Death by Chocolate Bundt Cake with Glaze
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Chocolate Bundt Cake with Glaze is every chocolate lover’s dream dessert! Sweet, rich chocolate is added at every step, with a secret ingredient to boost the flavor even more! This glazed chocolate bundt cake is always a winner at holidays, but it’s a great option for birthdays and special occasions too!
Chocolate Bundt Cake with Glaze
Once upon a time, I was the queen of complicated cakes. I could make just about anything and went to any lengths to complete a cake.
But who has that kind of time anymore???
Instead, I’m all about simplified recipes that produce stunning results — and that’s just what you get when you make this chocolate bundt cake with glaze!
It’s so incredibly moist and rich, with chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate at every step.
Top it all off with a gorgeous homemade ganache, and it’ll be the star of the show.
Seriously, bundt cakes are the way to go when you need simple elegance — the pan does all the decorating work for you!
And since not everyone is a chocoholic like me, I’ve got recipes for caramel apple or raspberry lemonade bundt cakes too.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Cocoa Powder – Stick with natural, unsweetened cocoa powder — and from a high-quality brand if you can!
Measure out a little extra to dust the bundt pan with too. - Unsalted Butter – Every brand of butter contains a different amount of salt, so it’s best to control it yourself.
You’ll need a little to grease the pan, four softened sticks for the batter, and two more sticks to make the ganache. Butter makes everything better! - Baking Powder & Baking Soda – Because there’s some acidity in the cocoa powder and sour cream, we need both to help the cake rise.
Make sure yours is fresh so it works properly — baking soda will bubble when mixed with vinegar, while baking powder will bubble when mixed with boiling water. - Kahlua – Coffee liqueur adds moisture and boosts the chocolate flavor in this death by chocolate bundt cake recipe.
Swap in cooled, brewed coffee, milk, or even water if you’d rather not use alcohol. The flavor won’t be as intense, but the texture will be there. - Sour Cream – This is the secret to extra moist triple chocolate bundt cake! Plain Greek yogurt would be a good substitute, but definitely don’t leave it out.
- Chocolate – Add a mixture of white and semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus chopped Hershey bars, to the batter for extra chocolatey goodness.
You’ll also need chocolate to make the ganache. Grab some higher-quality stuff for that!
Tips and Tricks to Make the Best Glazed Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Bring ingredients to room temperature first.
Not only will your death by chocolate bundt cake batter be nice and smooth, but it will mix together easier and the ingredients will interact properly.
Take the eggs, butter, and sour cream out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before getting started.
But if you’re short on time, I have a few shortcuts! Place eggs in a bowl of warm (not hot!) water — they’re ready when no longer cold to the touch.
For the butter, microwave for 10 seconds at 50% power. The sour cream, you’ll just have to use cold.
- Dust bundt pan with cocoa powder.
Butter isn’t enough for greasing, but flour would add a white cast to the outside of your triple chocolate bundt cake.
That’s where cocoa powder comes to the rescue! The butter will hold it in place, creating a sort of cake goop so your dessert slides right out of the pan.
- Take time when making the batter.
While this death by chocolate bundt cake recipe isn’t complicated, it’s definitely not a dump-and-mix preparation.
Cream the butter by itself until smooth, then add the sugar and cream some more until it’s light and fluffy. This step can take up to 5 minutes!
After that, mix ingredients until well combined before moving to the next.
Alternating dry ingredients with some sour cream ensures that the batter stays well hydrated throughout the whole process.
Prep Ahead
- Bring cold ingredients to room temp
- Grease bundt pan
- Preheat oven to 325°F
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Bundt Pan – I love the elegance of this shape!
- Stand Mixer with a paddle attachment, plus extra Mixing Bowls
- A sturdy Silicone Spatula can be used for scraping, stirring, and smoothing and is easy to clean too!
- Wire Rack – Great for cooling all kinds of baked goods.
Serving Suggestions
Cover chocolate bundt cake with glaze, reserving a little bit for later.
I like to keep it on the cooling rack with a sheet pan underneath to catch the drips — it just makes a cleaner presentation than glazing on the cake stand or platter.
Press handfuls of chocolate chips onto the sides of the cake, then sprinkle the rest on top with the chopped Hershey bars.
Drizzle the remaining ganache over the top and let it set before slicing.
Glazed chocolate bundt cake is certainly delicious on its own, but a little whipped cream or vanilla ice cream can help tone down the richness.
