Chocolate Bundt Cake
This rich, fudgy Chocolate Bundt Cake is showstopper-worthy with a tender crumb, deep cocoa flavor, and a glossy chocolate ganache poured over every curve. Perfect for celebrations or any night you deserve something spectacular.
The Chocolate Bundt Cake You Will Make Again and Again
Some cakes require a crowd. Others are the kind you make on a quiet Tuesday because the week has earned it. This Chocolate Bundt Cake belongs in both categories. It has everything: a deeply fudgy crumb that stays impossibly moist, a glossy ganache that drapes over every ridge like it was made for exactly that purpose, and a presence on the table that makes people actually gasp before they even take a bite.
The secret, as with most great chocolate cakes, is hot coffee in the batter. It sounds unusual, but it does not make the cake taste like coffee. It makes it taste more intensely like chocolate, the way a pinch of salt makes caramel taste more like itself. Do not skip it.
Why This Recipe Works So Well
A Bundt cake has to nail a few things at once. It needs enough structure to hold its dramatic shape when it releases from the pan, but it also needs to be tender and moist rather than dense or dry. Getting that balance right comes down to three things:
- Sour cream adds fat and just enough acidity to keep the crumb tight without making it tough.
- Oil instead of butter keeps the cake moist even after it cools, which means leftovers on day two are just as good as day one.
- Brown sugar alongside granulated sugar adds a subtle molasses depth that plays beautifully with dark cocoa.
The pan matters too. A quality Bundt pan with well-defined ridges gives you that stunning visual payoff when the ganache drips down. Using the right tools is genuinely part of the result here.
Tools & Ingredients We Recommend
Tips for a Perfect Release Every Time
A stuck Bundt cake is one of the most heartbreaking kitchen moments. Avoid it entirely with these steps:
- Grease the pan with softened butter and a pastry brush, getting into every crevice.
- Dust with cocoa powder (not flour) so there is no pale residue on the dark cake.
- Cool the cake in the pan for exactly 15 minutes before inverting. Too soon and it falls apart; too long and steam condensation can cause sticking.
Chef's Tip: Run a thin offset spatula very gently around the center tube and the outer edge before inverting if you are nervous. It gives you extra insurance without damaging the crumb.
The Ganache Is Non-Negotiable
You could dust this cake with powdered sugar and call it a day. But the chocolate ganache is what turns a good Bundt into a great one. It takes five minutes and three ingredients: semi-sweet chocolate chips, heavy cream, and a small knob of butter. The butter is the move. It gives the ganache that mirror-like sheen and keeps it pourable even as it cools.
Pour it slowly over the top of the completely cooled cake and let gravity do the rest. It will find the ridges on its own.
Ready to bake? Here is the complete recipe:
Chocolate Bundt Cake
This rich, fudgy Chocolate Bundt Cake is showstopper-worthy with a tender crumb, deep cocoa flavor, and a glossy chocolate ganache poured over every curve. Perfect for celebrations or any night you deserve something spectacular.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch-process preferred
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt, fine sea salt
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cups sour cream, full-fat, room temperature
- 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 1 cups hot brewed coffee, strong; enhances chocolate flavor
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, for ganache
- 1/2 cups heavy cream, for ganache
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, for ganache, softened
Instruction
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 12-cup Bundt pan with softened butter, then dust with cocoa powder, tapping out any excess.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, sour cream, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until smooth and well incorporated.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring gently with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
Carefully pour in the hot brewed coffee and fold it into the batter until a smooth, slightly loose batter forms.
Pour the batter evenly into the prepared Bundt pan. Tap the pan gently on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the thickest part comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for exactly 15 minutes, then invert onto the rack and allow to cool completely before glazing.
To make the ganache, heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Let sit for 2 minutes, then add the butter and whisk until completely smooth and glossy.
Once the cake is fully cooled, set it on a serving plate and spoon the warm ganache slowly over the top, letting it drip down the ridges. Allow the ganache to set for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Equipment
- 12-cup Bundt pan
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Two large mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Wire cooling rack
- Small saucepan
- Heatproof bowl
- Wooden skewer or toothpick
Notes
Serving and Storing Your Bundt Cake
This cake is stunning on its own, but a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a spoonful of lightly whipped cream alongside a slice takes it somewhere special. For a dinner party, you can dust a few flakes of flaky sea salt over the ganache just before serving for a salted chocolate effect that will have everyone asking for the recipe.
Leftovers keep well covered at room temperature for up to three days. If you refrigerate the cake, let slices come to room temperature for about 20 minutes before eating since the ganache and crumb both benefit from a little warming. The un-glazed cake also freezes beautifully for up to two months, making it one of the most practical showstopper desserts in your repertoire.
