I wanted to make a cake for a coworker’s birthday, and a chocolate chip cake just seemed appropriately fun.  And since I was going for fun, I also decided to go with my much-neglected castle Bundt pan. 

Bundts have so much to offer visually, before you even get to the taste.

You don’t cover these babies with frosting.  You glaze.  You ganache.  You dust.

And then, if your cake is a castle, you add some flair. 

Would you enjoy entering your office and being greeted by THIS on your birthday?

Chuck was! 

The almond extract in this recipe is absolutely noticeable (heads up, non-almond lovers) and lends a grownup flavor to what is otherwise a very simple, dense, and delicious yellow cake, studded with chocolate chips.

Covering the cake with the chocolate glaze adds polish and texture, and the dusting of powdered sugar covers up any blemishes – like the crack I accidentally put in mine when I tipped it out of the pan improperly.  The cake basically wore a girdle of plastic wrap overnight to keep it together…but you’d never know that, would you you?

You know…unless I told you?

Oh well.  This is a place of honesty.

Happy Birthday, Chuck!

Chocolate Chip Cake
Adapted from Bundt Classics by NordicWare

Ingredients
1 3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups milk
1 cup chocolate chips
1 tbsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease and flour a 12 cup Bundt (for a 10 cup Bundt fill 3/4 full and make a few cupcakes with the remaining batter) and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract until smooth and fluffy.  Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Alternately combine flour mixture and milk into butter mixture until smooth.
• Spoon batter into prepared pan and bake for 60-70 minutes until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert cake until cooled completely.
• Drizzle with chocolate glaze.

Chocolate Glaze
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 tbsp. cocoa powder (I used KAF Double-Dutch Cocoa)
1 tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2-4 tbsp. milk

In medium bowl, combine sugar, cocoa powder, and butter. Add vanilla, then slowly add milk one tablespoon at a time until it reaches the consistency you like. I used 4 tablespoons.