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This chocolate bundt cake is so supremely chocolatey and decadent. It’s beautifully soft and fudgy, with a delectably moist crumb, too. Perhaps best of all, it’s really easy to make! Want to unleash an indulgent dessert that’s sure to inspire your friends? Read on!

Pouring the Chocolate Ganache over Chocolate Bundt Cake.
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Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Topping

Just about everybody loves chocolate. Just about everybody loves cake. It’s no wonder that chocolate cake is such a surefire hit! This chocolate cake is covered in an absolutely irresistible melted chocolate ganache glaze. It’s a phenomenal treat with plenty of chocolatey goodness to go around. It’s definitely better than anything you can get at the store!

A slice of Chocolate Bundt cake on a white plate.

We’re loading up our cake with a rich, flavorful power trio of cocoa, butter, and sour cream. It’s a decadent, layered, experience all designed to give you the perfect slice of a delicious cake.

The cake’s medium amount of density and high moisture in every single bite is an experience you just have to try. No dry crumbs here!

The topping for this cake is amazingly easy, too, and it only needs three ingredients. You don’t even need to wait that long for the cake to cool before you ice it.

Chocolate Bundt Cake on wire rack.

Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe Ingredients

Our chocolate bundt cake demands a few important ingredients.

  • All purpose flour: We recommend unbleached all purpose flour for this recipe, as the cake won’t get as high of a rise with bleached flour.
  • Granulated sugar: We’re using quite a bit, but this is a dessert, right? If you can’t go overboard with sugar for a decadent dessert, what’s the point? You can reduce the quantity a little, but not too much. That will make the cocoa too strong, and your cake won’t be as tender.
  • We’re using baking soda and baking powder to help give the cake a lift.
  • Salt: It is so important to baking the perfect chocolate bundt cake. Don’t forget it because without the salt the cake tastes really flat and lifeless. You’ll need quite a bit because of the quantity of sugar and chocolate in this recipe.
  • Butter: We’re using unsalted butter for this recipe, but salted butter is OK too. You’ll just need to remove salt from the recipe as each stick of salted butter has a quarter teaspoon of salt in it.
  • We’re using warm coffee water to help the chocolate flavors really bloom.
  • Cocoa powder: We’re using unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe.
  • Sour cream is important to the taste and texture of this cake. However, if you don’t have any, Greek yogurt is just fine as a substitute.
  • Eggs work as our binder for this recipe. Definitely use the eggs as recommended to help your cake rise and maintain structural integrity.
  • Vegetable oil helps to make the cake super moist.
  • Vanilla extract is for the best results in this recipe.
  • Bittersweet or semisweet chocolate is best for this recipe. Use semisweet if you prefer a less intense chocolate flavor.
  • Finally, heavy cream is important to this recipe’s consistency. It also helps prevent the chocolate from rehardening.
Ingredients for Chocolate Bundt cake.

How to Make Chocolate Bundt Cake Batter

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

  • Prepare your bundt pan. This requires that you spray a 12 – 15 cup non-stick bundt cake pan with non stick cooking spray with flour .
  • Now it’s time to whisk your dry ingredients. Get a medium mixing bowl, and in it whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set the dry mixture aside.
  • In the bowl of your electric mixer with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat butter until smooth. Gradually add the sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
  • Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
A collage shows how to make Chocolate Bundt Cake.
  • Combine vanilla, sour cream, coffee and oil in a measuring cup.
  • With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture, in three additions, altering with coffee mixture. Mix just until incorporated.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
  • Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the cake pan for 15 minutes. Then remove the cake from the pan to finish cooling.
A collage shows how to bake Chocolate Bundt Cake.

Chocolate Ganache For Bundt Cake

  • Now it’s time to make your ganache topping. Place your chocolate in a medium sized heat-proof mixing bowl.
  • Add hot cream to the chocolate in the mixing bowl. Heat your heavy cream in a small saucepan on the stove or in a bowl in your microwave, until it is just simmering. Pour the hot heavy cream over the chocolate, submerging the chocolate if you need to do so. Add in butter.
  • First let this mixture rest for four minutes, then stir it until it is melted through and smooth.
  • The final step is to pour the ganache over the cake. Be sure to get an even covering. Let the cake cool slightly.
Chocolate Bundt cake on a wire rack without ganache.

Tools You’ll Need

  • You’ll need (of course) a good quality bundt pan. A non stick coating and quality construction are important for a good pan that you can keep forever.
  • We love using an electric hand mixer such as a kitchen aid for making bundt cake. Quality hand mixers are typically quieter and more reliable than poorer quality ones.
A slice of chocolate bundt cake being served from a cake stand with the whole cake on it.

Storage and Freezing

  • Store this cake, covered, at room temperature for 3 days, or in the fridge for 5 days.
  • Bundt cake actually freezes really well. You can keep the topping off until ready to serve, rather than freezing the ganache, so it looks prettier when serving time comes.
  • Always let your cake cool to room temperature before storing.
  • You can freeze the cake in an airtight container for up to three months. You can also wrap it in foil before storing in the container.
  • When you’re ready to serve, thaw in the fridge or on the counter.

