Recipe

Chocolate Bundt Cake

Moist, deeply chocolatey, and finished with a shiny ganache that clings to every Bundt ridge.

By Matt Campbell

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4.8

A glossy chocolate bundt cake on a white cake stand with chocolate ganache dripping down the ridges, sliced to show a moist dark crumb, on a warm kitchen table with soft natural light

If you want a dessert that looks like you tried way harder than you did, this chocolate Bundt cake is it. You get that dramatic, swoopy shape, a crumb that stays moist for a couple days, and a ganache that does the whole drip thing without needing a piping bag or a whole new personality.

This is my kind of baking: accessible ingredients, clear steps, and plenty of room to adjust the ganache as you go. It is rich but not heavy, chocolate-forward without being bitter, and it slices clean enough for company while still feeling like a cozy kitchen counter snack.

Measured ingredients for chocolate bundt cake on a wooden counter, including flour, cocoa powder, sugar, eggs, sour cream, oil, and buttermilk in small bowls under soft kitchen lighting

Why It Works

Moist, tender crumb: Oil plus sour cream keeps the cake soft, even after it cools.
Deep chocolate flavor: Blooming cocoa with hot coffee (or hot water) wakes up the chocolate without making it taste like a latte.
Bundt pan confidence: A thorough butter and cocoa dusting helps the cake release cleanly and keeps the outside looking sharp.
Ganache that behaves: Warm cream, chopped chocolate, and a little patience give you that glossy pour that sets into a fudgy shell.

Pairs Well With

Storage Tips

Room temp: Store covered (cake dome or wrapped well) for up to 3 days once the ganache is set. If your kitchen runs warm, keep it in the coolest spot you have.

Refrigerator: Up to 5 days in an airtight container. Let slices sit out 20 to 30 minutes before eating so the crumb relaxes again.

Freezer: Freeze slices or the whole un-ganached cake. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then foil. Freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or a few hours at room temp, then add ganache.

Pro tip: If the ganache gets too firm in the fridge, a 10 second microwave hit on a slice makes it taste like a warm brownie situation.

Common Questions

How do I keep a Bundt cake from sticking?

Go generous with softened butter, then get into every crevice. After that, dust with cocoa powder (not flour) and tap out the excess. Cocoa blends in and keeps the outside chocolatey. Also, let the cake cool 10 to 15 minutes in the pan, then invert. If you leave it too long, it can stick from steam and cooling in place, especially in detailed pans.

Can I make this without coffee?

Yes. Use hot water. Coffee mostly deepens cocoa flavor. You will not taste “coffee” in the finished cake, but hot water still blooms the cocoa and works great.

My cake cracked on top. Is that bad?

Not at all. Bundt cakes often crack because the outside sets before the center finishes rising. The crack becomes the bottom once you flip it, and nobody will ever know.

Can I use Dutch-process cocoa?

Natural cocoa is recommended here because it plays best with baking soda and the recipe’s acidic ingredients. If Dutch-process is all you have, you can use it, but results can vary by brand. For a little extra lift, add 1 teaspoon baking powder and keep the baking soda as written.

How do I know when it is done?

A toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. The cake will also spring back lightly when pressed and start to pull just a bit from the edges. If you like a numbers check, the center is typically around 200 to 205°F.

Can I make it ahead for a party?

Absolutely. Bake the cake a day ahead, wrap well, and ganache the day of. The crumb actually improves overnight.

Matt Campbell

I have always had a huge passion for the culinary arts, people, working as a team, and so on. I wanted to pursue my love for cooking initially at Virginia Commonwealth University with a culinary arts degree; however, I instead decided to apply myself and acquire more practical skills. My end goal is to eventually open my own restaurant or similar establishment.

Kitchen Essentials

10 to 12 cup Bundt pan
Large mixing bowl
Whisk and rubber spatula
Fine mesh sieve (optional for cocoa and flour)
Measuring cups and spoons
Wire rack
Small saucepan (for heating cream)
Heatproof bowl (for ganache)

I like desserts that look a little dramatic without turning my kitchen into a disaster zone. A chocolate Bundt cake is basically the perfect cheat code. It comes out shaped like a showpiece, but the process is low-drama: whisk, pour, bake, flip, and then you get to do the satisfying ganache pour where everything suddenly looks like it belongs in a bakery window. The first time I nailed a clean release from the pan, I felt like I had unlocked a new level of adulthood.