahlua and actual brewed coffee. Am looking for that coffee taste which I’m scared might be overpowered by the chocolate in this recipe. Might still give it a try this weekend!
Thanks so much for the quick response 🙂
Paula Montenegro says
I never tried it but it should work, substituting more flour for the cocoa powder. I do love a coffee-flavored cake too, so I might try it this week if I have the time.
Elizabeth says
Amazing! Used Harvey's Bristol Cream instead and it worked great! Best Bundt cakes I've ever made, my family loved this recipe Thank you!
★★★★★
Paula Montenegro says
So happy you all loved them! I never heard about that liquor but I think they work with all of them, lol!
Angelique M. Florendo says
I want to try this but without the liquor. Is there an acceptable substitute? Thanks:)
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Angelique, you can use all coffee (1 cup total), or water for the liquor part.