Mexican Chocolate Cake with Orange Chocolate Glaze

In Texas the cuisine of the South meets the warm flavors of Mexican cooking.  This dessert is a fusion of both worlds: a dense chocolate bundt cake with unexpected scents of cinnamon and a lingering spicy note (a result of the cayenne pepper and balsamic vinegar) that encourages you to take another bite.  It’s also cholesterol-free and vegan since it contains no butter, milk, or eggs.

The cake is delicious on its own, but it also benefits from the addition of an Orange Chocolate Glaze, which I’ve included below.  My English relatives and friends might be tempted to douse this dessert in cream, but to do so would mute the subtle spice combination of cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and balsamic vinegar.  Hold the cream!

This recipe makes a ‘short’ bundt cake (it will only rise about half to three-quarters of the way up the baking pan) so cut thick slices to serve.

Mexican Chocolate Cake

Serves 12-14

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup cold water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

scant tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon vanilla

Orange Chocolate Glaze (below)

Combine all cake ingredients in a bowl and mix just until combined.  Pour batter into a greased bundt or tube cake pan.  Bake at 350F (180C) for 25-30 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes, then invert out onto a plate and cool completely.

Drizzle with Orange Chocolate Glaze, if desired.  Keep leftover cake refrigerated if you add the Orange Chocolate Glaze, otherwise, store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Orange Chocolate Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

3-4 tablespoons orange juice

Stir powdered sugar and cocoa together, then gradually add orange juice until the glaze reaches a consistency where it will thinly coat the back of a spoon.