Chocolate Bundt Cake with Chocolate Chips (Ultra Moist & Easy)

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This Chocolate Bundt Cake is rich, deeply chocolatey, and incredibly moist — and it starts with a cake mix. One bite in, you’d never guess this cake isn’t completely homemade. It’s the kind of easy, no-fuss chocolate cake that still feels special enough for birthdays, holidays, or anytime you want a dependable dessert without dealing with layers.

At our house, we call this Daddy’s Cake. After years of testing different recipes, this was the one my dad declared “perfect” — and I’ve been making it the same way for decades. It’s a little different from most doctored cake-mix recipes, with a richer chocolate flavor and a tender crumb that stays moist for days.

This recipe starts with a pudding-free chocolate cake mix, then layers in bittersweet chocolate chips and finishes with a glossy chocolate ganache. If you’re looking for a chocolate cake that’s simple, reliable, and always gets rave reviews, this is the one to bookmark.

If you’re looking for a traditional layered birthday cake, you’ll also love our Hershey’s Chocolate Cake. But when you want something easier that still feels elegant, this chocolate Bundt cake is the way to go.

✨ Before You Begin

✨ Use a pudding-free cake mix. This recipe is designed for standard chocolate or devil’s food cake mixes without added pudding. Pudding mixes change the texture and don’t work as well here.
✨ Prep the pan thoroughly. Bundt cakes need generous greasing to release cleanly — don’t rush this step.
✨ Don’t overbake. This cake finishes setting as it cools, so slightly underdone is better than dry

Chocolate Bundt Cake Ingredients + Key Notes

• Chocolate cake mix (no pudding) – Duncan Hines is my go-to. Devil’s food, chocolate, or dark chocolate all work as long as there’s no pudding in the mix.
• Eggs, oil, and water – Use the amounts listed on the cake mix box unless otherwise noted in your recipe card.
• Bittersweet chocolate chips (60% cacao) – These deepen the chocolate flavor and balance the sweetness. Semisweet works if that’s what you have.
• Mini chocolate chips (optional) – Mini chips distribute more evenly and help the cake slice cleaner.
• Chocolate ganache – A simple ganache takes this cake from everyday to special without extra effort.

🥣 How to Make Chocolate Bundt Cake

Prepare your Bundt pan generously with nonstick spray, making sure to coat all the grooves. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix with the eggs, oil, and water according to the package directions, then mix until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips, reserving a small handful if you like a little garnish on top.

Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until the edges begin to pull away from the pan and the center no longer looks wet. A cake tester inserted in the center should come out with a small amount of moist batter — not crumbs. Let the cake cool in the pan before turning it out onto a serving plate.

Once cooled, drizzle with warm chocolate ganache and let it set before slicing.

⭐ Pro Tips

⭐ How to tell when it’s done: This cake is different from most — don’t wait for crumbs on the tester. Look for set edges, a matte (not shiny) center, and just a bit of moist batter on the tester.

⭐ Bundt pan release: Grease every curve and ridge. If your pan is especially detailed, brushing with melted shortening works even better than spray.

⭐ Mini vs regular chips: Mini chips give cleaner slices and more even distribution, while regular chips melt into bigger pockets of chocolate.

⭐ Let it cool before flipping: Give the cake time to set up. It will deflate slightly as it cools — that’s normal and expected.

◆ Frequently Asked Questions

◆ Can I use a different brand of cake mix?

Yes, as long as it’s a standard chocolate or devil’s food cake mix without pudding. Avoid mixes labeled “moist” or “pudding in the mix.”

◆ Why doesn’t this recipe use a pudding mix?

Pudding mixes change the texture and make the cake too dense. This recipe relies on chocolate chips and ganache for richness instead.

◆ How do I know I didn’t overbake it?

If the cake is dry or crumbly, it baked too long. Pull it when the tester has moist batter, not crumbs — it firms up as it cools.

◆ Can I freeze Chocolate Bundt Cake?

Yes. Wrap the cooled, unfrosted cake tightly and freeze for up to two months. Thaw overnight and add ganache before serving.