And if you want an overall less intense flavor, replace the ganache with a dusting of powdered sugar or swap the chocolate chips for chocolate shavings!
Storing and Freezing Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake
This death by chocolate bundt cake is so insanely rich that a little slice goes a long way. So unless you’ve got plenty of guests over, you’re bound to have leftovers!
Store glazed chocolate bundt cake at room temperature for up 2 to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
You can also freeze the chocolate cake before glazing for a make-ahead treat! Wrap in several layers of plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter, then cover chocolate bundt cake with glaze and chocolate chips before serving.
Death by Chocolate Bundt Cake FAQ
Before you even bake it, make sure to grease the pan with butter and flour — or in this case, cocoa powder.
Once it’s out of the oven, place the pan on a wire rack and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Then, flip the cake onto the rack to finish cooling.
If you try to flip it too early, the hot cake will collapse or break apart. But if you wait too long, it might get stuck in the pan.
It happens! There’s fat in chocolate, cream, and butter, and it can split if the mixture is too hot.
All you have to do is blend it with an immersion blender until it’s nice and smooth again.
Unfortunately, no. Both the measurements and texture of this chocolate bundt cake with glaze will only work in a large bundt pan.
I’ve got you covered, though! Try my triple chocolate cake recipe or this Better Than Sex Cake instead — either one should satisfy your craving!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Death by Chocolate Bundt Cake with Glaze
Equipment
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for preparing the pan
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups unsalted butter, softened (plus more for preparing the pan)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup Kahlua coffee liqueur
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream
- 2 Hershey bars, chopped
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Chocolate Ganache
- 3/4 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup chocolate
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter a 10-cup Bundt pan and dust with cocoa powder. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; whisk until well blended. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add sugar and beat until blended. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue beating, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl, until the mixture is light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs, beat mixture 1 to 2 minutes; stop mixer occasionally and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla and Kahlua.
- Reduce the speed to low and fold in the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream and beginning and ending with the flour, until just blended and no lumps of flour remain. Then add the chocolate chips and chopped chocolate. Blend until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack and cool the cake upright in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Prepare ganache while cake is cooling.
- Pour ganache over cake to cover equally. Reserving ½ cup for drizzling. Take a handful of chocolate chips and press the along the side of the cake. Sprinkle a small handful of chocolate bars and white chocolate chips along the top of the cake. Drizzle ganache over top of cake. Serve and enjoy!
Chocolate Ganache
- Heat cream in microwave until hot, but not boiling. Add chocolate and butter. Cover with cling wrap for 5 minutes. Stir until you have a smooth mixture. If necessary, warm in the microwave at 30 second intervals and keep stirring. Bring ganache to room temperature.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published November 2012, updated and republished May 2024
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What a fantastic bundt cake! Simply beautiful and mouth wateringly delicious looking! Yes, I love the new design – it's gorgeous – I'm not surprised! – I'm totally in love with mine!!
Mary x
Beautiful cakes!! Perfect for Christmas, surely 🙂
Have a nice week
Inês
If i am going to experience death then yes I want it to be by this cake:) Divine
YUM YUM and YUM!!
I adore your header – Chad is very talented and it is perfect! The cake(s) are all beautiful. My name is Tricia and I'm a chocolaholic. I will need to go to a meeting or just make the darn thing! Yum! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We've been so busy – I'll try to catch up on all your posts!
The Death by Chocolate cake is out of this world and so is the Caramel Apple Spice cake. Try them, you'll love them!!! Feeds a lot of people.
This cake looks and sounds amazing! I love all those extra toppings : )
I made this yesterday, for a Mother's Day gathering, and left without a crumb. It was delicious, and obviously, well received. Thanks, Donna!
I made this yesterday, to take to a Mother's Day gathering, and left without a crumb. It was delicious! Thanks, Donna.
This cake looks divine. One concern – what kind of chocolate did you use to prepare the ganache? Thanks for taking time to respond.
Hi Betty! I used milk chocolate chips and pieces left from the rest of the recipe. Enjoy! It is decadent, it will feed a crowd.
Thanks so much, Donna. I am anxious to bake this wonderful cake and impress my family.
I don´t live in the US and we don´t have Hershey bars here. How much chocolate should use?
Hi,I don´t live in the US and we don´t have Hershey bars here. How much chocolate should I use
Hershey candy bars are about 1.55 ounces. Enjoy.
A delicious bundt cake! So full of chocolate it is amazing!