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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
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I originally shared this recipe July 2017. Updated March 2020 December 2025.
Can I use Hershey Special Dark Chocolate in this cake instead ?
Yes, sure!
This recipe is the biggest cake fail I’ve ever had. The batter is way to runny, it is impossible for the batter to support the chocolate chips so they all sink to the bottom where they absolutely stick to the pan. I used a non-stick pan and greased and floured it really well too. The sugar content is also just too high for this recipe. The cake bakes in a way that it gets a caramel crust–and I baked for the minimum time. Will not be using this recipe again.
Greased pan very well but cake still stuck to the tin.
Absolutely fabulous and moist!! Received such rave reviews on the cake itself. It’s my new go to recipe….
If made a day ahead would I leave out on counter?
Yes, you can definitely make your chocolate bundt cake a day ahead! After it cools completely, cover it tightly with plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container. It’s fine to leave it out on the counter if your kitchen isn’t too warm. This will help maintain its moisture and flavor for when you’re ready to serve. Enjoy your cake!
I have made this recipe many times, my mom loves it too. She has me make for her birthday now.
This is so delicous! I’ve made it three times and it was a hit each time! Have you made a chocolate cake (versus a Bundt/ pound cake? from this? I will try that next.
I bake and cook a lot. I also use Bundt pans regularly. I never have trouble with cake sticking. I followed all directions very precisely and even went back to double check myself. I believe the grease and fat content was too high to add chocolate chips. The chocolate appeared to fry into the pan where chips sank. The cake was greasy and areas where the chips were it crisped the chocolate into the pan and was impossible to remove. The center of the cake was fine, but not worth the greasy outer and inability to remove the cake. I ended up with a ziplock of cake chunks, which I will try to make use of in another recipe. I have other recipes that I can count on and will not try this cake again.
I had the same exact experience and agree with you!
Maybe try butter and flour instead of shortening. I use butter (mostly because I rarely have shortening in the house), and I’ve never had a problem removing this cake from the bundt pan. I also use full sized chocolate chips for inside the cake instead of mini (again because I never have mini chocolate chips in the house).
I have been using a Martha Stewart recipe for a few years and decided to look for a new one. Not only is this recipe much easier, it blows the other cake away. So Moist, this Cake is Awesome
Excellent, velvety and not overly sweet. Made half the recipe in a small Bundt pan buttered with a pastry brush (actually used avocado oil) and baked about 40 minutes. Had leftover ganache. No fuss recipe! Thank you!