This easy chocolate bundt cake is super moist and fudgy. Topped with a shiny chocolate glaze, it’s a chocolate cake lover's dream come true. My vanilla bundt cake was so popular, I had to make a chocolate version. The best thing about bundt cakes is that there's no fancy decorating required!
There is no big secret to this moist cake. The combination of butter, brown sugar, and buttermilk all play a role in the perfectly moist texture and the cocoa powder gives this cake its rich chocolate flavor. The smooth and shiny ganache glaze adds a simple mouth-watering final touch. Chocolate lovers will not be able to resist more than one slice of this cake!
Table of contents
Chocolate Bundt Cake Ingredients
- Brown sugar and white sugar – The best of both worlds. The added molasses in the brown sugar adds moisture and a richer flavor
- Buttermilk – Buttermilk is acidic and breaks down the gluten in the flour, making the cake more tender
- Coffee – Using coffee with chocolate does not make the cake taste like coffee but it increases the chocolate flavor
- Vegetable oil – Adds moisture to the cake and keeps it from drying out
Tips For Baking From Scratch
Before you begin baking, bring your butter, milk, and eggs to room temperature. Room-temperature ingredients will create an emulsion properly. If any of your ingredients are cold, then the batter will not mix together properly and you’ll end up with a wet layer at the bottom of the bundt cake.
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I suggest purchasing a kitchen scale if you don't already have one to make the best scratch recipes. One cup of flour can vary from scoop to scoop depending on how packed the flour is, its humidity, and the type of flour, which can ruin your recipe. All my cake recipes (except doctored box mixes) use a scale.
Practice Mise en Place (everything in its place) which means you measure everything before you start mixing so you don't accidentally forget something or add any ingredients out of order. I use a set of medium and small pyrex glass bowls I got from goodwill for this and it makes things SO much easier.
How to Make a Chocolate Bundt Cake
I like showing how to make chocolate cake goop with this bundt cake recipe because there's nothing more frustrating than your beautiful cake not coming out of the pan. You do not have to make the goop, but make sure to use a really good pan release. 
Making Chocolate Cake Goop
- Add the shortening, oil, flour, and cocoa powder to a large bowl and combine them until smooth with a hand mixer or a whisk.
- Brush your chocolate cake pans with a pastry brush, evenly coating them with the chocolate goop. Pour batter and bake as usual.
- Store the cake goop in a jar or airtight container at room temperature for a few months or in the fridge for up to 6 months and use it for every chocolate cake.
Making Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and move your oven rack so that it is lower in the oven.
- Prepare the bundt pan with cake goop or another preferred pan release. Make sure to grease all of the edges and the center dowel of the pan.
- Mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.
- Combine the room-temperature buttermilk, vegetable oil, coffee, and vanilla together in a separate container and then set it aside.
- Cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, remember to scrape the bottom of the bowl a few times to incorporate all of the butter.
- Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing to incorporate after each egg. Make sure the eggs are room temperature or your batter may curdle and separate.
- While the mixer is on low speed, add â…“ of your dry ingredients.
- Mix until almost incorporated, then add â…“ of your wet ingredients. Repeat two more times until everything is mixed together, and then stop mixing.
- Stir in the mini chocolate chips. These are optional but add yummy gooey chocolate in each bite.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake the cake for 45-55 minutes, a skewer test should come out clean, a few moist crumbs are okay.
- Once you can touch the pan without burning your hands (about 10 minutes), place a wire rack upside down on top of the pan and carefully flip the cake out.
- Let the cake cool uncovered for about an hour before glazing it with the ganache.
Making the Chocolate Glaze
- In a small saucepan bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat. Be careful not to boil or scald the cream.
- Scale the chocolate (chopped in evenly sized pieces) into a heat-safe large bowl.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, making sure the chocolate is evenly submerged in the cream, and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the cream and chocolate until smooth.
- Warm up the corn syrup in the microwave for 10 seconds, and then pour it into your chocolate mixture.
- Add in your vanilla or optional liqueur, and then whisk it until it is smooth.
- Let the glaze cool until it is 85ºF (29ºC), and then pour it over your cooled bundt cake.
- This chocolate bundt cake can be kept at room temperature for 2-3 days. I keep mine in a cake dome to just protect it, but it does not need to be refrigerated.Â
FAQ
Do not flip your bundt cake out of the pan immediately after baking. Let it sit in the pan for about 10 minutes until the pan doesn’t burn your hands, and then flip it. This allows the sugar in the cake to set and will help it release.
Yes, this cake will freeze well. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze. I recommend waiting to coat with ganache when you are ready to serve. However, freezing the leftovers in an airtight container is a great way to save cake for a treat later!
A bundt cake tends to have a denser consistency than a regular layer cake, however, it is just the shape of the cake pan that gives it a special name. It doesn’t require much decorating and it's easy to serve.Â
Fill your bundt pan no more than ¾ of the way up with your cake batter. Otherwise, you will have your cake spilling out and creating a large mess along with an undesirable finished cake.
