This post may contain affiliate links.
Chocolate Bundt Cake is the ultra-moist, deeply chocolatey cake that looks like a total showstopper but comes together in one bowl, all crowned with a glossy chocolate ganache glaze that pours down every ridge. I baked this for *Maddie’s birthday* when she asked for the most chocolate cake possible, and it vanished before the candles even cooled. If you love our strawberry cheesecake bundt cake, this rich chocolate version is calling your name.
This easy chocolate bundt cake stays incredibly moist thanks to sour cream and melted chocolate folded right into the batter.
Chocolate Bundt Cake Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 50 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 slices
- ⚡ Calories: 424kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Deeply chocolatey and moist with a glossy ganache glaze
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a one-bowl cake like our lemon blueberry coffee cake
Quick Answer
To make a chocolate bundt cake, melt chocolate chips into hot milk and whisk in sour cream, then combine the dry ingredients of flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Cream butter and brown sugar with vanilla and eggs, then alternate adding the dry mix and the chocolate mixture. Pour into a greased bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes. Cool completely, then drizzle with a chocolate ganache glaze and let set before serving.
Jump to:
- Chocolate Bundt Cake Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Chocolate Bundt Cake FAQs
- Other Recommended Chocolate Desserts
- Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Melted chocolate and cocoa give double richness. Using both melted chocolate chips and cocoa powder builds a deeper, fudgier chocolate flavor than either one alone.
- Sour cream keeps it ultra-moist. The fat and acidity in sour cream tenderize the crumb so the cake stays soft and moist for days.
- Hot milk blooms the chocolate. Pouring hot milk over the chocolate chips melts them smoothly and helps the cocoa bloom for richer flavor.
- Brown sugar adds moisture and depth. Light brown sugar keeps the cake tender and adds a gentle caramel note that rounds out the chocolate.
- A well-greased pan means a clean release. Brushing baking spray into every ridge of the bundt pan is the key to a cake that pops out perfectly intact.
- Ganache makes a simple, stunning finish. A two-ingredient ganache glaze pours down the ridges for a bakery-worthy look with almost no effort.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is rich, moist, and deeply chocolatey with a glossy ganache glaze that makes it look like it came from a bakery.
- It comes together easily and is perfect for birthdays, holidays, or any chocolate craving, just like our chocolate cupcakes.
- It keeps beautifully for days and only gets more moist, so it is a fantastic make-ahead dessert.
Key Ingredients
A handful of pantry baking staples plus a double hit of chocolate make this cake unforgettable. Here are the ones that matter most.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Melted right into the batter and used again in the glaze, real chocolate gives this cake a deep, fudgy flavor that cocoa alone cannot.
- Cocoa powder: Unsweetened cocoa layers in even more rich chocolate flavor and gives the crumb its dark color.
- Sour cream: Sour cream is the secret to an ultra-moist, tender crumb and adds a subtle tang that balances the sweetness.
- Light brown sugar: Brown sugar keeps the cake moist and adds a soft caramel note that deepens the chocolate.
- Heavy cream: A splash of hot heavy cream poured over chocolate chips makes the silky ganache glaze that pours down every ridge.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This chocolate bundt cake is easy to dress up:
- Add a frosting instead: Skip the ganache and pipe on our chocolate cream cheese frosting for an extra-decadent finish.
- Make it mocha: Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to the batter to intensify the chocolate flavor without making it taste like coffee.
- Stir in extras: Fold a handful of chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or toffee bits into the batter for added texture.
- Top it your way: Garnish with fresh raspberries, chocolate shavings, a dusting of powdered sugar, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
How to Make Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and thoroughly grease a 10-cup bundt pan, brushing the spray into all the nooks and crannies.
- Pour hot milk over the chocolate chips and let sit for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth and whisk in the sour cream.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the vanilla and the eggs one at a time.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the chocolate-sour cream mixture, mixing until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the glaze by pouring hot heavy cream over chocolate chips, letting it sit, then stirring smooth with vanilla.
- Drizzle the ganache over the cooled cake, garnish with chocolate shavings, and let it set for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Grease the pan thoroughly, brushing baking spray into every ridge so the cake releases cleanly without sticking.
- Do not overmix the batter once the flour goes in, stir just until combined to keep the crumb tender.
- Check for doneness early, a toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter, around the 45 minute mark.
- Cool 10 minutes before inverting, long enough to set but not so long the cake sticks to the pan.
