How to Make The BEST Chocolate Bundt Cake EVER (From a Mix)!

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My recipe for the BEST chocolate Bundt Cake EVER is quick, easy, and made with a cake mix. It is outstanding!!!!

cake mix chocolate bundt

 

This is the BEST Chocolate Bundt Cake EVER

Of all the chocolate cakes I’ve ever made, this one is hands down the best. It always gets raves. I always get requests for the recipe.  This cake is proof that a “doctored cake mix” is second to none. Everyone adores this cake. And it is the easiest cake in the world to make.

This Cake Has Quadruple Chocolate 

There are 4 chocolate ingredients that make this cake so rich, intense, and delicious. Here is the breakdown:

  1. Devil’s Food Cake Mix. This is the darkest chocolate cake mix and the best. I use Duncan Hines.
  2. Chocolate Pudding. Use 1 standard (small) box of instant (not cook & serve) chocolate pudding.
  3. Chocolate Chips. Use between 8-12 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips in the cake. Ghirardelli is my favorite.
  4. Chocolate Ganache. This final layer takes this cake over the top. 

This Cake is Easy to Make

You don’t have to be a cook, or even love to cook, to master this cake. Using a cake mix eliminates the need to measure flour. Making this in a bundt pan makes this one-pan easy. Glazing with a pourable ganache means no frosting multiple layers.

There is No Shame in Cake Mix

Please don’t pass on this because it starts with a cake mix.  Few folks will likely be able to tell.  In fact, THE best white cake with buttercream frosting, a previous post, is my favorite white cake (made with cake mix also)! It is so yummy that I’ve had readers email me raving about it. I’ve had two readers tell me that they used the recipe for a wedding cake.

 

cake mix chocolate bundt

Make ahead: This is one of those cakes that tastes better the second or third day after baking. This cake can also be made ahead and frozen. Simply make the cake (but don’t glaze it), wrap well, and freeze up to one month. To thaw, simply remove from the freezer and thaw several hours at room temp. When the cake is at room temp, make a ganache and pour over the cake.

This cake can be made as a layer cake and frosted. One of my fave layered variations is this Triple Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting. It is rich and show-stopping. Folks can usually only eat a small slice, so one cake should feed 12-12 folks.

Use different size pans to make this chocolate cake.

  • This Nordic Ware Platinum Classic Bundt is the closest thing to my beloved party bundt pan, which Nordic tells me they no longer make.
  • (2) 9″ round cake pans make a basic, simple layer cake that will require frosting.
  • (3) 8″ cake pans are my fave for a standard layer cake. Again, layer cakes require frosting and/or filling but make a wonderful and impressive presentation.

Tips for making this chocolate bundt cake.

Here are a few tips that will enable you to make this chocolate bundt cake with the best results.

  • The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Remove the cake when it is just “set” and no longer jiggles when the pan is shaken.  
  • Let the cake cool for at least half an hour before turning out of the bundt pan
  • Allow at least an hour of cooling after releasing the cake from the pan before glazing. 

Watch a video of me glazing the cake.

Below is a list of some of my favorite baking and kitchen tools. They make baking this cake and most other baked goods so much easier.

I do hope you enjoy my favorite chocolate cake! If you make it, please leave comments and let us all hear your thoughts. I try to reply quickly to everyone who writes!

And please visit our Family Savvy storefront to see all my amazon faves and must-haves for you, your home, and your family.

I hope that you will make this cake; it is FABULOUS!!!! As always, thanks so much for stopping by. Be blessed, and stay savvy!!!

The BEST Chocolate Bundt Cake EVER (From a Mix)

The BEST Chocolate Bundt Cake EVER (From a Mix)

Yield: 16
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • CAKE:
  • 1 box Devils Food cake mix (I use Duncan Hines)
  • 1 small (3 oz) jello instant chocolate pudding
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup oil
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 4 eggs (at room temp)
  • 8-oz sour cream (may use reduced-fat but not fat-free)
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • GANACHE:
  • 1 cup HEAVY whipping cream
  • 1 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  1. Spray bundt pan completely with Baker's Joy; set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix cake mix, pudding, and sugar.
  3. Add oil and water, mixing with a hand mixer until combined.
  4. Add eggs one at a time, blending for about 2 minutes.
  5. Add sour cream and chips; blend well until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
  6. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until cake is "just set" in the center (no longer jiggles).
  7. Allow cake to cool in pan 15-20 minutes before removing.
  8. Gently turn the pan over; release cake onto a plate.
  9. Allow cake to cool for 20 minutes before glazing.
  10. Pour chocolate ganache over top, letting it drip down both sides of the cake.

Ganache:

  1. Pour chocolate chips into a small bowl.
  2. Heat cream on a stovetop until it begins to simmer (not boil). Remove from heat.
  3. Pour hot cream over chocolate chips, tilting bowl to make sure all chips are covered in the cream.
  4. Cover the bowl to trap heat/steam inside.
  5. Let sit for 5 minutes.
  6. After 5 minutes, stir until all chocolate is dissolved.
  7. Let the ganache sit for at least 15 minutes to thicken (longer if needed).
  8. Pour ganache over cake.
Nutrition Information
Yield 14 Serving Size 1 slice
Amount Per Serving Calories 618Total Fat 36gSaturated Fat 15gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 19gCholesterol 84mgSodium 349mgCarbohydrates 70gFiber 3gSugar 48gProtein 6g

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43 Comments

  1. Hi Bizzi!!! That is an older photo, but my recollection is that I melted white chocolate and drizzled it followed by the ganache! It was for a birthday, so I went the extra mile!

  2. Jamie.. i so enjoy all of your postings on ig. the pic above with the white/choc icing.. i assume that is the buttercream frosting you used first and then the ganache?

  3. Hi Charlotte! I typically start “watching” the cakes after baking for about 20 minutes. I go by visual cues~slight cracks begin to form, and cake begins to pull from sides of pan. Also, if you gently shake the pan the cake should not jiggle. Hope this helps!

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