This easy homemade Chocolate Bundt Cake recipe is heavenly, topped with chocolate ganache and mini chocolate chips.
This is the ultimate chocolate lovers dessert but if you love bundt cakes with cream cheese frosting, don’t miss my Banana Cake or Red Velvet Bundt Cake.
I love making bundt cakes because they’re easy to frost and make pretty, and also easy to cut and serve. This chocolate bundt cake is heaven, but if you’re looking for an even simpler doctored-up cake mix version, this chocolate bundt cake is also great.
Properly greasing the Bundt Pan will make or break the recipe!
- Shortening. Spread a very thin layer of shortening all over the pan. I use a ziplock sandwich bag, stick my hand inside of it, and use my hand to smooth the shortening all over every bump and crevice in the pan. This way I can make sure the entire pan is covered evenly, in a thin layer, and my hands stay clean.
- Dust with flour. Take a little pinch of flour and dust it over the pan. then hold the pan over the sink and tap it hard, moving it in a circular motion so that the flour lightly covers the pan. Now you’re ready to add the cake batter!
If you do happen to have any parts of the cake stick to the pan, you could gently scoop them up and into the position they would have rested on the top of the cake. The chocolate ganache will cover any imperfections and no one will know!
How to make chocolate bundt cake:
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the oil, cocoa, and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly.
2. Combine dry ingredients.
3. Add hot butter/cocoa mixture and stir to combine.
4. Stir in buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla.
5. Add chocolate chips.
6. Pour into bundt pan. Be sure bundt pan is greased well greased. Bake for for 45-55 minutes.
Chocolate ganache icing:
It doesn’t get much simpler or easier than this homemade ganache. Make the chocolate ganache by first heating the cream until simmering. Then pour your chocolate chips into the cream and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Whisk it until smooth and drizzle it over your chocolate cake!
Use a spoon to drizzle it on top of top of the cake and you’ve got yourself a beautiful, simple, irresistible chocolate bundt cake!
Make ahead and Freezing Instructions:
The cake can be made and frosted up to 2 days before serving. The cake can be frozen frosted, or unfrosted. To freeze lightly cover it with plastic wrap and freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Other Popular Dessert Recipes:
You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes!
Chocolate Bundt Cake
Video
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.)
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, set aside.
- 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.
- Stir in buttermilk, eggs and vanilla and whisk mixture until well combined. Fold in mini chocolate chips, if using.
- 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.
For the ganache:
- Place cream in a large microwave safe bowl and heat for about 2 minutes, or until the cream is simmering.
- Carefully pour chocolate morsels into cream and allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Whisk the chocolate and cream until shiny and smooth, about 1 minute.
- Use a large spoon to drizzle the ganache over the cooled cake. Sprinkle with remaining mini chocolate chips, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
I originally shared this recipe July 2017. Updated March 2020 with process photos and freezing instructions.
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
Rachel Samia says
What do you recommend to flour the bundt pan? All Purpose, Almond or Cocoa Powder?
Lauren Allen says
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!
Linda S Traynor says
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.
Lysa says
Wow! Amazing! Was a total hit ❤
Katie says
Delicious and received many compliments!
Michelle says
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.
Mary Bentley says
Can this be made in a pound cake pan?
Lauren Allen says
I’ve never tried it, but I don’t see why not!
Nancy Ravey says
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 !
Shelly says
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!
Lauren Allen says
That’s no problem, I would add a handful less. Enjoy!
Rebecca N says
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.
David P says
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.