This moist, flavorful, and rich chocolate bundt cake is an absolute favorite. It’s chocolatey and delicious on the inside then topped with a beautiful vanilla glaze and chocolate ganache! Finish off with some pink and white sprinkles for a Valentine’s Day dessert to please your partner.
I have a love for watching the Great British Bake Off and I can’t be the only one. It’s so warm hearted and kind and full of delightful baking inspiration.
I don’t recall which episode or which season I was watching, but they made bundt cakes and I realized I immediately needed to make a chocolate bundt cake too. If only this cake came with a side of Paul Hollywood. *sigh*
What is the difference between a cake and a bundt cake?
Okay, so the real answer is … the shape of the pan! I wish there was a more exciting answer to this question. However, because of the shape of the pan, the bundt cake does need to be a bit more moist than a traditional cake.
I also believe in having the right bundt pan for your cake. High quality bakeware does have a place and time and that place and time is while making a bundt cake. I suggest a Nordic Ware bundt pan, they have SO many options from the classic ones or creative designs that will impress your friends so much.
I loved making (and eating) this cake. It is just so pretty and such a reward when you finish it. It might be my new favorite cake to make, don’t tell the others.
Tips for making a moist chocolate bundt cake.
As with any recipe, you need to make sure you have all your ingredients prepared BEFORE you start baking. Especially with this cake, you need certain ingredients at proper temperatures.
This will impact the texture and bake of the cake, so be sure to read through the whole recipe first. Here are some additional tips too!
- Use the proper size pan. Because bundt cake pans can vary in size, especially if they are some of the beautiful ones, you want to ensure you are using the right size for your recipe.
- Bake in a nonstick metal pan. I mean, I’ve never seen a glass bundt cake pan but if you see one, don’t use it. You need a metal pan which conducts the heat really well and helps to prevent any sticking which can happen with all those nooks and crannies.
- Grease the pan in butter and flour. Okay, this is VERY important. You need a solid layer of butter and flour to make sure your bundt cake doesn’t stick. Nothing would be worse than tilting it out and a big ol’ chunk stays put.
- Sift your ingredients. I remember Mary Berry scolding a baker on GBBO for not sifting their ingredients and now I always sift mine. It truly does result in a lighter cake and is worth the extra few minutes.
- Cool your cake for enough time. It should cool IN the pan for at least 10 minutes. As it starts to cool, it will pull from the sides so it releases easily but you have to give it some time. Set a timer and don’t come back til it’s up.
Also, because this is a chocolate cake recipe with the chocolate flavor coming from cocoa powder, you want to use a high quality cocoa powder. We exclusively use Rodelle for our cocoa powder and vanilla extract. They really are the best!
When should I make a chocolate bundt cake?
Whenever I ask this question, the answer is “uh always.” But, in all seriousness, there are some great occasions or holidays where a bundt cake of any flavor would be very welcome. The vanilla glaze allows the cake to be a canvas of sorts that can easily be decorated for certain themes.
- Valentine’s Day. That’s obviously the theme we were going for with this post! I used some festive pink, red, and white sprinkles to make it cute. You could also add a bit of red food coloring to the vanilla glaze to make it pink!
- Birthdays! I’m totally down for a bundt cake for my birthday. You can easily add different colored sprinkles and cute candles in there specific to your birthday party theme. This seems like a very adult birthday party cake and I’m here for it.
- The 4th of July. Okay, hear me out. Add some red, white, and blue sprinkles. Then, add SPARKLERS. I am literally doing this for July 4th, 2021 and I can’t wait.
If you love this chocolate bundt cake recipe, I can guarantee you will also love these chocolate recipes on The Beard and The Baker.
- Buckeyes (with coffee!).
- Chocolate Stout Cake
- Pumpkin Patch Chocolate Cupcakes
- Gluten Free Fudge Chocolate Cookies
Chocolate Bundt Cake
This moist, flavorful, and rich chocolate bundt cake is an absolute favorite. It's chocolatey and delicious on the inside then topped with a beautiful vanilla glaze and chocolate ganache! Finish off with some pink and white sprinkles for a Valentine's Day dessert to please your partner.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder (sifted)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups all purpose flour (sifted)
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup sour cream (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon Rodelle chocolate extract (optional)
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 2 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 2-3 teaspoons whole milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
Chocolate Drizzle
- 4-5 oz high quality dark chocolate (chopped)
Instructions
- Spray and flour your bundt pan. Be sure to get in all the nooks and crannies to make sure your bundt cake comes out in one piece. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter, milk, salt, cocoa powder and whisk until combined. Remove from stove and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and baking soda together.
- Add half of the melted cocoa mixture to the flour mixture and whisk to combine. Then, add second half and whisk to combine.
- Add eggs, one at a time, whisking until combined.
- Then, add the sour cream and vanilla extract. Add chocolate extract if using. Whisk until combined with no lumps, but don't over combine the mixture.
- Gently pour into your bundt pan then place in the oven and cook for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out fairly clean with maybe a cooked crumb or two.
- Remove bundt cake from oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Then, gently flip over onto a cutting board. Tap on the cake pan to help it release. Let completely cool before topping with glaze and chocolate drizzle.
- Prepare cream cheese by adding cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk to a medium size bowl. Use a hand mixer and blend until completely combined and is smooth. Pour over cooled chocolate bundt cake.
- Make chocolate drizzle but melting chocolate bars over a double boiler. Once melted, pour into a piping bag or a ziploc baggie and cut off the tip. Pipe the melted chocolate back and forth over the glazed bundt cake.
- Enjoy immediately!
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