Chocolate Bundt Cake

As simple as it sounds, but with a little mascarpone whipped cream if you feel like it, this chocolate bundt cake comes together in just one bowl and uses sour cream to keep it from drying out.

How to make a moist Chocolate Bundt cake?

To make a chocolate cake moist, I do two things. One, sour cream is the magic ingredient here, it adds moisture without making the batter thin. Two, this recipe uses only cocoa powder, which may seem counterintuitive but when you add melted chocolate to a cake, it actually dries it out once baked.

Can you freeze a bundt cake?

Yes! I prefer to cut the slices, wrap them in plastic and then place the wrapped slices into a resealable freezer bag. They will keep for up to 1 month in the freezer and can be defrosted in the fridge or at room temperature.

What does sour cream do in baking a cake?

Sour cream is great for baking cakes because it adds moisture without thinning out the cake. This way you still get that nice dense pound cake like texture but with a deliciously moist cake.

Do you cool the bundt cake in the pan or out?

My go-to strategy for bundt cakes is to let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then flip them out on a cooling rack and allow to finish cooling outside of the pan.

Tips for making a chocolate bundt cake

• Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature – this will help get a smooth and fluffy cake batter.
• I’m not usually one to worry about sifting, but sifting the cocoa powder will ensure it all dissolves evenly into the batter without over mixing the cake.
• Wait to spray your bundt pan with the baking spray until just before adding the cake batter, otherwise it will all run down the pan and puddle at the bottom.
• To make sure the bundt cake comes out of the pan cleanly – spray the pan with a baking spray that also has flour in it, or grease the pan and then coat it with flour. To be honest I’ve done both and my preference is the baking spray with flour in it, it works perfectly and leaves no residue.
• Let the cake cool for 10 minutes before turning it out. This will help it to hold together rather than split, or fall apart.

Additional Cake Recipes to try!

• Easy Chocolate Raspberry Cake
• Marble Bundt Cake
• Sachertorte Loaf Cake

Chocolate Bundt Cake Ingredients

• All Purpose Flour: Any all purpose flour will work for this bundt cake! I have not yet tried any other flours with this recipe.
• Baking Soda & Baking Powder: These both help make the cake rise – make sure to check the expiration date! If they are expired, they won’t be very effective.
• Cocoa Powder: Both dutch processed and natural cocoa powder will work here.
• Salt: A little bit of salt enhances the flavors and balances out the sweetness.
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla adds flavor and enhances the chocolate.
• Eggs: I use standard large eggs from the store.
• Sugar: This chocolate bundt cake only uses granulated sugar in the cake batter and then you can optionally dust the top with powdered sugar.
• Sour Cream: Sour cream adds richness and moisture to the cake. You can also use full fat greek yogurt.
• Butter: Butter adds moisture and richness to this cake, just make sure it is nice and soft.
• Espresso: Adding espresso to a chocolate cake enhances the chocolate flavor! You can use two shots of espresso or 3 ounces of strongly brewed coffee.

Mascarpone Whipped Cream Ingredients

*Optional

• Mascarpone: Mascarpone adds a little extra umph to an otherwise simple whipped cream. Be sure it’s at room temperature.
• Powdered sugar: I always use powdered sugar for my whipped cream because I find it dissolves better and doesn’t leave a gritty texture.
• Vanilla Extract: A bit of vanilla goes a long way with any whipped cream to give it a little flavor.
• Heavy Cream: Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream will work, just make sure it’s cold.

How to make a Chocolate Bundt Cake?

• Preheat the oven to 350 F and place a rack in the middle of the oven.

Chocolate cake batter

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Then sift in the cocoa powder and whisk to combine.
• Add in the sugar, eggs, butter, sour cream, vanilla, and espresso. Use the paddle attachment to mix the batter first on low speed for 10 seconds and then medium high for another 10 seconds until just fully mixed.
• Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• Spray the bundt pan with your baking spray and then pour in the chocolate batter.
• Smooth out the cake with a rubber spatula.

Bake

• Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, rotate the cake 180 degrees and bake for another 20 minutes.
• When the cake is finished baking, check it by sticking a toothpick into the center of one section of the cake cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is fully baked.
• Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool for 10 minutes before flipping it out.
• After 10 minutes, place a cooling rack over the cake pan. Holding on to both the pan and the cooling rack, flip the two over together so the rack is now on the bottom and the pan is sitting upside down on the top.
• The cake should easily slide out, but if not, give the pan a few love taps on top to coax it out.
• Remove the pan and allow the cake to cool completely before serving with a dusting of powdered sugar.

How to make mascarpone whipped cream

• In a medium mixing bowl, add in the room temperature mascarpone, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cold heavy cream.
• Use an electric mixer (stand or handheld) with the whisk attachment to whip on medium high speed until medium peaks form.
• Serve dollops of the cream with each slice of cake and store any extra in a covered bowl in the fridge.
• Optionally top with a few macerated blackberries.