Using a generous amount of cake goop will ensure your cake comes out easily. However, if it is stuck after it has cooled, try warming the pan up slightly and gently loosen the edge of the cake around the inside of the pan, then try flipping it again.Â
This chocolate bundt cake can be kept at room temperature for 2-3 days. I keep mine in a cake dome to just protect it, but it does not need to be refrigerated.Â
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Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Mixer with paddle attachment
- 1 9" bundt pan
Ingredients
Chocolate Bundt Cake
- 10 ounces all-purpose flour
- 4 ounces cocoa powder natural or dutched
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces unsalted butter room temperature
- 7 ounces brown sugar
- 7 ounces granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 8 ounces buttermilk room temperature
- 8 ounces strong coffee cooled
- 4 ounces vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 6 ounces mini chocolate chips optional
Chocolate Ganache Glaze
- 10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- 6 ounces heavy whipping cream
- 2 ounces corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons dark rum or vanilla
Chocolate Cake Goop (pan release)
- 7 ounces vegetable shortening or margarine
- 7.5 ounces vegetable oil (or other oil you like)
- 2 ounces  all purpose flour
- 3 ounces  cocoa powder
Instructions
Chocolate Cake Goop Instructions
- Add the shortening, oil, flour, and cocoa powder to a large bowl and combine them until smooth with a hand mixer or a whisk.
- Brush your chocolate cake pans with a pastry brush, evenly coating them with the chocolate goop. Pour batter and bake as usual.
- Store the cake goop in a jar or airtight container at room temperature for a few months or in the fridge for up to 6 months and use it for every chocolate cake.
Chocolate Bundt Cake Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and move your oven rack so that it is lower in the oven.
- Mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.
- Combine the room-temperature buttermilk, vegetable oil, coffee, and vanilla together in a separate container and then set it aside.
- Cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, remember to scrape the bottom of the bowl a few times to incorporate all of the butter.
- Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing to incorporate after each egg. Make sure the eggs are room temperature or your batter may curdle and separate.
- While the mixer is on low speed, add â…“ of your dry ingredients.
- Mix until almost incorporated, then add â…“ of your wet ingredients. Repeat two more times until everything is mixed together, and then stop mixing.
- Stir in the mini chocolate chips. These are optional but add yummy gooey chocolate in each bite.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake the cake for 45-55 minutes, a skewer test should come out clean, a few moist crumbs are okay.
- Once you can touch the pan without burning your hands (about 10 minutes), place a wire rack upside down on top of the pan and carefully flip the cake out.
- Let the cake cool uncovered for about an hour before glazing it with the ganache.
Making the Chocolate Glaze
- In a small saucepan bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat. Be careful not to boil or scald the cream.
- Scale the chocolate (chopped in evenly sized pieces) into a heat-safe large bowl.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, making sure the chocolate is evenly submerged in the cream, and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the cream and chocolate until smooth.
- Warm up the corn syrup in the microwave for 10 seconds, and then pour it into your chocolate mixture.
- Add in your vanilla or optional liqueur, and then whisk it until it is smooth.
- Let the glaze cool until it is 85ºF (29ºC), and then pour it over your cooled bundt cake.
- This chocolate bundt cake can be kept at room temperature for 2-3 days. I keep mine in a cake dome to just protect it, but it does not need to be refrigerated.Â
Notes
- Make sure all your cold ingredients are room temperature or slightly warm (butter, buttermilk, eggs) to create a cohesive batter. Curdled batter causes cakes to collapse.
- If you do not have buttermilk, try one of my preferred buttermilk substitutes.
- Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch, etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe.Â
- Practice Mise en Place (everything in it’s place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.
- Make your own pan release (cake goop) to coat your bundt pan before you add in your batter.Â
- Chill your cake before adding ganache and decorating.Â
CheChe says
Hi Liz. As always it looks delicious?? is there anyway I can substitute the rum? Thanks
The Sugar Geek Show says
You can leave it out if you desire or use any other type of liquor that you would like to instead
The Sugar Geek Show says
This recipe uses all purpose flour, not cake flour. Cake flour is also known as soft flour. If you can't get it in your area then you can try using plain flour but the texture may not be as fine and tender as it would be if you used cake flour
Susan Burk says
Hi Liz! Is your chocolate cake goop recipe posted?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Oops! Sorry I haven't posted it yet. I add 1 tsp of cocoa powder to about 1/4 cup cake goop 🙂
Jenita Saldanha says
Hi Liz,
I will be using instant coffee or espresso powder. Could you please let me know how much coffee powder must be added to water prepare strong coffee
The Sugar Geek Show says
There should be instructions on the container for how to make the coffee 🙂
Naela Hasan says
Hi . Can you tell the recipe in cups or grams please?
The Sugar Geek Show says
There's a little box under the ingredients on the recipe card that says metric that you can check if you want grams 🙂
Graham says
Hi can u pre mix the batter and leave it overnight? Say bake the next day?
The Sugar Geek Show says
No you can't, batter should be baked as soon as it is mixed 🙂
Kayla says
Made this recipes and it is to die for! Raving compliments from the whole family!