Chocolate Mini Bundt Cakes with Pistachio Cream
Delicious chocolate cakes. Pistachio cream. Sweetened mascarpone. One bowl. Need I say more?
There’s something about the flavor of chocolate and pistachio that goes so well together. The sweet, nutty taste of the pistachio cream, the deep chocolate flavor of the mini Bundt cakes, and the creaminess of the mascarpone topping. Separately, those flavors are delicious. Together, they are something else entirely.
Pistachios are having their moment right now. And rightly so. This tasty nut is very versatile, belonging in both sweet and savory dishes. Made into a delicious cream, crushed up and added to dishes, or just eaten as a snack. Their bright green appearance makes them stand out against the mascarpone frosting.
Make It Brunch
The little cakes would be the perfect ending to any brunch. Start with some Arugula Salad (crushed pistachios would go great on this salad.) Add some Cuban Tostones and Quinoa Lentil Salad and you’ll be sure to impress all your brunch guests.
Ingredients
This recipe uses many of the main staples of baking: flour, sugar, eggs, salt, and vanilla-with a few other key ingredients.
- Cocoa powder for that chocolatey flavor. You can use natural or Dutch process in this recipe. I have used natural cocoa powder.
- Vegetable or canola oil adds moisture and has a very light flavor that you can’t taste in this recipe.
- Yogurt or sour cream adds richness and tanginess, but not over powering. I love using yogurt and sour cream in my baked goods.
- Milk contributes moisture and makes for a soft and tender crumb.
- Chocolate chips Your favorite chocolate chips will work in this recipe.
Baker’s Notes
Don’t overfill your Bundt pans! Sticking to the 2/3 full rule helps prevent overflow and keeps them looking pretty.
Let the cakes cool before icing so the icing doesn’t melt right off.
Serve with a scoop of vanilla or chocolate ice cream for the ultimate treat.
Let’s Make This!
These mini Bundt cakes are incredibly easy to make—and they come together in just one bowl! 🙂 Better yet, you don’t need a stand mixer or even an electric hand mixer. All you need is a whisk and a rubber spatula, making cleanup just as easy as the recipe itself.
Let’s get baking!
Whisk the eggs until frothy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and whisk for another minute until combined. Melt the butter and whisk it in along with the oil. Whisk in the sour cream, baking powder, vanilla, and salt.
Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the cocoa powder until it’s mostly incorporated. Add the flour in about ½-cup increments, folding after each addition until just combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared mini Bundt pans and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, they’re ready for the icing.
Decorating the mini Bundts
To fill these little cakes, you’ll just spoon a bit of pistachio cream into the middle. You can use a pastry bag if you want, but it’s not necessary. For the mascarpone filling, I do like to use a pastry bag. You can use any large tip you like, but I prefer the round tip or the star tip. I fill the cakes until the frosting is about half an inch on top of the cakes. You can add more or less if you prefer. I made a simple glaze that I drizzled on before adding the pistachio cream mascarpone, but this is optional. Sprinkle some crushed pistachios on top and your treats are ready to serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
These cakes can be stored on the countertop for 3 days in an airtight container or in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container.
Yes, you can freeze these little cakes. Once the cakes have cooled down completely, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and add them to a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to one month. Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the fridge. Add any toppings or fillings once thawed out.
For best results, you want to fill each well of a mini Bundt pan 2/3 to 3/4 the way full. This leaves enough room for the cakes to expand without forming a dome on the bottom of the cakes.
More recipes to try
Chocolate Mini Bundt Cakes with Pistachio Cream
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
Filling
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup pistachio cream
Simple Glaze (Optional)
- 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray your mini Bundt pan with non-stick spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the two eggs and beat until frothy, roughly 2-3 minutes. Add in 3/4 cup sugar and beat until fully combined.
- Add 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup melted butter and beat until combined.
- Add 1/2 cup Greek yogurt/sour cream, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and mix until combined.
- With a spatula, fold in the 1/2 cup cocoa powder. I find it hard to mix it in completely on it's own, so I like to add the flour in next to help weigh it down. Start with a 1/2 cup of flour at a time until you get to the full amount of 1 1/2 cups. Once all the flour is added in and mixed up a bit, finish it off with the electric mixer. We're trying to avoid a flour explosion. Start on the lowest level on the mixer to help incorporate all of the ingredients.
- Fill each Bundt pan cup about 2/3 full. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part comes out mostly clean.
- Let the cakes rest for 10 minutes before removing them from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack. Don't remove the thin piece of cake that's covering the hole, if it's there. That will help keep the filling in.
Filling
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the mascarpone cheese and whip for 2-3 minutes. Add the 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and whip for another 90 seconds or so. * I like to use the same bowl I mixed the mini Bundts in. Just give it a quick rinse and dry, and it should be all set to go.
- Before filling the cakes, you want them to be completely cooled. Once they are cooled, add 1 teaspoon of pistachio cream to the middle of the cakes. It should stick to the sides to help create a bottom. If you want, you can fill a pastry bag fitted with a small tip and fill the centers that way, but it's not necessary. *If you do want to add the optional glaze, add this before the pistachio cream. I just use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the Bundts.
- For the mascarpone filling, you will want to use a pastry bag. You can use any tip you want. I like the larger round tip or star tip. The fun part about mini Bundts is you can fill them with as much or as little filling as you want. I fill them until there's roughly half an inch of filling sticking above the cakes. You could put less in some and more in others. They're your cakes; you can make them how you like. Once you've filled them to your liking, add crushed pistachios to the top and serve.
Simple Glaze (Optional)
- In a small bowl, mix together the 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar and the 2 tablespoons of milk until fully combined and smooth.
Notes
- Store the mini Bundt cakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week.
- To freeze the cakes, wrap each one individually in plastic wrap, then add to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 30 days.
Nutrition
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