◆ How do I keep chocolate chips from sinking in a Bundt cake?

Tossing the chocolate chips with a little flour before folding them into the batter can help keep them from sinking. A thicker batter also helps suspend them more evenly throughout the cake.

◆ Can I use mini chocolate chips in this cake?

Yes. Mini chocolate chips distribute more evenly through the batter, so you get chocolate in every bite. Regular chocolate chips work too, but they tend to sink more easily.

Still have questions? Drop them in the comments — I love helping you bake + cook with confidence! 💗

More Chocolate Cake Recipes You’ll Love

• Texas Sheet Cake — A crowd-friendly, one-pan chocolate cake with that iconic thin frosting poured over warm cake.
• Coca-Cola Cake — Old-fashioned Southern chocolate cake with deep cocoa flavor and a super tender crumb.
• Chocolate Pound Cake — Rich, dense, and sliceable — perfect with coffee or a scoop of ice cream.
• Chocolate Poke Cake — Ultra-moist and easy, with pudding-soaked bites that are always a party hit.
• Chocolate Zucchini Cake — Moist, chocolatey, and surprisingly wholesome — a great way to use up summer zucchini.
• Butterfinger Cake — A fun, potluck-style chocolate cake with candy bar crunch and big kid-appeal.
• Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake — Warm, gooey, and ridiculously easy — the ultimate chocolate + fruit comfort dessert.

💗Tried This Recipe?

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Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today — happy cooking, friends! 💗 Kathleen

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Chocolate Bundt Cake

This easy Chocolate Bundt Cake starts with a cake mix but tastes completely homemade. Rich, moist, and finished with chocolate ganache — a no-fuss dessert everyone loves.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time30 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

Author: Kathleen

Ingredients

Cake:

• ▢ 1 (18.5-ounce) box Chocolate or Devil's food Cake Mix - without Pudding (I use Duncan Hines)
• ▢ 1/3 cup sugar
• ▢ 8 ounces sour cream
• ▢ 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips

Ganache Icing:

• ▢ 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips at room temperature
• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• ▢ 1/2 cup heavy cream

Garnish

• ▢ 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips at room temperature

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Generously spray a 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a large mixing bowl, add cake mix (1 box), sugar (1/3 cup), sour cream (8 ounces), and oil (2/3 cup), and mix on low speed for 1 minute.
• Add the eggs (3), one at a time, blending well after each addition.
• Increase mixer speed to medium and beat for 4 minutes.
• Add vanilla (1 teaspoon) and chocolate chips (6 ounces), and mix on low speed until the chips are evenly distributed.
• Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven 60-65 minutes or until a tester inserted into the middle of cake comes out clean.
• Allow cake to cool in pan then invert onto a cake plate.
• When cake is cooled, make ganache.
• In a glass bowl, combine the chocolate (6 ounces) and butter (2 tablespoons).
• In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream (1/2 cup) to a boil. While cream is heating, microwave chocolate and butter for 30 seconds at 100% power. Immediately pour the cream over the chocolate and butter. Whisk until the mixture melts and becomes smooth.
• Pour the ganache over the top of the cake. Allow the ganache to set for about 20 minutes, garnish then cut the cake and serve.

Fans Also Made:

• 
  Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
• 
  Chocolate Poke Cake (Death by Chocolate Cake Recipe)
• 
  Cookies And Cream Cheesecake
• 
  Sour Cream Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and a Chocolate Peanut Butter Glaze

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Notes

1. How to tell when it’s done: This cake is different from most — don’t wait for crumbs on the tester. Look for set edges, a matte (not shiny) center, and just a bit of moist batter on the tester.
2. Bundt pan release: Grease every curve and ridge. If your pan is especially detailed, brushing with melted shortening works even better than spray.
3. Mini vs regular chips: Mini chips give cleaner slices and more even distribution, while regular chips melt into bigger pockets of chocolate.
4. Let it cool before flipping: Give the cake time to set up. It will deflate slightly as it cools — that’s normal and expected.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/12 of the recipe | Calories: 645kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 421mg | Potassium: 459mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 387IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 225mg | Iron: 3mg

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