Chocolate Bundt Cake
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Nov. 23, 2024
This Chocolate Bundt Cake is superior in moistness and tastes amazing. It’s full of deep chocolatey flavor and drizzled with a decadent ganache.
In This Article
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Why This Recipe Stands Out
This unbelievably tender, fuss-free Chocolate Bundt Cake is not your average chocolate cake. Here’s why we love this recipe:
- Super Moist and Tender Cake: Just like this Eggless Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Bundt Cake is soft, buttery, tender, and decadent.
- Decadent Ganache Topping: We can’t believe how easy this ganache is. It’s the perfect rich, velvety topping to this cake.
- Perfect for Birthdays: We have a lot of delicious cake recipes to choose from when it comes to birthdays and this Chocolate Bundt Cake is one of them – perfect for all the chocolate-lovers in your life!
Key Recipe Ingredients
- Cocoa Powder – Make sure you’re reaching for unsweetened cocoa powder and not Dutch processed cocoa powder.
- Strong Coffee – You won’t actually taste the coffee in this recipe, but it does wonders for bringing depth to the chocolate flavors. Decaf works just as well.
- Grand Marnier – This orange flavored liquor adds an amazing depth of citrusy flavor that balances out the richness of the chocolate perfectly.
- Butter – We chose to use butter instead of oil for this cake for a denser, richer texture and that irresistible buttery flavor.
- Eggs – Eggs bind all the ingredients together and make our cake easily sliceable.
- Orange Extract – Orange extract is added to both the cake and the ganache for even more fresh, citrusy undertones.
- Ganache – A simple combination of semi-sweet chocolate morsels, heavy cream, Grand Marnier, and orange extract make the most decadent, rich topping for Chocolate Bundt Cake.
Substitutions And Variations
Check out these simple recipe variations for Chocolate Bundt Cake:
- Omit the Alcohol: While the alcoholic content of this cake evaporates while baking, you can skip the Grand Marnier and replace it with unsweetened white grape juice.
- Use Bailey’s Irish Cream: Swap the Grand Marnier for Bailey’s Irish Cream and omit the orange extract like we do in this recipe for Bailey’s Irish Cream Cake.
- Vary the Toppings: The rich, silky ganache is more than enough to top this cake, but you can try piping some of this Stabilized Whipped Cream and drizzling some of this 4-Ingredient Salted Caramel Sauce on top.
- Transform into Cupcakes: Transform this Chocolate Bundt Cake into cupcakes. Check out our recipe for the World’s Best Chocolate Oatmeal Cupcakes for baking times and tips.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
- In a saucepan over low heat, whisk together the coffee, cognac, butter, and 1 cup of cocoa powder until melted.
- Remove from heat, and whisk in sugar until dissolved. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Once the chocolate mixture has cooled, add eggs and vanilla and orange extracts; whisk until combined. Fold in dry ingredients until barely incorporated.
- Pour batter into greased and cocoa powdered Bundt pan and bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes.
- Cool cake completely in the pan. Then, gently run a thin knife between cake and pan to turn cake onto a serving plate.
- For the ganache: Whisk heavy cream with cognac and orange extract in a saucepan over low heat just until hot. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate morsels until melted.
- Allow ganache to cool enough to a thick drizzle consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake. Enjoy!
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
How To Prep Ahead
Here’s our favorite tricks for making Chocolate Bundt Cake even easier:
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Feel free to mix and measure the dry ingredients (minus the sugar) several days in advance. Just store airtight at room temp!
- Make the Ganache in Advance: The ganache can be made up to 4 days in advance. Let the ganache cool completely before placing it in an airtight container in the fridge. Gently, reheat it over low heat until it reaches the desired texture.
- Bake the Cake in Advance: We like baking our actual Bundt cake at night. Then, we cover it and let it sit at room temperature to serve the next day. It actually tastes even better after it’s rested!
Commonly Asked Questions
How long does Chocolate Bundt Cake keep?