- Let the glaze cool slightly so it thickens just enough to cling to the ridges instead of running straight off.
- Store it covered at room temperature, the cake stays moist for up to four days.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This chocolate bundt cake is a showstopper on any dessert table. Serve thick slices with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, or a handful of fresh raspberries. It is right at home next to our mini cheesecakes at a party.
For a full dessert spread, pair it with our lemon blueberry trifle and a batch of chocolate cupcakes so there is a little something for everyone. A cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk makes the perfect partner.
Leftover cake keeps well covered at room temperature for up to four days, or freeze slices for a quick chocolate fix later. A few seconds in the microwave brings back that just-baked, gooey-glaze warmth.
Chocolate Bundt Cake FAQs
The key to releasing a chocolate bundt cake cleanly is greasing the pan thoroughly. Use a baking spray that contains flour and brush it into every ridge and crevice with a pastry brush so no spot is missed. Let the baked cake cool in the pan for exactly 10 minutes, then invert it onto a wire rack. Waiting too long can cause it to stick, while flipping too soon can make it break.
A dry chocolate bundt cake is usually caused by overbaking or overmixing the batter. Start checking for doneness around the 45 minute mark and pull the cake when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Mix the batter only until the ingredients are combined, since overmixing develops gluten and toughens the crumb. The sour cream and brown sugar in this recipe also help keep it moist.
Yes, chocolate bundt cake is a great make-ahead dessert and actually stays moist for days. Bake the cake and let it cool completely, then store it covered at room temperature for up to four days. For the freshest look, add the ganache glaze the day you plan to serve. You can also freeze the unglazed cake, well wrapped, for up to three months.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips make an easy, reliable ganache glaze for this cake and balance the rich cake nicely. For a deeper, more intense glaze you can use a good-quality bittersweet chocolate, and for a sweeter finish milk chocolate works too. Just be sure to use real chocolate rather than candy melts so the glaze sets up smooth and glossy.
Yes, if you do not have a bundt pan you can bake this batter in two 8-inch round cake pans or a 9 by 13 inch pan. The bake time will change, so start checking for doneness earlier, around 25 to 30 minutes for layers. Keep in mind the signature ringed shape comes from a bundt pan, but the cake will taste just as delicious in another shape.
Store chocolate bundt cake covered at room temperature for up to four days, where it stays wonderfully moist. To freeze, wrap the unglazed cake or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature, then glaze if needed. A quick warm-up in the microwave makes leftover slices taste freshly baked.
Craving more chocolate? Try our chocolate cupcakes and chocolate cream cheese frosting next.
Love chocolate desserts? Our Oreo cupcakes are a guaranteed party hit.
Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Ingredients
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
For the glaze:
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- chocolate shavings for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 10-cup standard-sized bundt pan with baking spray. Take a pastry brush and brush the spray all over the pan making sure to get all the nooks and crannies, set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the chocolate chips, set aside. Heat the milk in a saucepot or microwave until it reaches 180°F. Pour the hot milk over the chocolate chips. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. Whisk in the sour cream, set aside.4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, ½ cup whole milk, ¾ cup sour cream
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, set aside.1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the butter with the brown sugar for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and eggs one at a time, mixing in the first before adding in the next. Scrape down the sides as needed.½ cup unsalted butter, 1 ½ cups light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 3 large eggs
- Add half of the flour mixture, stir until combined. Add half of the chocolate/sour cream mixture, stir until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and chocolate/sour cream mixture.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth out the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert the pan onto a wire rack and cool completely.
- Once the cake is cool, make the glaze by adding the chocolate chips to a medium-sized bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a saucepot or microwave until it reaches 180°F. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate chips. Let it sit for 5 minutes and add the vanilla, then stir until smooth.4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, ½ cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Make sure the cake is completely cool and add it to your serving platter. Drizzle the glaze over the top and let it run down the sides. Immediately garnish with chocolate shavings if using. Let it sit for 30 minutes so the glaze can set. Slice and serve.chocolate shavings for garnish
Notes
- The ganache is optional but highly recommended.
- This can be made in a 9×13-inch pan if you’d like.
- Instead of chocolate shavings, you can top with chopped nuts, coconut, chocolate chips, etc.
- You can add in mix-ins, see some ideas above.
- This can be frozen, see my tips above.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
Follow @ThisSillyGirlsKitchen on Instagram and @danadevolk on Pinterest for more!
