This easy chocolate Bundt cake recipe, with a soft and moist texture, rich chocolate flavor, and indulgent chocolate ganache glaze, is an amazing dessert that anyone can make at home. There're many ways you can decorate it to fit your special occasion.
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Ingredients and substitutions
Flour - Use all-purpose flour or cake flour to make this chocolate cake recipe.
Cocoa powder - I use Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder for almost all my recipes.
Baking powder - If we were to use natural cocoa powder, we would need to add baking soda as a leavening agent. For this recipe, I use Dutch-processed cocoa powder that is less acidic, so we can get away with using just baking powder.
Salt - Always add a generous pinch of salt to your baking creations.
Butter - Use unsalted butter at room temperature.
Sugar - I use white granulated sugar, but you can replace it with castor sugar if you like.
Chocolate - To fancy up my cake recipe, I decided to add semi-sweet chocolate chips. Cocoa butter will provide more tenderness and moisture while cocoa solids add to the flavor.
Vanilla and coffee - Vanilla extract and coffee fit chocolate Bundt cakes so well! If you're not a big fan of the coffee flavor, I assure you, you won't notice it after the cake has been baked. Coffee plays the role of a chocolate flavor enhancer, not a replacer! You can use instant coffee as well as a shot of freshly brewed expresso.
Eggs - All eggs should be at room temperature to mix well with the fats.
Milk - To create a moist Bundt cake recipe, you'll need to add some liquids. I chose whole milk, but you can replace it with lukewarm water. We also need liquids to dissolve our instant coffee.
Cooking tips
Rotate the pan during the baking. All ovens have hot spots, so I recommend rotating your cake after 30 minutes of baking so it rises evenly and doesn't burn on one side. This advice applies only to Bundt cakes and pound cakes, as they need a much longer baking time compared to regular round multiple-layer cakes.
Don't open the oven too early. Even though it's a good idea to rotate your Bundt cake in the oven, you shouldn’t do so too early. The cake needs time to rise and create a strong structure that won't deflate after a rapid temperature drop due to the opening of the oven's door. For such a big cake, I recommend waiting at least 30 minutes!
Use foil to protect your cake. Pound and Bundt cakes need time to bake through. To prevent the top of the cake from burning, cover it with a piece of foil when you open the oven to rotate your cake.
Step by step directions
For the chocolate cake
1. Preheat the oven to 340F (170C). Butter and flour a 10-12 cup (2-2.5 liter) Bundt cake pan and set aside.
2. Into a bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat at medium-high speed until the butter is pale and fluffy. Scrape the sides and the bottom of the mixing bowl now and then.
4. Then, add the melted chocolate and beat for 10-15 secs to combine.
5. Add one egg at a time and beat until combined. Don’t add the next egg until the previous one has been incorporated. Scrape the sides and the bottom of the mixing bowl now and then.
6. Pour the milk into a microwave-safe bowl and heat until lukewarm. Add the instant coffee and stir to dissolve.
7. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture while alternating with the milk; mix on low, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt cake pan and bake on the middle rack for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry.
9. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 2-3 minutes in the pan. Meanwhile, check that the edges are not attached to the pan using an offset spatula.
10. Flip the cake pan upside down onto a cooling rack and let it sit like that for 5-10 minutes. Then, lift the pan and let the cake cool down completely before applying the glaze.
For the chocolate glaze
1. Place the chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 15 seconds at a time, mixing in between until the chocolate has completely melted.
2. Add the heavy cream and mix well with a silicone spatula, scraping the walls and the bottom until a homogenous consistency is reached.
3. Pour the ganache on top of the cooled-down Bundt cake. Slice and serve.
Possible variations
Frosting - Don't want to glaze your Bundt cake with chocolate ganache? No problem! You can make cream cheese frosting (like in my Cinnamon rolls recipe) and spread it on top of a completely cooled-down cake.
Icing - Another simple way to decorate your cake and make it moister and sweeter is to use powdered sugar icing instead of chocolate glaze. Royal icing will work as well!
Powdered sugar and berries - You can always dust your chocolate Bundt cake with powdered sugar and add fresh raspberries on top. It's a great option when you're in a hurry but still want to present your cake in a beautiful way.
Nuts - You can fold crushed walnuts into the cake batter before pouring it into your Bundt pan.
FAQ
Glazed with chocolate ganache, Bundt cake should be stored in an air-tight container or covered with plastic wrap on a plate in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You can freeze the unglazed cake for up to 2 months. It's easier to cut it into pieces, wrap each one in plastic wrap and then in a piece of foil, and then freeze. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then let it sit at room temperature to soften before glazing and serving.
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Recipe card
Chocolate Bundt cake
Equipment
- a 10-12 cup (2-2.5 liter) bundt cake pan
- Stand mixer or hand mixer and a large mixing bowl
Ingredients
For the cake
- 190 g all-purpose flour
- 50 g unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 220 g unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 240 g granulated sugar
- 50 g semi-sweet chocolate melted
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 100 g whole milk lukewarm
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee
For the glaze
- 85 g semi-sweet chocolate
- 85 ml heavy whipping cream can be cold
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 340F (170C). Butter and flour (or use a cake release spray that contains flour) a 10-12 cup (2-2.5 liter) Bundt cake pan and set aside.
- Into a bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or you can use a bowl and a hand mixer), add the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat at medium-high speed until the butter is pale and fluffy. Scrape the sides and the bottom of the mixing bowl now and then.
- Then, add the melted chocolate and beat for 10-15 secs to combine.
- Add one egg at a time and beat until combined. Don’t add the next egg until the previous one has been incorporated. Scrape the sides and the bottom of the mixing bowl now and then.
- Pour the milk into a microwave-safe bowl and heat until lukewarm. Add the instant coffee and stir to dissolve.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture while alternating with the milk; mix on low, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Should look like this – dry/half of the milk/dry/the rest of the milk/dry. Scrape the sides and the bottom of the mixing bowl now and then.
- Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt cake pan and bake on the middle rack for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry. After 30 minutes of baking, rotate the pan and loosely cover it with a piece of foil to prevent over-browning.
- Remove from the oven and let it rest for 2-3 minutes in the pan. Meanwhile, check that the edges are not attached to the pan using an offset spatula.
- Flip the cake pan upside down onto a cooling rack and let it sit like that for 5-10 minutes. Then, lift the pan and let the cake cool down completely before applying the glaze.
- For the glaze
- Place the chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 15 seconds at a time, mixing in between until the chocolate has completely melted.
- Add the heavy cream and mix well with a silicone spatula, scraping the walls and the bottom until a homogenous consistency is reached. If it becomes too thick, heat it in the microwave for 5-10 additional seconds until it’s pourable but not too thin.
- Pour the ganache on top of the cooled-down Bundt cake. Slice and serve.
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