Chocolate Bundt Cake

When it comes to selecting a crowd-pleasing dessert, a chocolate cake will never disappoint—and a classic chocolate Bundt cake is no exception. Like our best chocolate cake recipes, this one is ultra-decadent with an intense cocoa flavor and aroma, but unlike other layer cake recipes, this Bundt cake doesn’t require baking multiple cakes that you need to stack or a piping bag to decorate the cake like a pro. Rather, you need only a single fluted tube pan to bake the cake and a spatula to slather on the delectable homemade frosting.

Layer cakes often give the impression that they need a special occasion, but this homey chocolate Bundt cake recipe requires no such occasion. It’s the perfect treat to bake on a quiet weekend at home when your family is craving something sweet. That said, it’s also a great dessert for a crowd. Serve it at your next game night with friends or the next time Aunt Susie is in town for a visit. Any time is the right time for this chocolate cake Bundt cake.

Chocolate Bundt Cake Ingredients

• Bittersweet chocolate: You can use several types of chocolate in recipes. For this chocolate Bundt cake recipe, use bittersweet chocolate, which is a type of dark chocolate that usually contains around 70% cocoa.
• Butter: In cake baking, oil or butter is typically used as the primary fat. Here butter is used to make a denser cake with a richer flavor. Use your favorite high-quality butter brand for better flavor.
• Sugar: Sugar not only sweetens a cake but impedes the formation of gluten, which helps keep the cake soft, tender and moist.
• Eggs: Eggs are essential because they help structure the cake.
• Vanilla extract: Even a chocolate Bundt cake can benefit from a good vanilla extract brand.
• Flour: All-purpose flour is the way to go here.
• Baking cocoa: Choose the best cocoa powder to make the best chocolate cake Bundt cake.
• Espresso powder: Don’t worry; this cake doesn’t taste like coffee. In fact, coffee is often a secret ingredient in chocolate recipes, used to intensify the chocolate flavor.
• Leavening agent: In this cake, you’ll use a combination of baking soda and baking powder. Both help the cake rise as it bakes to make it airy and light.
• Salt: Salt balances the sweetness of the cake and further enhances the chocolate flavors.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk gives this cake a subtle tang and makes it ultra moist, just as buttermilk does in red velvet cake recipes.
• Whipped chocolate ganache frosting: This two-ingredient frosting couldn’t be easier. Simply warm up some heavy whipping cream and then use it to melt 12 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips.

Directions

Step 1: Melt the chocolate

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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch fluted tube pan and dust it with cocoa powder.

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Then, in a microwave-safe bowl, gently melt the bittersweet chocolate and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool.

Editor’s Tip: There are several ways to melt chocolate. If microwaving, cook at 70% powder in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until the chocolate is smooth. Don’t overcook the chocolate or it may melt too quickly or seize, becoming dry and crumbly.

Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar

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Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, two to three minutes. Then, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the cooled chocolate, then stir in the vanilla extract.

Step 3: Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk

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In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk. Beat well after each addition.

Step 4: Bake the cake

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Pour the batter into the prepared tube pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing from the pan and cooling completely.

Editor’s Tip: Having your cake stick to the pan is every baker’s worst fear, so knowing the best way get a cake out of a Bundt pan is key. Grease the pan well before pouring in the batter, and let the cake cool before flipping and removing it. If that doesn’t work, gently bang the pan or simply turn it over and let gravity do the trick.

Step 5: Make the frosting

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Place the semisweet chocolate chips in a small bowl. Warm the cream in a small saucepan on the stovetop just until it begins to boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes.

Step 6: Decorate and slice

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Next, beat the ganache with an electric mixer until the frosting has doubled in volume, about two minutes. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake. Then, slice and serve.

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Chocolate Bundt Cake Variations

• Red velvet Bundt cake: You can transform this chocolate Bundt cake recipe into a red velvet version by adding 2 ounces of red food coloring to the cake batter. Then, replace the whipped ganache with our favorite classic cream cheese frosting recipe.
• Mint chocolate Bundt cake: For a chocolate Bundt cake that tastes like Thin Mint cookies, add 1 teaspoon of mint extract to the cake batter and 1/2 teaspoon of mint extract to the chocolate ganache frosting before whipping.
• Peanut butter cup Bundt cake: Swap in this fluffy peanut butter buttercream frosting or this chocolate peanut butter frosting. Then, sprinkle with chopped peanut butter cups before slicing.

How to Store Chocolate Bundt Cake

Store chocolate Bundt cake at room temperature in an airtight container, or in a cake stand or cake carrier. If you only have a small amount of cake to store, try this clever trick for cake storage: Put leftover slices on a container’s lid, and then snap the bottom on top so you don’t have to dig slices out of a deep container when you’re hungry again.

How long does chocolate Bundt cake last?

Chocolate Bundt cake will stay fresh for up to a week.

Can you freeze chocolate Bundt cake?

Yes—freezing cake is something we like to do to have something sweet on hand whenever a craving hits! This chocolate Bundt cake recipe can be frozen either frosted or unfrosted for two to three months.

Chocolate Bundt Cake Tips

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What can you do if you don’t have a Bundt pan?

If you don’t own a Bundt pan, never fear: It’s possible to make a Bundt cake without a Bundt pan, as long as you have a 9-inch round cake pan and some pie weights.

What’s the best way to get a clean slice of cake?

There are many tricks you can deploy to cut a cake like a pro. For that picture-perfect slice of cake, try using a serrated knife and chilling your cake before cutting.

What can you serve with chocolate Bundt cake?

This chocolate Bundt cake needs no accompaniments, but nobody will ever complain about a scoop of ice cream on the side. Choose your favorite store-bought brand of vanilla ice cream to keep things simple or try your hand at one of these homemade ice cream recipes.