Chocolate Bundt Cake
Posted Feb 06, 2022, Updated Aug 12, 2023
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This chocolate Bundt cake is rich and moist with a perfect crumb and a delicious chocolate glaze that hardens with a beautiful shine. This chocolate Bundt cake recipe is easy to make from scratch with simple ingredients.
This is the best chocolate Bundt cake recipe! It’s dense and rich and never ever disappoints.
Topped with a rich chocolate glaze that hardens with a beautiful shine, it’s a cake for serious chocolate lovers. (Also, try this vanilla bundt cake for your vanilla-loving friends)!
Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe: Ingredients and substitutions
- All-purpose flour. Cake flour or bread flour can be used in place of all-purpose flour.
- Granulated sugar. There isn’t a substitute for the sugar. I suggest regular white sugar or organic cane sugar for the best results.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder. Choose your favorite variety. For an extra-dark cake use dark cocoa powder.
- Espresso powder. I always have espresso powder on hand to make chocolate desserts (like this homemade chocolate cake and this chocolate zucchini cake). It’s worth purchasing if you love baking. You can substitute instant coffee
- Salted butter. You can replace the salted butter with more canola oil, however the flavor from the butter makes this chocolate Bundt cake delicious. You can use unsalted butter.
- Canola oil. Oil keeps this cake moist. You can substitute equal amounts of melted butter or another neutral oil if desired, however canola oil will yield the best results.
- Sour cream. Full-fat, plain Greek yogurt can be used in place of sour cream. I recommend using full-fat ingredients for the richest, most moist chocolate cake.
- Whole milk. Again, I am an advocate for using full-fat whole milk in this chocolate Bundt cake recipe. You can substitute 2% milk but nothing with a lower fat content.
- Vanilla extract. You can use a different extract such as almond, peppermint, orange, etc. if you prefer a flavored Bundt cake.
- Mini chocolate chips. These are an absolute must. Regular-sized chocolate chips sink to the bottom of the cake while baking. Be sure to use mini chips for the best results.
- Heavy cream. There are no substitutions for heavy cream in the glaze.
- Corn syrup. Honey can be used in place of corn syrup.
How to make a Chocolate Bundt Cake
This chocolate bundt cake is easy to make – no mixer required. Follow along with our step-by-step photos, and don’t forget to watch the video!
Prepare a 10-12 cup Bundt pan:
Begin this recipe by preparing the Bundt pan. To do this, rub softened butter into every crack and cranny of your Bundt pan. I like to use a pastry brush or my hands to ensure no surface is un-buttered.
Then, use a small sifter to lightly dust the butter with flour, turning the pan to evenly distribute the flour. Set aside.
Make the chocolate Bundt cake.
Once the bundt pan is ready to go, make the cake batter. Begin by combining the dry ingredients in a medium bowl, then set it aside.
Next, whisk together the we ingredients in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth.
Then, combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir until combined.
Finally, stir in the mini chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
Bake the chocolate bundt cake
Once the batter is ready, pour it into the prepared Bundt pan. Use a spatula to even out the top and lightly tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
Then, bake the chocolate bundt cake the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few crumbs (larger Bundt pans will require a shorter bake time).
Place the Bundt pan on a wire cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
Once cool, carefully run a knife around the edges and center of the cake (where the cake meets the pan) to release it. Then, place a wire cooling rack on the bottom of the pan and invert it, resting the pan on the cooling rack. Gently release the Bundt cake and let it cool completely.
Make the glaze:
Once the cake has cooled, it’s time to make the glaze. To do this, heat the heavy cream until it’s just about to boil (a few bubbles will form on the sides).
Then, turn off the heat and add corn syrup, sea salt and chocolate and whisk until smooth.
Assemble
Pour the glaze over the cooled chocolate bundt cake. Then let it set at room temperature or chill in the refrigerator until the glaze has hardened.
Serve
Serve this chocolate bundt cake slightly chilled or at room temperature.
We like eating this chocolate bundt cake recipe with a side of ice cream, like this homemade vanilla ice cream or homemade chocolate ice cream. A dollop of homemade whipped cream also tastes amazing!
Store
Store any leftover chocolate Bundt cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freeze
You can freeze individual slices, or the entire cake, for up to 2 months. Just be sure to wrap it well and store it in an airtight container or plastic bag.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! This recipe is easily doubled and baked in two, Bundt cake pans.
This recipe yields the best, moist chocolate Bundt cake ever. To ensure it turns out that way be careful not to over-bake, and measure all the ingredients properly and precisely.
Usually a Bundt cake is slightly denser than a regular chocolate cake. But the most important defining feature of a Bundt cake is the shape because it is baked in a Bundt pan!
If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can your creations!
Chocolate Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp espresso powder
- ½ cup salted butter melted
- ½ cup canola oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Chocolate Glaze
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 TBS light corn syrup
- pinch sea salt
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chopped, (or chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare a 10-12 cup Bundt pan:
- Rub softened butter into every crack and cranny of your Bundt pan.
- Use a small sifter to lightly dust the butter with flour, turn it to evenly distribute it in the pan. Set aside.
Make the chocolate Bundt cake.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, sea salt and espresso powder. Set aside
- In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, canola oil, eggs, sour cream, milk and vanilla until the mixture is smooth.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
- Add mini chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Use a spatula to even out the top and lightly tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few crumbs (larger Bundt pans will require a shorter bake time).
- Place the Bundt pan on a wire cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
- Once cool, carefully run a knife around the edges and center of the cake (where the cake meets the pan) to release it. Then, place a wire cooling rack on the bottom of the pan and invert it, resting the pan on the cooling rack. Gently release the Bundt cake and let it cool completely.
Make the glaze:
- Heat heavy cream until just about to boil.
- Turn off heat and add corn syrup, sea salt and chocolate and whisk until smooth.
- Pour over cake.
- Let set at room temperature or chill in the refrigerator until the glaze has hardened.
- Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- All-purpose flour. Cake flour or bread flour can be used in place of all-purpose flour.
- Granulated sugar. There isn’t a substitute for the sugar. I suggest regular white sugar or organic cane sugar for the best results.
- Espresso powder. You can substitute instant coffee
- Salted butter. You can replace the salted butter with more canola oil, however the flavor from the butter makes this chocolate Bundt cake delicious. You can use unsalted butter.
- Canola oil. Oil keeps this cake moist. You can substitute equal amounts of melted butter or another neutral oil if desired, however canola oil will yield the best results.
- Sour cream. Full-fat, plain Greek yogurt can be used in place of sour cream. I recommend using full-fat ingredients for the richest, most moist chocolate cake.
- Whole milk. Again, I am an advocate for using full-fat whole milk in this chocolate Bundt cake recipe. You can substitute 2% milk but nothing with a lower fat content.
- Vanilla extract. You can use a different extract such as almond, peppermint, orange, etc. if you prefer a flavored Bundt cake.
- Mini chocolate chips. These are an absolute must. Regular-sized chocolate chips sink to the bottom of the cake while baking. Be sure to use mini chips for the best results.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious! I didn’t have mini chips so I put regular ones in the freezer for a bit then pulsed them in the food processor and it worked just fine. The cake is very moist and with a good crumb. Also it’s not too sweet which I prefer. Will be putting this on my weekly go to deserts.
This cake was everything that a chocolate cake needs to be be: moist, tasty, chocolatey, and so quick and easy.
Thank you so much for this amazing cake!
Thank you so much Johanna!