Chocolate bundt cake recipe with a rich, moist crumb, chocolate chips, and a simple chocolate glaze poured over the top.
This chocolate bundt cake bakes evenly in a bundt pan and stays soft and moist thanks to sour cream and hot coffee in the batter.
It’s the recipe I use when I want a reliable chocolate cake that looks impressive but doesn’t need frosting or decorating skills.
Why you’ll love it
- Deep chocolate flavor from cocoa, coffee, and chocolate chips
- Moist, tender crumb that stays soft for days
- Easy chocolate glaze with a clean, glossy finish
Ingredients You Need
- All-purpose flour: standard white flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: natural or Dutch-processed
- Baking powder + baking soda: for proper rise
- Unsalted butter: softened, room temperature
- Granulated sugar + brown sugar: balanced sweetness and depth
- Eggs: large, room temperature
- Sour cream: full-fat, room temperature (or plain yogurt / buttermilk)
- Hot coffee: espresso or hot water
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: or chocolate chunks
- Vanilla extract: pure
- Salt: fine
- Heavy cream: full-fat, for the chocolate glaze
- Neutral oil (optional): sunflower, canola, or grapeseed, for a shinier glaze
Tips for a perfect chocolate bundt cake
- Let the cake cool completely before adding the chocolate glaze
- Use a scale for consistent texture and even baking
- Grease the bundt pan thoroughly, including all grooves
- Don’t overmix once the flour is added
- Check doneness early since oven temperatures vary
How to make chocolate bundt cake
Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
In another bowl, cream the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing just to combine.
Fold in the sour cream, dry ingredients, hot coffee, and chocolate chips until smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 40–50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C and grease a 6–8 cup bundt pan very well.
Test with a toothpick; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Cool completely in the pan, then unmold and cool on a wire rack.
Chocolate glaze
This is the easy chocoalte glaze I use for a smooth, glossy finish.
Chop the chocolate and place it in a heatproof bowl with the heavy cream and oil.
Melt gently over simmering water (double boiler) until smooth and glossy.
Cool slightly, then pour over the cooled chocolate bundt cake.
Serving suggestions
- Serve at room temperature with coffee or espresso.
- Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for contrast.
- Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
- Sprinkle with chocolate shavings before serving.
- Serve chilled in summer for a firmer texture.
Storage
- Room temperature: covered, up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: airtight, up to 5 days.
- Freezer: freeze without glaze up to 3 months.
Recipe variations
- Double chocolate bundt cake: add extra chocolate chips to the batter.
- Mocha bundt cake: replace hot water with brewed coffee.
- Chocolate orange bundt cake: add orange zest to the batter.
- Chocolate peanut butter bundt cake: swirl peanut butter before baking.
- Mini chocolate bundt cakes: bake in mini molds and reduce baking time.
Recipe Questions
Can I make this chocolate bundt cake ahead of time?
Yes, it tastes even better the next day.
Why is my chocolate bundt cake dry?
It was likely overbaked or the flour was overmeasured.
Can I use Dutch-process cocoa powder?
Yes, it works well in this recipe.
How do I prevent the cake from sticking?
Grease the bundt pan thoroughly, including all grooves.
Can I freeze chocolate bundt cake?
Yes, freeze without glaze for best texture.
More loaf and bundt cakes
I hope you’ll love this recipe! If you try this recipe, feel free to leave a comment. — it always helps. Happy baking!
Print
Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 10 servings
Description
A chocolate bundt cake with a dense, melt-in-your-mouth texture and chocolate chips, baked in a 6–8 cup (20 cm) bundt pan, for about 8–10 servings.
Ingredients
Chocolate bundt cake
- 144 g (1 cup) Flour – all-purpose
- 36 g (⅓ cup) Cocoa powder – unsweetened
- 1 pinch Salt
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 120 g (1 stick) Butter – unsalted, softened
- 120 g (½ cup) Sugar – granulated
- 90 g (⅓ cup) Brown sugar
- 3 Eggs – room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 120 g (½ cup) Sour cream – or buttermilk or plain yogurt
- 90 ml (⅓ cup) Hot coffee – or hot water
- 100 g (⅓ cup) Chocolate chips – semi-sweet
Chocolate glaze
- 50 g (2 oz) Baking chocolate – chopped
- 50 ml (¼ cup) Heavy cream – full-fat
- 1 tsp Vegetable oil
Instructions
Chocolate chip bundt cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 6–8 cup (20 cm) bundt pan with butter or nonstick spray.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In another bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla for 2–3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing briefly after each addition.
- Add the sour cream, then gently fold in the dry ingredients, hot coffee, and chocolate chips with a spatula, just until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 40–50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool completely in the pan before unmolding onto a serving plate.
Chocolate glaze
- Heat the chopped chocolate, heavy cream, and vegetable oil using a double boiler or microwave, stirring until smooth.
- Let cool slightly, then drizzle over the bundt cake before serving.
Notes
Storage: Store covered at room temperature for 1 day, or refrigerate up to 4 days; bring back to room temperature before serving.
Tips for this recipe
- Use a kitchen scale for accurate measurements and consistent texture
- Do not overmix once the flour is added to keep the crumb tender
- Grease every detail of the bundt pan to ensure clean release
- Use hot coffee to deepen the chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee
- Let the cake cool fully before glazing for a clean, glossy finish
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: bundt cake, cake, Dessert
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 367
- Sugar: 26.8 g
- Sodium: 333.1 mg
- Fat: 20.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 43.3 g
- Protein: 6.5 g
- Cholesterol: 88.8 mg
Sonya
This look so delicious. I am a chocolate lover and I must make this lol. Can you use cake flour? I’m not a coffee drinker can I use espresso powder? If yes how much expresso powder?
Fadela
Hi Sonya, yes you can use cake flour. For the coffee if you don't have a coffee machine you can use espresso powder about the equivalent of a stick 2 teaspoons.
Oyan
Hey there very excited to try this recipe but I have two questions.
1 the brown sugar is it light or dark?
2 can you convert into cups please? Thank you
Fadela
Thank you for your message, so I used dark brown sugar and about the measurements, it's important to weigh the ingredients to make this recipe work, but I'll still convert the amounts to cups .