Ultimate Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Bundt Cake

The #LexBloggerFam is teaming up again to bring you all things holiday. I’m trying my hand at baking for this virtual celebration. After perusing many dessert options with holiday themes, few fit my needs. I’m allergic to so many staples such as nuts and berries, and don’t have a palette for pumpkin or peppermint. Pomegranate offers a fresh and festive addition to any traditional dessert. In this experimental take on my favorite chocolate cake, I’m incorporating pomegranate seeds and glaze to a rich chocolate cake recipe topped with ganache. This recipe is full of great tips including how to cleanly plate a cake covered in ganache and how to easily extract seeds from a fresh pomegranate. What are your favorite holiday desserts? I hope you enjoy this tasty treat and check out some of my friends contributions linked below!

What You’ll Need:

• 1 Box Dark Chocolate Cake Mix (I used Ghirardelli)
• 2/3 Cup Heavy Cream
• 2 Eggs
• Water
• Sea Salt
• Vegetable Oil
• Teaspoon of Cocoa Powder
• 1/3 Cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 Whole Pomegranate
• 1 Bag White Chocolate Chips
• 1 Bar Espresso/Coffee Dark Chocolate Bar (I used Lucky’s Market brand)
• 4 Tablespoons of Sugar
• Powdered Sugar

Directions:

1. Prepare cake mix accordingly to box instructions using eggs, water, and vegetable oil. Thoroughly grease your bundt pan to ensure the cake does not stick. Add strips of parchment paper under cake on cutting board or counter surface to ensure for clean glazing. Let cool completely.
2. Cut up 1/2 of the espresso-infused chocolate bar and place in bowl with semisweet chocolate chips and cocoa powder. In a small saucepan, bring 1/3 cup of heavy cream to a boil. Pour over chocolate and still until smooth and thick. Drizzle over cool cake.
3. In the same saucepan, bring 1/3 cup of heavy cream to a boil. Pour over 1/2 Cup of white chocolate chips and still until smooth. Drizzle over cake.
4. Dust cake with powdered sugar in a sieve.
5. To open pomegranate, slice just into the skin of the 6 “edges” of the outer layer. In a bowl of cool water, break open 6 sections of the pomegranate and begin to break apart seeds with your hands and the fruit submerged. Remove all pulp that floats to the top and drain water off clean seeds.
6. In a small sauce pan, add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Add 4 tablespoons of sugar and half of the pomegranate seeds. Bowl for 12-15 minutes or until glaze begins to thicken. Allow glaze to cool for 2-3 minutes before pouring over cake.
7. Top cake with fresh pomegranate seeds and plate with additional chocolate chips. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over the top of the cake. Serve immediately.

If you loved my post, check out what the rest of the #LexBloggerFam has to offer you this holiday season!