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
This 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!
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Text me new recipe ideas!
Simple, tasty ideas sent once a week. No spam.
Follow Me
I originally shared this recipe July 2017. Updated March 2020 December 2025.
I made this cake, and it was an absolute winner, I am now making it for the third time! Everyone who eats it just loves it! Grand slam!
Awesome recipe! I made this cake for my Mom’s birthday and it was a hit. The dash of cinnamon makes the flavors really pop, and I never knew ganache could be so easy to make! I’d definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a rich, moist chocolate cake.
Awesome recipe! I made this cake for my Mom’s birthday and it was a hit. The dash of cinnamon makes the flavors really pop, and I never knew ganache could be so easy to make! I’d definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a rich, moist chocolate cake.
Delicious and so easy to prepare! Most of the ingredients are staples in many cubbards. This cake is to be a birthday cake for my boss and I didn’t want to do a boxed mix however, I am not good in the kitchen so I was hopeful but nervous when I found this recipe. I made it at home for my family as a test run and got a resounding thumbs up! I am confident I will get the same response at work at my boss’ party. Thank you for this uncomplicated recipe that tastes like it could be sold in the finest restaurant. I think I will refrigerate the ganash so that it’s a bit firmer before I spoon it over the cake, Lauren what do you think?
This cake is super easy to make and was a huge hit at Christmas dinner. Don’t skip the cinnamon and follow the recipe as written. The cake is the perfect balance of light and moist but still very “chocolate” flavored! Definitely will be my go to cake!
I did have trouble with sticking as others mentioned, but as noted in the directions, I put the broken pieces back on the cake and let the ganache create a beautiful disguise so that nobody could tell!
Delicious recipe!
I first made this for my coworkers a couple of weeks ago and they LOVED it! I decided to make it for my son and his wife for Thanksgiving. Phenomenal was the word my son used. 🙂 It’s so rich and moist. I have a gas oven and I left it in for 40 minutes instead of 45 like I did the first time, and that was just right. I didn’t put the chocolate chips on the outside, as it seemed like a little much. With a swirl of whipped cream, this is a dream cake.
Quick question – what size bundt pan did you use for this recipe? I made it again today to give to a friend using the same pan/measurements that I used last week. It looks “flatter” today like the batter didn’t rise enough. My Nordicware pan is a 12 cup. Thanks!
I use a 12 cup bundt.
I made this last night and it’s so yummy! I greased the heck out of the pan and it still stuck. Not sure how that’s possible because of the oil/butter content in the cake. Haha! I waited a few minutes before adding the eggs because I felt that the simmered sauce was so warm that it might cook them. The chocolate chips melted in the batter, so I might wait a bit before folding them in next time, as well. I’ll definitely make this again! Thanks!
Love this recipe! I made it and it was amazing! My dad even wanted it for his birthday! It was so moist and chocolatey! Thanks for the recipe!
I made mini bundt and loaf versions and added a bit of espresso powder to amp up the chocolate flavour. These were so delicious! Very moist, lovely and chocolately (but not overkill) and the hint of cinnamon is wonderful. I’m not normally a big fan of chocolate cake but I do enjoy this one. My partner was a big fan as well. Will definitely be making this again! Thanks for sharing and your beautiful pictures and foolproof instructions and video 🙂
What adjustments did you make in baking the mini bundts?
I made this batter once then made two half size bundt cakes this weekend. It was perfectly fine to store the uncooked batter in the fridge until it was ready to bake. I personally love the added cinnamon (it reminds me of Texas sheet cake which I love). Both of my bundt cakes had a little bit of sticking even after dusting my pan with cocoa powder (to keep the brown look) but I was able to easily use ganache to stick it back on. I did add a little mint extract to my ganache as I love mint and chocolate, and I think it worked well. My family all enjoyed it!