Chocolate Bundt Cake can be stored covered at room temperature for 1 day. After that, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It also freezes wonderfully. We like wrapping the individual slices and freezing for up to 2 months.
What is the difference between unsweetened cocoa power and Dutch processed cocoa powder?
Dutch cocoa powder is not as acidic as regular unsweetened cocoa powder. So, it won’t react with backing soda, which is why it’s important to reach for unsweetened in this recipe. Dutch cocoa also usually has a darker color and milder flavor than unsweetened cocoa powder.
Can children eat this cake?
Yes. The alcohol in the cognac evaporates as it bakes in the oven for a kid-friendly dessert. You can omit any alcohol on the drizzle. If you’re still concerned, you can replace it with white grape juice.
How do you get a super tender chocolate cake?
We use three strategies for the most tender chocolate cake ever. One, we use plenty of butter into this cake which leaves it ultra-moist and rich. Two, don’t over-mix the batter. Fold the wet and dry ingredients together gently just until barely combined. Three, make sure not to over-bake your Bundt cake. A toothpick should come out mostly clean, but with a few tender crumbs attached.
Can I substitute the heavy cream in the ganache for a lower-fat percentage milk?
In this case, we recommend sticking with heavy cream. The ganache relies on heavy cream for a wonderfully rich and thick drizzle.
Did you make this?
Please give us a rating and comment below. We love hearing from you!
Chocolate Bundt Cake
This Chocolate Bundt Cake is superior in moistness and tastes simply amazing. It's full of deep chocolatey flavor and infused with the orange essence of Grand Marnier.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, not Dutch processed, plus extra for pan dusting
- 1 ½ cups strong hot coffee, decaf is fine
- ½ cup Grand Marnier, see notes
- 1 cup salted butter, cut into 1'' pieces
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp table salt
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ tsp orange extract
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
For the Ganache
- 9 oz semi-sweet chocolate morsels
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 TB Grand Marnier, or other cognac
- 1 tsp orange extract
- Optional Garnishes: powdered sugar or unsweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350F with oven on lower middle position. Butter/grease Bundt pan generously, and dust with about 3 TB cocoa powder to coat, knocking out excess.
- In a heavy saucepan over low heat, whisk together the hot coffee, cognac, butter, and 1 cup cocoa powder until butter is melted. Remove from heat, add sugar, and whisk until dissolved. Transfer to a large bowl to cool for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Add the eggs, vanilla, and orange extracts into the chocolate mixture and whisk until well combined. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture jut until combined (don’t over mix.) Batter will be thin and bubbly.
- Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan. Bake 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few tender crumbs attached. Cool cake completely in the pan.
- Once completely cool, gently run a thin knife between cake and pan to loosen and turn cake out onto a serving plate. If you can cover the cake and let it sit at room temp overnight, it will taste better tomorrow!
For the Ganache
- In a heavy saucepan over low heat, whisk heavy cream with cognac and orange extract just until hot.
- Remove from heat and stir in chocolate morsels until melted. Allow ganache to cool enough to a thick drizzle consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake.
Notes
- You can substitute Grand Marnier with any other cognac, brandy, or orange based liquor.
- If you want to use a non-alcoholic substitute, use white grape juice with no sugar added.
- Be generous with greasing and sprinkling cocoa powder on your Bundt pan, and make sure the cake is cooled completely before turning it onto your serving tray.
- To spruce up this cake even more, pipe some of this Stabilized Whipped Cream on top.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 511kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 262mg | Potassium: 261mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 699IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 3mg
More To Bake And Eat
- Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake – This Easy Chocolate Cake uses just one-bowl for super easy clean up. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is heavenly!
- Flourless Chocolate Torte – Silky, rich, and smooth, this Flourless Chocolate Torte couldn’t be easier to make and is naturally gluten-free!
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake – We love baking this tender Pumpkin Bundt Cake with cream cheese filling in the crisp, fall months.
- Fresh Orange Bundt Cake – Vibrant Fresh Orange Bundt Cake is complete with orange zest and fresh orange juice – it’s amazing served with a scoop of ice cream!