Ethiopian Coffee-Spiced Chocolate Bundt Cake

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-05-06 · Updated 2026-05-06

A moist chocolate bundt cake enriched with Ethiopian coffee and warm spices, topped with a dark chocolate glaze. This ethiopian-inspired desserts ready in about 80 minutes layers all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda into a dessert worth slowing down for — great for weekend baking, holiday tables, or any time you want a sweet payoff at the end of a meal. Each serving lands at about 350 calories and feeds 10, so it slots into a weekend bake or a special-occasion dessert tray. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp ground Ethiopian coffee or espresso powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan thoroughly.
2. Step 2: In a large bowl, sift together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp ground Ethiopian coffee or espresso powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp ground cardamom.
3. Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup vegetable oil, 3 large eggs, and 2 tsp vanilla extract until smooth and combined.
4. Step 4: Alternate adding the dry ingredients and 1 cup buttermilk to the wet mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing gently after each addition until just combined.
5. Step 5: Stir in 1 cup boiling water gradually to loosen the batter; it will be thin but this ensures moistness.
6. Step 6: Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Step 7: Let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Step 8: For the glaze, heat 1/2 cup heavy cream in a small saucepan until simmering. Pour over 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips in a bowl and let sit 2 minutes, then stir until smooth.
9. Step 9: Drizzle the chocolate glaze evenly over the cooled cake before serving.