My most decadent bundt cake yet — dense, moist, and rich, finished with a glossy chocolate fudge glaze. Includes a how-to video.
One-Bowl Chocolate Bliss
I love taking a dessert I already adore and making it even more chocolate-forward. This chocolate bundt cake is the result: a rich, fudgy, and slightly dense bundt with pockets of melty chocolate and a shiny glaze on top. It’s moist and satisfying, yet simple to prepare — the batter comes together in a single bowl (frosting excluded), which makes this an easy recipe for weeknights or special occasions.
What You Need
- Flour. Use all-purpose flour; do not use self-rising flour for this recipe.
- Cocoa powder. Unsweetened natural cocoa powder gives the best flavor here; I haven’t tested Dutch-processed cocoa with this exact formula.
- Leaveners. Baking powder and baking soda provide lift.
- Salt & vanilla extract. Both brighten and balance the chocolate flavor.
- Very hot coffee or hot water. Hot liquid blooms the cocoa and deepens the chocolate notes; coffee will amplify chocolate flavor the most.
- Sugar. A combination of granulated and light brown sugar adds sweetness, moisture, and depth.
- Eggs. This recipe uses two whole eggs plus an extra yolk for richness.
- Sour cream. Adds moisture, tenderness, and a subtle tang.
- Butter & oil. A mix of melted butter and neutral oil keeps the cake flavorful and moist without drying it out.
Tip: Instead of mini chocolate chips, finely chop a 4 oz chocolate bar to create melty chocolate flecks throughout the cake.
This overview explains the role of the main ingredients. The complete ingredient list and detailed instructions are included below in the recipe card.
Low-Maintenance Cake Batter
The batter is straightforward and forgiving, easy to mix in one bowl. Because this is a bundt-style cake, it’s intentionally a bit denser than a layered cake, achieved by using melted butter and oil instead of creaming butter and sugar. Mix thoroughly with an electric mixer or by hand — the batter is sturdy and not prone to over-mixing in normal use.
Icing / Glaze
No chocolate bundt cake is complete without a fudgy, glossy glaze. A few good options:
- Use the fudge glaze provided in the recipe card below — rich and glossy.
- Use a darker chocolate ganache for a more intense chocolate finish.
- Or keep it simple and dust with powdered sugar if you prefer a lighter finish.
When making the glaze, patience helps: allow it to cool slightly so it becomes pourable but not too runny. If it cools too much and becomes thick, gently warm it for a few seconds until it returns to a pourable consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
All-purpose flour is recommended. Cake flour can work if substituted correctly, but avoid self-rising flour — it can make the batter overflow.
Cornstarch tenderizes the crumb. If you don’t have it, you can omit it, but it improves texture.
Yes. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap (and optionally foil) and freeze for several months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
This batter can be adapted, but for a two-layer or 9×13 cake I recommend using a cake-specific recipe designed for those pans to ensure ideal texture. If you do use different pans, fill no more than two-thirds full and expect to adjust bake time.
More Recipes You Might Like
- German Chocolate Cake
- Tres Leches Cake
- Chocolate Cheesecake
- Chocolate Cupcakes
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together — check the how-to video included in the recipe card below.
Chocolate Bundt Cake
Be sure to check out the how-to video.
Equipment
- 12-cup bundt pan
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup (68 g) natural cocoa powder
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup (118 ml) avocado oil or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
- 1 ¼ cup (318 g) sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (177 ml) hot coffee or hot water
- ½ cup (85 g) mini chocolate chips
Chocolate Glaze
- 3 oz (85 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan or spray with a baking spray that contains flour. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the melted butter and oil; stir until well combined (mixture will be thick).
- Stir in the eggs, extra yolk, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth.
- Gradually add the hot coffee or hot water and mix until combined. Fold in mini chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake on the center rack for 50–55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the thickest part comes out with a few moist crumbs or clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack to cool completely before glazing.
Chocolate Glaze
- Combine the chopped chocolate, butter, and milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until the chocolate and butter are fully melted. The mixture may look slightly separated — this is okay.
- Stir in the vanilla and salt.
- Add the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Let the glaze cool for about 15 minutes, until it is fluid but not runny, then drizzle over the cooled bundt cake. Allow the glaze to set before slicing and serving.
Notes
Using a very hot liquid is important to extract the fullest chocolate flavor from the cocoa; coffee intensifies the chocolate notes but hot water also works.
The glaze shown is a favorite, but you can substitute a simple chocolate ganache or a vanilla glaze if you prefer.
Gluten-free note
Some readers have successfully made this recipe using Cup4Cup gluten-free flour, though I have not tested it myself.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and should be used as a guideline.
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