Super-Simple Chocolate Bundt Cake
No one would guess this begins with a cake mix! Some additions make it super-flavorful and moist!
Equipment
- 10-12 cup Bundt pan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
- 1 15.25-ounce Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix
- 1 3.3-ounce box instant chocolate pudding
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1/4 cup avocado oil, or other neutral oil
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 1/4 teaspoon cake batter flavoring, optional, but strongly suggested
- 1 1/4 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Ganache, optional
- 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, optional
Ganache:
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a 10 - 12 cup Bundt pan. Set aside. See Notes on greasing.
- In a small bowl, combine the vanilla extract and espresso powder, stirring to dissolve the powder; set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cake mix and pudding mix to the bowl; combine on low for about 30 seconds. You can alternatively use a hand-held mixer.
- Add the eggs, sour cream, oil, buttermilk, cake batter flavoring, and vanilla-espresso mixture to the bowl. Turn the mixer to “stir” (or low) and blend the ingredients for 30 seconds or until the batter is mostly moistened. Alternatively, you can use an electric hand-held mixer.
- Slowly turn the mixer to medium and set your timer for 2 minutes. Watch the timer. When 20 seconds remain, add the chocolate chips. Stop and scrape the bowl if necessary while mixing.
- Using a silicone spatula, scrape all the batter into the greased Bundt pan, spreading the batter evenly in the pan. Smooth the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40 – 50 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick. You want a few crumbs, but not wet batter on the toothpick. Check at 35 minutes if your oven runs on the hotter side.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool on a rack for 20 minutes.
- Invert the cake onto a cake plate/platter or cake stand. Be careful; the pan will still be hot. Allow the cake to slightly cool or come to room temperature if dusting with powdered sugar. If drizzling with ganache, allow the cake to cool completely… if you can wait that long.
For the Ganache:
- Measure the heavy cream in a 2-cup microwave-safe measuring cup; I prefer glass. Heat in the microwave until hot, but not boiling. Remove from the microwave and add the chopped chocolate. Let the chocolate sit and soften for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir the mixture with a silicone spatula until smooth. It is pourable at this point. Pour onto the cake. **Whisking the ganache will add air bubbles. You don’t want bubbles in your ganache; it’s not as pretty a presentation.
- Serve with whipped cream or ice cream if you’d like.
Notes
After you spray or butter your Bundt pan, you can sift cocoa powder instead of flour to help the finished cake release easier from the pan, and not leave white spots from the flour clumping. There are also recipes called “cake goop” or “cake release”that is a mixture of equal parts of AP flour, shortening, and oil. I have made this. There are great reviews online.
Once this cake is removed from the oven, it may be domed. Don’t be quick to take a knife to it to level it off. The cake may shrink down a little while cooling. If there is a lot of doming after the cooling time has passed, you can take a serrated knife and cut some of that cake off. It's not necessary, but you’re welcome to do so if you want the cake to be flush to your cake stand. Be careful not to scratch your pan with your knife. I suggest a serrated knife if you choose to remove any off.
I prefer Duncan Hines cake mixes to the others. I am not getting any payment for promoting this brand. I just personally prefer it.
This cake can freeze very well, frosted or not, whole or in slices. Wrap the cake in at least 2 layers of plastic wrap. Make it airtight. Freeze for up to 3 months. Be sure to label the cake with the date you freeze. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
If the cake seems a bit dried out from the time in the freezer, slice it, drizzle some caramel or chocolate syrup over it, and warm it in the microwave, and enjoy. And, if you’ve gone that far, mid-as-well add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, right?
Nutrition Facts
Super-Simple Chocolate Bundt Cake
Amount per Serving
Calories
520.98
% Daily Value*
Fat
27.86
g
43
%
Saturated Fat
13.04
g
82
%
Trans Fat
0.31
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1.69
g
Monounsaturated Fat
7.49
g
Cholesterol
92.95
mg
31
%
Sodium
308.81
mg
13
%
Potassium
572.05
mg
16
%
Carbohydrates
65.76
g
22
%
Fiber
3.71
g
15
%
Sugar
24.67
g
27
%
Protein
8.34
g
17
%
Vitamin C
0.29
mg
0
%
Calcium
159.38
mg
16
%
Iron
7.94
mg
44
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!