Chocolate Bundt Cake
This Chocolate Bundt Cake is rich, moist, and irresistibly chocolatey, with a soft crumb and a luscious chocolate ganache drip that flows beautifully down the ridges. Made with cocoa powder, hot coffee, and buttermilk for depth and texture, it’s the best chocolate Bundt cake to bake for a birthday, dinner party, or any celebration. Each bite is pure indulgence—moist, tender, and perfectly balanced in sweetness.
Servings 12 servings
Calories 480kcal
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 255g
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 60g
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp espresso powder optional
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar 250g
- ½ cup light brown sugar 100g
- ½ cup vegetable oil 120ml
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted 113g
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature 240 ml
- 1 cup hot coffee or hot water 240 ml
Chocolate Ganache Drip
- ⅔ cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped 115g
- ½ cup heavy cream 120ml
Instructions
Cake Batter
- Preheat oven to 175 °C (350 °F). Grease a 10–12 cup Bundt pan very well with butter and dust with flour or cocoa powder, tapping out the excess. If your pan has lots of crevices, make sure to get each nook and cranny greased properly.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, espresso powder (if using), brown sugar, and granulated sugar until evenly combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter, oil, eggs, buttermilk, coffee (or water), and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry. Whisk until combined.
- Pour into the prepared Bundt pan and bake in the preheated oven for 45–50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Ganache Drip
- Finely chop the chocolate and place it in a medium heat safe bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat until it just starts to simmer, with small bubbles forming around the edges. You can also heat it up in the microwave. Be careful so it doesn’t boil over.
- Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Let it rest undisturbed for 2 minutes so the chocolate softens. Using a spatula or whisk to stir until the mixture is completely smooth and glossy. If a few unmelted bits remain, microwave gently for 5 to 10 second intervals, stirring in between.
- Allow the ganache to cool for about 30 minutes at room temperature, until slightly thickened but still pourable. Spoon the ganache around the top edge of the cake, letting it run down the sides. If the ganache runs too quickly, let it thicken for a few more minutes; if it feels too thick, warm it for a few seconds (5 seconds) in the microwave and stir again.
Decorate
- For chocolate curls, use a solid bar of chocolate. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the sides of the bar, which will form curls. The softer the chocolate (such as milk chocolate), the tighter the curls will be.
- Let the ganache set for about 10 minutes, slice and serve the cake.
Notes
Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make an easy substitute using regular milk. Pour 2 tsps of white vinegar or lemon juice into a measuring cup, then add enough milk to reach 1 cup (240 ml). Stir and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until slightly thickened and curdled. Use this mixture in place of buttermilk in the recipe—it will provide a similar acidity and help keep the cake tender.
Coffee: Hot coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor; if you prefer not to use coffee, use hot water instead.
Storage: Store the cake in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let it come to room temperature before serving. If the cake doesn’t have ganache on top, it can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Sweetness: This is not an overly sweet cake. If you like your cake to be on the sweet side, use milk chocolate for the ganache. If making the ganache with milk chocolate, use 2/3 chopped milk chocolate but only 80 ml of heavy cream instead of 120 ml.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 480kcal