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Double chocolate bundt cake makes the best chocolate bundt cake! Imagine a rich devil’s food chocolate cake colliding with a pan of fudgy crinkly top brownies, and you arrive at this decadent, deeply chocolate bundt cake.
Dressed up with a simple chocolate glaze (essentially chocolate ganache), this classic bundt cake makes the ultimate chocolate dessert, because double chocolate is always in style!
Perfect Chocolate Bundt Cake
Chocolate – This recipe uses a total of 8 ounces semisweet chocolate (2 ounces in the cake and 6 ounces in the glaze). Use high quality semisweet chocolate baking bars (like Ghirardelli) and finely chop the chocolate with a serrated knife.
Instant Espresso – Coffee and chocolate are a match made in heaven, and a touch of instant espresso in the batter brings out the chocolate flavor even further (if you’re not a coffee lover, feel free to omit the espresso).
Bundt Pan – Use a 10-cup bundt pan for this recipe. To prevent the cake from sticking, spray the pan generously with nonstick spray. Spoon the batter evenly into the pan and smooth with an offset spatula, then tap the pan sharply several times to reduce air bubbles.
Bake Time – Bake cake until the top springs back to the touch and a tester inserted in the center come out with a few crumbs attached, about 44 to 48 minutes.
Perfect Chocolate Glaze – Place chopped chocolate and a pinch of salt in a medium heat-proof bowl. Bring heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan, then pour over the chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute before stirring until smooth.
Glaze Cake – While the glaze is still warm, pour the glaze over the top of the cake in a fluid motion. Gently tap the cooling rack a few times to help the glaze drizzle down the sides of the cake.
How to Freeze
Let bundt cake cool completely on a wire rack. Once fully cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and then wrap again in foil or place the wrapped cake in a freezer bag and freeze up to 2 months.
The day before you plan to serve, let the cake thaw overnight in the refrigerator (still wrapped to prevent condensation), then bring to room temperature. Add the chocolate glaze just before serving.
More simple chocolate cake recipes you’ll love:
- Dark Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Caramel Fudge Layer Cake
- Chocolate Pound Cake
- Classic Chocolate Layer Cake
Did you try this Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating below!
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Double Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 46 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 11 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
The BEST double chocolate bundt cake! This decadent chocolate cake is dressed up with a simple chocolate glaze for a chocolate lover’s dream!
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups flour
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 10 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup low-fat buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 tsp instant espresso powder
- 1/3 cup boiling water
- 2 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
Glaze
- 6 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 10-cup bundt pan generously with nonstick spray.
- Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add eggs one at a time; add vanilla. Beat in flour mixture in three additions, alternating with buttermilk (begin and end with flour mixture), just until incorporated. Dissolve espresso powder in boiling water and mix in on low speed until combined. Fold in chopped chocolate.
- Spoon batter into prepared bundt pan and smooth with an offset spatula; tap pan sharply to reduce air bubbles. Bake for 44 to 48 minutes, until cake springs back to the touch, and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; carefully invert onto rack and cool completely.
- For the glaze, place chopped chocolate and salt in a medium heat-proof bowl. Bring heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan; pour over chocolate and let stand for 1 minute, then stir with a spatula until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth.
- Set rack with cake over a piece of wax paper and immediately pour glaze over cake; gently tap the cooling rack several times to help the glaze drizzle down the sides of the cake. Let set before serving.
Notes
Freezing Instructions: Once fully cool, wrap bundt cake in plastic wrap and a freezer bag and freeze up to 2 months. The day before serving, move the cake to the refrigerator (still wrapped to prevent condensation) and defrost overnight. Bring to room temperature, remove plastic wrap, and add glaze.
Great great recipe. Loved it. did not add expresso as I hate coffee, and used a water/sugar/chocolate glaze, but YUMMMM this is good.. add whipped cream in center and you are set to go. I made six mini bundts and four larger ones from this recipe.. Now I can freeze some and i’ve got treats for later!.
Thanks so much, Jane! Love the idea of mini bundt cakes. 🙂
Is there a way to make this without buttermilk?
Hi Neta, if you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own buttermilk substitute: Combine 1 cup room temperature milk with 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Let stand for 10 minutes, then use as directed. Happy baking!
if i wanted to make this recipe with a bundtlette pan (1 cup per bundtlette) how would i adjust the temp of oven and baking time? also this recipe looks so good and can’t wait to make!!
Hi Jenna, the baking temp will be the same (350°F). Baking time will vary a bit based on your bundlette pan. Depending on the size of the pan, this recipe will make 6 to 8 mini bundt cakes. Baking time will be approximately 24 to 26 minutes.
What kind of flour all purpose?
Yes, all-purpose flour. Happy baking!
If I wanted to freeze this cake, should I not add the ganache? And would this cake still taste good in general if I never added the ganache?
This cake freezes well without the ganache (once completely cool, wrap well in foil and then transfer to a freezer bag). Let the cake thaw completely (still wrapped to prevent condensation) and add the ganache before serving.
Can you please tell me what kind of flour to use… cake flour or all-purpose flour?
Hi Kimberly, I used all-purpose flour. Happy baking!
Ok I just made this yesterday, and it is definitely the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had! Oh my gosh, it is moist and decadent without being overly sweet. I paired it with homemade vanilla ice cream. I can’t describe how amazing this is.
Hi Will, thanks so much for your feedback! And your homemade ice cream sounds fantastic! 🙂
Ok, so I’ve made this cake at least three times, and I’m making it again today. But I’ve noticed that it’s really moist and delicious the first day, but it seems to dry out very quickly. By the second day it’s kind of dry, and if there’s any leftover a third day, it’s really dry. Is there anything that can help it retain that first day moistness?
Hi Will! I confess that we’ve never had leftovers beyond a day with this cake so I haven’t experienced that personally. You could try adding an extra egg yolk to the batter – that’s one trick that tends to help add a bit more moisture. You could also use full fat buttermilk, and be sure that you don’t over-bake the cake. If your oven tends to run hot, then start testing for doneness at 40 minutes.
Thanks. I’ll try the extra yolk next time. Also, I wonder if it’s a buttermilk issue. I don’t ever have buttermilk on hand, so I end up adding lemon juice to whole milk as a substitute. Hmmm. Need to do some experimenting. Today’s bake turned out great, as always. I made extra chocolate glaze so I wouldn’t have to worry about any dryness tomorrow. 🙂
This looks sooooo good!! Can’t wait to make it. I have the same heritage pan – unfortunately mine just doesn’t seem to like me 😭 do you just use a non stick spray? I was told not to use it on this pan. Please tell me how to grease it so that I can hear the wonderful “plonk” when I lift the pan off this yumm cake! Thanks so much !
Hi Sara! I use nonstick spray and I typically spray the pan just before adding the batter. Tap the pan sharply (I usually tap 8-10 times!) to reduce air bubbles, then bake as directed. Hope that helps! 🙂
Question: if we are omitting the espresso, do we also omit the boiling water?
Baking this for our wedding anniversary right now! Can’t wait to taste!
Hi Kristi! No, don’t omit the boiling water – it helps the cocoa “bloom” for a richer, deeper chocolate flavor. Happy baking!
Thanks, I did include it! Husband loved it! Thank you!!!
What would happen if I used full fat buttermilk? The recipe looks delicious by the way!
You can use full fat buttermilk. Happy baking! 🙂