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My Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe with a Cheesecake Center

Prep
10 min
Bake
1 hr
Total
1 hr 10 min
Makes
12 slices

Ingredients

Chocolate batter

  • 9 oz250 gchocolateBittersweet
  • 1 stick plus 3 tbsp150 gunsalted butterSoftened. German butter is unsalted and has about 82 percent fat. In the US use unsalted butter (European-style unsalted butter is closest); in the UK, unsalted butter.
  • 1 ¼ cups240 ggranulated sugar
  • 1 pinchsalt
  • 5large eggs
  • 3 cups375 gall-purpose flourIn German recipes plain flour means soft wheat flour Type 405 unless stated otherwise. In the US use all-purpose flour; in the UK, plain flour.
  • 1 tspbaking powderGerman baking powder is sold in 15 g packets, each meant for about 500 g (4 cups) of flour. In the US and the UK use baking powder, 1 tbsp plus ¾ tsp per 15 g packet.

Cheesecake filling

  • ¾ cup150 ggranulated sugar
  • 2 tspvanilla sugar1 packet = 2 tsp (8 g). Sugar flavored with vanillin (artificial vanilla), sold in small packets of about 8 g. In the US use 1 tsp vanilla extract plus 2 tsp sugar for each 8 g packet; in the UK, vanilla sugar sachets, or 1 tsp vanilla extract plus 2 tsp sugar per sachet.
  • 2large egg yolks
  • 1 packetcustard pudding powderVanilla; or use cornstarch instead. Custard pudding powder is a packet of flavored starch (about 37 g) that is cooked with 2 cups (500 ml) of milk and sugar into a thick pudding. In the US use about ⅓ cup (40 g) cornstarch plus 1 tsp vanilla extract per packet; only when the recipe cooks it with milk as a pudding, one box of cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix (not instant) per packet, with the recipe's sugar reduced because the mix is sweetened. In the UK use custard powder, about 40 g per German packet (it is unsweetened, so it swaps 1:1 by weight). Cornstarch is a fine starch, usually made from corn, used to thicken creams and lighten cakes (UK: cornflour).
  • 14 oz400 gcream cheeseYou can also use some quark or schmand instead. Cream cheese is a soft, full-fat fresh cheese: in the US use full-fat cream cheese, in the UK full-fat soft cheese. Quark is a fresh, mild and slightly tangy cheese with a spoonable texture, used in German cheesecakes, doughs and creams: in the US use full-fat Greek yogurt strained overnight, or farmer's cheese; in the UK, quark from the supermarket chiller (choose a full-fat one if you can find it). Schmand (thick sour cream) is a thick cultured cream with about 20 to 24 percent fat, richer than American sour cream: in the US use full-fat sour cream, or half sour cream and half crème fraîche; in the UK, soured cream mixed with an equal amount of crème fraîche.

Method

Chocolate cake batter

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (170°C) convection (fan). Grease the Bundt pan and dust it with flour.

  2. Beat the butter with the salt, sugar & vanilla sugar until light and fluffy.

  3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each one in thoroughly.

  4. Mix the flour & baking powder and stir them into the batter, then spoon about ¾ of it into the pan and spread it up the sides.

Cheesecake filling

  1. Stir all the ingredients together well, with a little patience. Then carefully spread the filling in the pan.

  2. Carefully dot the remaining chocolate batter over the cheesecake filling in spoonfuls and spread it until the filling is "hidden".

  3. Bake the Bundt cake for about an hour. If needed, cover it loosely with a little foil so it doesn't get too dark.

  4. After baking, let the cake cool in the pan for about an hour, then carefully turn it out while it's still lukewarm!

  5. If you like, decorate it with a little chocolate cake coating (a ready-made compound chocolate coating that sets glossy without tempering; in the US use chocolate candy melts or compound coating, or chocolate melted with a little coconut oil, and in the UK chocolate cake covering, or chocolate melted with a little coconut oil).

From German Pastry Chef. Full recipe with photos: germanpastrychef.com/recipes/chocolate-cheesecake-bundt-cake/