This homemade Chocolate Bundt Cake is a rich, decadent dessert that comes together in just one hour. The velvety texture and deep chocolate flavor create an irresistible treat that’s perfect for special occasions or weekend baking. With only 15 minutes of prep time and 45 minutes in the oven, you’ll have a stunning centerpiece dessert that serves up pure chocolate bliss. Best of all, this foolproof recipe delivers consistently impressive results that will have everyone asking for seconds.
Main Ingredients
- Flour & Sugar: 2 cups each of all-purpose flour and granulated sugar for perfect texture
- Leavening & Spices: Baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to enhance flavor depth
- Fats: 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup vegetable oil for ultimate moistness
- Cocoa Mix: 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for rich chocolate flavor
- Wet Ingredients: Water, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract for perfect consistency
- Mix-ins: Mini chocolate chips for extra chocolatey goodness
Ganache Ingredients
- Heavy Cream: 1 cup, creates silky smooth texture
- Chocolate Chips: 2 cups for perfect glaze consistency
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep Work: Heat oven to 350°F and prepare bundt pan with thorough greasing and flouring
- Dry Mix: Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in large bowl
- Chocolate Base: Heat butter, oil, cocoa, and water until just boiling, stirring constantly
- Combine: Mix chocolate mixture into dry ingredients, then add buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla
- Bake Time: Pour into pan, bake 45-55 minutes until testing clean
- Cooling: Rest 5 minutes in pan, then transfer to cooling rack
- Ganache Magic: Heat cream, pour over chocolate chips, wait 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth
- Final Touch: Drizzle ganache over cooled cake, sprinkle with extra chips if desired
Cooking Techniques
Getting your bundt cake to release perfectly is all about the pan prep! Take your time coating every nook and cranny of the pan with shortening, then dust it with flour. When you tap out the excess flour, you’ll see an even coating that will help your cake slide right out. The ganache might seem fancy, but it’s super simple – the trick is letting the hot cream and chocolate sit untouched for those full 5 minutes before whisking. This gives you that beautiful, glossy finish every time!
Storage Tips
Your chocolate bundt cake will stay fresh and yummy for up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. If you live somewhere warm, pop it in the fridge – just let it come to room temperature before serving for the best texture. Want to plan ahead? You can make this cake up to 2 months in advance! Just wrap it well (before adding the ganache) and freeze it. Add the ganache fresh when you’re ready to serve.
Serving Suggestions
While this cake is amazing on its own, try warming each slice for 10-15 seconds in the microwave – it makes the ganache slightly melty and extra dreamy! Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, or dollop some fresh whipped cream on top. For a fun twist, serve it with fresh raspberries or strawberries – their tartness pairs beautifully with the rich chocolate. This cake is perfect for everything from casual family dinners to special celebrations!
Chocolate Bundt Cake
Equipment
- Bundt Pan
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 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 (optional)
For the ganache
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
