This post contains affiliate links.
The best Chocolate Bundt Cake recipe is tender, moist, and has rich mini chocolate chips throughout. We top it with a silky chocolate ganache to make it truly bakery quality. It's a crowd pleaser everyone will devour!
Everyone's Favorite Chocolate Bundt Cake
Everyone's Favorite Chocolate Bundt CakeThis chocolate bundt cake recipe is my go-to because it's easy to make and looks so beautiful and impressive. I'm obsessed with the glossy ganache drizzled on top– it looks fancy enough for a dinner party but is secretly so easy that I've made it on busy weeknights when I just need chocolate therapy. If you are a true chocaholic like me, you will love this cake! If you're looking for an even quicker (less from-scratch) version with cream cheese frosting, try my Nothing Bundt Cake recipe.
Try more of my cake recipes, like Chocolate Mousse Cake, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake, Chocolate Cobbler, Coconut Tres Leches Cake, or Biscoff Cake!
How to make Chocolate Bundt Cake:
Prep the Bundt Pan Correctly! We want this bundt cake to be as beautiful as it will be delicious, so let me tell you how to properly grease it! First, we use shortening. Use a pastry brush, or put your hand inside a ziploc bag and rub shortening in a very thin layer over the entire inside of the bundt pan, making sure you grease every bump and crevice. Next, take a pinch of flour and dust it over the pan. While you hold it over the sink, tap the sides of the pan, in a circular motion so that the flour lightly covers the whole pan. Your bundt pan is greased and ready!
Make Batter: Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl then melt butter in a saucepan and add oil, cocoa, and water. Bring to a boil then pour into dry ingredients and mix (the hot water helps to “bloom” the cocoa, giving it an even richer chocolate flavor). Stir in buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla then fold in the chocolate chips.
Bake: Pour cake batter into prepared bundt pan then bake for 45-55 minutes. Let the triple chocolate bundt cake cool then drizzle chocolate ganache on top of the cake and serve!
Get your use out of that bundt pan and make my Apple Bundt Cake, Banana Bundt Cake, Red Velvet Bundt Cake, Sour Cream Pound Cake, Rum Cake, or Poppy Seed Cake!
Recipe
Moist Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup oil (vegetable or canola oil)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips , plus more for sprinkling on top of cake (optional)
For the ganache:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
For the Chocolate Bundt Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease and flour a standard size bundt pan (make sure to grease it really well so the cake doesn't stick! I spread a thin layer of shortening all over the inside of the pan, then sprinkle a little flour all around and pat and shake the pan until it is evenly coated.)
- Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Wet ingredients: Add butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once butter has melted, stir in oil, cocoa powder and water and bring mixture just to a boil, whisking constantly. Pour hot butter mixture into flour mixture and stir.½ cup butter, ½ cup oil, ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 cup water
- Stir in buttermilk, eggs and vanilla and whisk mixture until well combined. Fold in mini chocolate chips, if using.½ cup buttermilk, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- Bake: Pour mixture into prepared bundt pan and bake 45-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool cake in the pan for 5 minutes, then invert onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Once cake has cooled, make ganache.
- Ganache: Place cream in a large microwave safe bowl and heat for about 2 minutes, or until the cream is simmering. Carefully pour chocolate chips into cream and allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Whisk the chocolate and cream until shiny and smooth, about 1 minute.1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Use a large spoon to drizzle the ganache over the cooled cake. Sprinkle with remaining mini chocolate chips, if desired.2 cups chocolate chips
Notes
Nutrition
Follow Me
I originally shared this recipe July 2017. Updated March 2020 December 2025.
This recipe is worth the effort (not that it’s difficult but in comparison to box cake mix). I didn’t trust my baking soda to be fresh or active enough so I saw somewhere that triple measure of baking powder is a viable substitute. I omitted the cinnamon because I wanted to use Nutella in the ganache which also works well I took the first-cut piece to an elderly neighbour who called back raving about how good it is. Now I have to taste for myself.
This was my first from scratch cake and added peppermint extract to the recipe. I used the Nordicwear Pine Forest Bundt pan- tasted as good as it looked!
100% rave reviews of the flavor and texture.
Merry Christmas
Cannot find mini chips. So I’ll be using Nestle regular size dark chocolate chips . Should I reduced amount of chips due to larger size?
If so, what would that be.
Thank you so much!
That’s no problem, I would add a handful less. Enjoy!
Hi Lauren,
Can I use sour cream instead of buttermilk? If so, how much sour cream is needed to replace the buttermilk. Also, is using olive oil alright? Thanks!
Absolutely LOVE this cake, and I don’t usually like chocolate cake! It is so smooth, and not overly sweet. I make this about twice a month now ! Love it !
Can this be made in a pound cake pan?
I’ve never tried it, but I don’t see why not!
Yummy! This was pretty easy and that means a lot coming from me. I almost never cook or bake so I chose this one because it looked easier than others. The ganache is SO GOOD and I just want to make that and eat it with a spoon. I made this for my mom for her birthday because she LOVES chocolate. My boyfriend decided there should be more cocoa powder so we added more. My brother’s girlfriend asked “is there cinnamon in this?” and I never bake so I hadn’t thought that was not a typical ingredient. Everyone loved it.
Delicious and received many compliments!
Wow! Amazing! Was a total hit ❤
If you sprinkle the greased pan with cocoa, it has no white flour on the sides of the cake and works just as well for me as the flour. I always use cocoa with my chocolate cakes and flour for my light color cakes.
What do you recommend to flour the bundt pan? All Purpose, Almond or Cocoa Powder?
This is my favorite way to ensure that the cake will come out of the pan without sticking (after baking). A little sprinkle of all purpose (on top of shortening) works great!