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This Chocolate Bundt Cake is a fudgy cake recipe with the best chocolate flavor. It’s totally from scratch with a tender moist crumb – we absolutely LOVED this cake – even the non-cake lovers couldn’t stop eating it.
Why You NEED This Recipe
I’m not exaggerating when I tell you how much we loved this cake – we could not stop going back and sneaking bites! I love all kinds of bundt cakes because they are easy to make and so pretty. This recipe is a classic chocolate bundt cake recipe that is totally from scratch. It has the most decadent chocolate flavor, with the best fudgy texture!
Not only is it homemade but it’s rich and sweet enough plain or you can add a chocolate ganache frosting on top – your choice! Don’t sleep on this recipe – you’re going to love it.
Ingredients Needed
- Butter: The recipe starts with melted unsalted butter.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream mixes well with the baking soda to give this cake the perfect texture and the acid helps to activate the baking soda.
- Hot Coffee: You can use instant coffee or regular leftover – but it needs to be hot. You can substitute hot water if you prefer – but the coffee just brings out all the chocolate flavor. The hotness also blooms the chocolate – this cake is rich!
- Cocoa Powder: Because this recipe uses baking soda, I used unsweetened cocoa powder (natural). This recipe has not been tested with dutch-process cocoa powder.
- Heavy Whipping Cream and Chocolate Chips: Gives the chocolate glaze the best taste! I use semi-sweet chocolate chips. Cream cheese frosting would also be fantastic, like Nothing Bundt Cake!
How to make Chocolate Cake
1. I love this recipe because you do not need a stand mixer! Whisk all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, including the sugar.
2. Whisk all the wet ingredients in a large measuring cup or bowl.
3. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Pour into a bundt pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
4. After 15 minutes turn the cake out onto a serving platter – this helps the cake not stick. Decide on a topping: frosting or just a dusting of powdered sugar.
Expert Tips
- Grease your pan properly so the cake doesn’t stick. Bundt cakes are notorious for sticking – so use a baking spray with flour or grease and flour it well – in every nook and cranny of the bundt pan.
- Avoid the cake sticking in the pan by making sure it’s completely done – a toothpick will come out clean when it’s done baking. And be sure to remove it from the pan after only 15 minutes of cooling.
- Your cake should be fully cooled before putting the frosting or powdered sugar on top.
FAQs
Yes you can! Slice this cake and then freeze in and individual airtight container so they are easy to pull out and reheat!
Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup (54g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups (248g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (237ml) hot brewed coffee
- ½ cup (115ml) sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5ml
- ⅔ cup (113g) chocolate chips
- ¼ cup (60ml) heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a (10 to 12-cup bundt pan) bundt pan or spray with nonstick baking spray (the kind with flour in it).
- Whisk sugar, cocoa, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour in a large bowl.
- Melt butter in a medium bowl or large microwave safe measuring cup. Add hot coffee to the melted butter. Whisk in eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
- Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until smooth and no lumps remain. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. There may be a gooey ring around the center that, when performing a toothpick test, it comes out with a crumb or two, but it will be clean from the outer edges and center.
- Allow cake to sit in pan for 15 minutes. Then place serving plate or wire rack on top and invert the pan to release the cake carefully and let the cake cool before frosting.
- To make frosting: add chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream to a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat 45 seconds then whisk until smooth. Pour over cake and use a knife to spread. It will dry hard. Alternately, dust with powdered sugar.
Recipe Notes
- The cake is delicious with just powdered sugar dusted on top – no frosting needed.
- You can substitute hot water for the coffee, but make sure to use hot water so as to bloom the cocoa. The coffee doesn’t make it taste like mocha or coffee, it’s to intensify the chocolate flavor.
- This recipe has only been tested with natural unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Store loosely covered at room temperature. Wrap well with plastic wrap and freeze if desired (slices or the whole cake).
This cake is amazing. Best chocolate cake recipe I have ever had and I have been baking many years. Thank you, I LOVE IT !
Will the cake taste just as good if I substitute with hot water instead of using coffee?
Yes it’ll be fine – you probably won’t notice a difference especially since you never made it with coffee.
Haven’t made it yet, but concerned about adding eggs to that hot coffee and melted butter. Will they scramble? Should coffee be room temp. and butter slightly cooled? Looks delicious 😋
The water should be hot to bloom the cocoa. Just make sure not to let them sit in the hot water – whisk after you add them, it’ll be okay.
Two questions: should I use cake flour? should I sift the flour (be it cake or multi-purpose)?
I use all-purpose flour and have not tested this with cake flour. I don’t sift it.
This cake looks so rich and moist. Love it.
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