Perfectly Simple Chocolate Bundt Cake
While I often enjoy putting the time and effort into making a chocolate layer cake or a batch of cute decorated cupcakes, a simple bundt cake recipe is my go-to dessert when I’m looking for something quick and easy.
And yes, this chocolate bundt cake recipe is easy, but it does not lack in the flavor and texture departments!
This scratch-made chocolate cake is moist, with the most tender crumb. It’s packed with chocolate flavor and covered with a rich chocolate ganache that drips perfectly down its fluted sides.
I love that I can bake this cake in any of my favorite fancy Bundt cake pans, and that it can easily serve up to 10 people!
Ingredients In my Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe
Here’s what you need to make the perfect chocolate bundt cake recipe:
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works perfectly here, there’s no need for fancy cake flour.
- Cocoa Powder: This gives the cake all of its rich, chocolatey flavor! Use a good quality unsweetened cocoa powder for the best results.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Be sure to use both to give your cake the perfect amount of rise in the oven.
- Eggs: Two large eggs add structure to the cake batter.
- Granulated Sugar: For sweetness.
- Vegetable Oil: Making this cake with oil gives us an even, moist crumb and allows the cake to stay fresh longer.
- Plain Yogurt: Instead of yogurt, you can use sour cream or buttermilk to add moisture and richness to the cake.
- Vanilla Extract: A requirement for all cakes, even chocolate ones! Vanilla enhances the flavor of the chocolate.
- Boiling Water: This is added to the batter at the end, and helps to bring all of the ingredients together. It also blooms the cocoa, allowing it to release a richer cocoa flavor.
- For the Ganache: You only need two ingredients to make this easy frosting: semi-sweet chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream.
How To Make A Chocolate Bundt Cake
1. Mix Dry Ingredients: Use a whisk to combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Whisk Wet Ingredients: Mix the eggs with sugar, oil, yogurt, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
3. Combine Dry and Wet: Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, and whisk until well combined.
4. Pour in Boiling Water: Continue whisking until you have a uniform, thin batter.
5. Add the Batter to a prepared Bundt pan.
6. Bake in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes.
7. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate and allow to cool completely.
8. Heat the Cream in the microwave or a small saucepan until it’s hot but not boiling. Then add the chocolate chips.
9. Let the Ganache Sit for 2 minutes, then stir well until smooth.
10. Pour the ganache over the cooled cake and allow it to drip slightly over the sides. Decorate with sprinkles if desired.
Tip!
Start with room temperature ingredients! The eggs and yogurt will mix in more smoothly if they aren’t cold.
Recipe Tips
- Bundt Pan Size: I tested this recipe in both a 12-cup Bundt pan and a 9-cup Bundt. In the 9-cup pan, the batter nearly filled the entire thing, but the cake still baked nicely. You should be able to use any pan that is 9-cups or larger. If you’re unsure what size your Bundt pan is, fill it with water, 1 cup at a time, and see how many cups it holds.
- You don’t need a mixer, a whisk works just fine for this batter. That makes cleanup quicker too!
- Measure the flour accurately. I provide the amounts in grams too, which is the most reliable way to bake. If you’re using cups, spoon the flour into the cup and level it off instead of scooping straight from the bag.
- To keep the cake from sticking, spray the Bundt pan well with non-stick baking spray. I try to avoid adding flour to the pan when making a chocolate cake, and it’s not necessary if you add enough oil. If you want to dust the pan with something for extra security, use cocoa powder instead of flour.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the ganache frosting. If you try to frost a warm cake, the ganache will melt and fall off.
- Add toppings! I kept things simple by adding a sprinkle of chocolate sprinkles, but you can get way more creative if you like! Try chopped pecans, walnuts, toffee pieces, chocolate shavings, or sprinkles to suit the holiday or occasion that you’re baking for.
Storing a Chocolate Bundt Cake
Once baked, cooled, decorated, and set, you can store this cake at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Be sure to cover it very well, or keep it in an airtight container.
You can also freeze the cake, wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and placed in an airtight container (or wrapped again with foil) in the freezer, for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before frosting and serving.
More Bundt Cake Recipes to Try
I have a few different cake recipes that bake up perfectly in a fluted tube pan! Choose your favorite flavor and dessert will be ready in no time.
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake with cream cheese icing and crunchy walnuts.
- Red Velvet Pound Cake is rich and dense with the most amazing frosting.
- Orange Juice Cake is moist and bursting with bright citrus flavor.
- Chocolate Peppermint Mini Cakes are made in a cakelet pan or a mini bundt pans.
- You can also use your Bundt cake pan to make buttery, cinnamon-sugar Monkey Bread!
Recipe FAQs
What size bundt cake Pan should I use?
This recipe should work in any bundt cake pan that will hold the batter. I tested this in a 12-cup bundt pan and a 9-cup bundt pan, and both worked perfectly!
How do I get a bundt cake out of the pan?
I think the trick to getting the cake out of the pan is using baking spray (that contains flour), and monitoring the cooling time. You want to let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning it over onto a cooling rack. Any less than 10 minutes and the cake will be too soft and will likely break. Longer than 10 minutes in the pan and the cake is more likely to stick.
If needed, use a small spatula or a butter knife to carefully loosen up the bottom edges of the cake.
If your cake does stick to the pan or break, it’s not the end of the world! Get creative with the chocolate ganache to cover up any imperfections.
Can I use a different frosting?
Of course you can! The ganache recipe here is super simple, but chocolate cake can be topped in many different ways. Try my chocolate buttercream or white chocolate buttercream for a different flavor and texture. You can spread it on or use a piping bag to make frosting stripes like they do at Nothing Bundt Cakes. This is how I decorated my red velvet pound cake!
More Chocolate Cake Recipes
Chocolate Zucchini Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
Texas Sheet Cake
Mayonnaise Cake
Chocolate Cupcakes
This Chocolate Bundt Cake recipe is a classic, and I know you’ll want to make it over and over again! Don’t forget to Pin it, and share it with your favorite bakers.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Chocolate Bundt Cake
Equipment
- Bundt Pan 9 cups or larger
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (250 g) plain yogurt or sour cream or buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water
Chocolate Ganache
- ½ cup (85 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy whipping cream double cream in the UK
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), or 160°C for a fan oven.
- In a bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk eggs with sugar, oil, yogurt, and vanilla until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and whisk until combined.
- Pour boiling water over the mixture, and whisk until you get a uniform thin batter.
- Spray the bundt pan with non stick baking spray, then pour the batter in the pan.
- Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the pan.
- Remove the pan from the oven, and place on a wire rack for 10 minutes then loosen up the sides with a thin spatula if needed. Invert on a plate and allow to cool completely.
- For the ganache, In a saucepan or in the microwave, heat the cream until hot but not boiling. Pour over the chocolate chips and let sit for 2 minutes. Stir well until smooth. If needed, whisk vigorously to bring it together.
- Let the ganache cool to room temperature, then pour over the cake and allow it to drip slightly from the sides. Decorate with sprinkles if desired.
- Allow to set then slice and serve.
Notes:
- Bundt Pan Size: I tested this recipe in both a 12-cup Bundt pan and a 9-cup Bundt. In the 9-cup pan, the batter nearly filled the entire thing, but the cake still baked nicely. You should be able to use any pan that is 9-cups or larger.
- To keep the cake from sticking, spray the Bundt pan well with non-stick baking spray. I try to avoid adding flour to the pan when making a chocolate cake, and it’s not necessary if you add enough oil.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the ganache frosting. If you try to frost a warm cake, the ganache will melt and fall off.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
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