Mexican Chocolate Bundt Cake

It's all to easy to dismiss Mexican chocolate as "just" chocolate cake with cinnamon added. While true, that simple addition is more than 1+1=2. More like 1+1=457. And add the glazes this recipe calls for? The final result is too delicious to try and enumerate...


Mexican Chocolate Bundt Cake
Makes 12 servings.

1 (18.25-ounce) package devil’s food cake mix
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 cup semisweet mini morsels, divided
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon shortening
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate morsels. Pour batter into a greased and floured 12-cup Bundt pan.

Bake at 350°F for 33 to 35 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes; remove cake from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.

Cook butter, brown sugar and 2 tablespoons milk in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is melted. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Gradually stir in powdered sugar; if glaze seems thick, add remaining 1 tablespoon milk, stirring to desired consistency. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake.

Microwave remaining 1/2 cup chocolate morsels and shortening in a small microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for 30 seconds or until melted. Pour melted chocolate into a small zip-top freezer bag. Snip 1 corner of bag, and drizzle over brown sugar glaze. Sprinkle almonds on cake.