Pumpkin Chai Spice Cakes with Salted Ganache
Mini pumpkin & chai spice cakes marbled with a chocolate batter, infused with fragrant chai spices, and drizzled with salted ganache.
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Mini pumpkin & chai spice cakes marbled with a chocolate batter, infused with fragrant chai spices, and drizzled with salted ganache.
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 tbsp water
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon and ginger
1/4 teaspoon each of cloves, cardamom, black pepper
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup neutral flavored oil (I like avocado oil)
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1/4 cup half & half
1/3 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp dark chocolate, chopped
pinch sea salt
coarse sea salt, such as fleur de sel, Maldon's, or Jacobsen's Pure Flake Sea Salt
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray or butter mini bundt pans thoroughly.
2. Prepare three small bowls. In one, whisk together sugar, cocoa, and 3 T of water. In another, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a third, combine the pumpkin puree and ground spices.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine sugar, oil, and vanilla. Add eggs and whisk on high for about 5 minutes, until pale and very thick and fluffy.
4. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture; mix gently. Pour in half of the half & half and stir. Finish alternating half & half with dry ingredients, ending with flour mix.
5. Pour about 1/2 cup of batter into the cocoa-sugar mixture, stirring to combine. Add remaining batter to pumpkin spice bowl; whisk until combined.
6. Layer both batters into prepared mini bundt pans, starting with pumpkin batter (the chocolate batter is more likely to stick to the pan). Swirl as desired.
7. Bake until golden brown and cake springs back when touched, 15-18 minutes. Allow to cool completely before removing cakes from pan.
1. Heat cream until just shimmering, with small bubbles around the edges (NOT boiling). Pour hot cream over chocolate and pinch of salt; let stand 30 seconds. Whisk gently to combine.
2. Allow to cool until slightly thickened and room temperature. Drizzle ganache over cakes.
3. Allow ganache to set up at room temperature for an hour or so before sprinkling with coarse sea salt. Or, sprinkle with sea salt just before serving (if you sprinkle salt on while ganache is still warm and liquid, the salt will absorb into it).
Enjoy at room temperature with a cup of chai tea or coffee! Store at room temperature in a sealed plastic bag or storage container.
Makes about 18 mini bundt cakes