Chocolate Bundt Cake Variations

  • You can always top the cake with a different topping. Chocolate buttercream frosting, and chocolate cream cheese frosting, are interesting variations on the theme with a distinctively different flavor.
  • You can spruce up your bundt cake by sprinkling it with chopped walnuts or pecans.
  • You can leave the ganache out and pair your cake with caramel sauce, ice cream or both!
  • You can bake your cake as mini pound cakes, or even as large ones. The baking time will be more like 20 minutes.
A slice of Chocolate Bundt cake on a white plate.

Recipe Tips

  • Use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients for the most accurate results.
  • A good non stick pan is absolutely essential to a good bundt cake. Cake sticking to the pan is always disappointing.
  • Always coat the inside of your pan with non-stick cooking spray with flour to help make sure your cake won’t stick and break.
  • It’s best to use room temperature ingredients so they can blend together well, allowing your cake to rise easily.
  • Take care not to overcook your cake as this will dry it out.
  • Inverting the bundt cake too soon (or too late) can be disastrous. Too early and the cake can break, too late and it will be steamy, with the moisture sticking the cake to the pan.
  • Be sure to serve your cake at room temperature for the best texture.
  • When making your ganache, chop your chocolate finely so it can melt through.

Other Cake Recipes to Try!!!

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5 from 11 votes

Chocolate Bundt Cake

By: chefjar
This chocolate bundt cake is so supremely chocolatey and decadent. It’s beautifully soft and fudgy, with a delectably moist crumb, too.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 10
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Ingredients 

For the Chocolate Bundt Cake:

Chocolate Ganache Glaze:

  • 6 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon butter, softened

Instructions 

The Chocolate Bundt Cake

  • Preheat your oven to 350F. Butter a 12-cup bundt pan and dust with flour. Alternatively, use a cooking spray with flour like Baker’s Joy spray with flour.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Keep aside.
  • In the bowl of your electric mixer with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat butter until smooth. Gradually add the sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
  • Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Combine vanilla, sour cream, coffee and oil in a measuring cup.
  • With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture, in three additions, altering with coffee mixture. Mix just until incorporated.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
  • Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the cake pan for 15 minutes. Then remove the cake from the pan to finish cooling.

The Chocolate Glaze

  • Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
  • Microwave the cream until boiling, about 30-50 seconds on high. Pour over the chocolate, add in the butter and let stand for 5-10 minutes without stirring. Then whisk until smooth.
  • Pour the ganache over the cake , letting it drip down the sides. Allow the ganache to set for 1 hour before slicing.
  • Store this cake, covered, at room temperature for 3 days, or in the fridge for 5 days.

Notes

Bundt Cake Tips

Use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients for the most accurate results.
A good non stick pan is absolutely essential to a good bundt cake. Cake sticking to the pan is always disappointing.
Always coat the inside of your pan with  non-stick cooking spray and a little butter and flour to help make sure your cake won’t stick and break.
It’s best to use room temperature ingredients so they can blend together well, allowing your cake to rise easily.
Take care not to overcook your cake as this will dry it out.
Inverting the bundt cake too soon (or too late) can be disastrous. Too early and the cake can break, too late and it will be steamy, with the moisture sticking the cake to the pan.
Be sure to serve your cake at room temperature for the best texture.
When making your ganache, chop your chocolate finely so it can melt through.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 439kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 415mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 40g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

All rights reserved. CHEF JAR. All images and content are copyright protected. PLEASE do not use my images without my permission. If you want to share this recipe, PLEASE provide a link back to this post.

Chefjar

Hello there!

I’m Tatiana—your go-to gal for easy, tasty meals that won’t leave you crying over a sink full of dishes.
Let’s cook, laugh, and keep it real in the kitchen—aprons optional!

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26 Comments

  1. Pam says:

    I must be the only one who doesn’t know – what is coffee water? I have often seen brewed coffee used in recipes – is that what this means? Cake sounds great!

    1. chefjar says:

      Hi, Pam! Yes, “coffee water” typically refers to brewed coffee when used in recipes. It’s just another way of mentioning the liquid form of coffee after it’s been brewed, and it’s often used to add a rich, deep flavor to dishes, especially in baking.

  2. Carolyn says:

    5 stars
    Wonderful cake! Delicious and chocolate flavor with moist crumb. I’ve marked as a favorite.

    1. Tatiana says:

      Hi Carolyn! So glad you loved it! Nothing beats a rich, chocolatey cake with the perfect texture. Appreciate you taking the time to share—hope you enjoy it again and again!

  3. Rosemary Callahan says:

    Can I add mini chocolate chips into the batter, to make it more chocolatey? My granddaughter wanted me to make a “triple billion chocolate Bundt cake” for her elementary school graduation. Do you think one cup would be ok to add?

    1. Tatiana says:

      Hi Rosemary! Adding a cup of mini chocolate chips sounds like a great idea — it won’t make the cake too sweet! With the unsweetened cocoa and semi-sweet chocolate in the ganache, it’ll just boost the chocolate flavor and add some melty pockets throughout the cake. Perfect for a fun celebration like this! 😊