Calling all chocolate lovers, this death by chocolate cake is for you! The best chocolate bundt cake of all time, I can promise you it won’t disappoint!
The blog wouldn’t be complete without an amazing death by chocolate cake recipe, would it? I have been a chocolate lover for as long as I can remember, and I can tell you exactly where that love came from… my Dad! As far as he is concerned, there is no other cake flavor.
Death By Chocolate Cake
I grew up eating this cake on my Dad’s birthday and other special occasions and it is the most moist and decadent little slice of heaven you will ever partake of. Be warned, this cake is not for the faint of heart (hence the name)! Real chocolate lovers only, please. Also, I should mention that there has never been an easier cake to throw together in the history of the universe! Amen.
If you are a fellow choc-a-holic then you also need to add our easy homemade brownies and our double chocolate chip cookies to your list! Or you can find all our yummy dessert recipes here.
Chocolate Bundt Cake
The truth about this cake is it is a bakery quality masterpiece for a tenth of the price. It is beautiful, flavorful, moist, and feeds a crowd. Simply put, you need this recipe in your cake arsenal.
If you prefer cream cheese frosting to the chocolate sauce drizzle, GO FOR IT. Our family sincerely loves it both ways and we like to switch things up!
Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe
Here are the super simple steps to making your own death by chocolate cake!
Top Left – Add all ingredients except chocolate chips into a bowl and stir until their are no dry clumps.
Top Right – Add in chocolate chips and stir until just combined.
Bottom Left – Properly grease your bundt pan using shortening and flour and add in your batter.
Bottom Right – Bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Let cake cool on wire rack for 20 minutes before flipping.
Now before we get to the printable recipe card and a video tutorial, I want to quickly answer a few frequently asked questions!
What does sour cream do for a cake?
If you have never baked a cake with sour cream before, you have officially struck the gold mine in this post! You will never go back. It will make your cake moist and delicious, all without thinning your cake batter! It also helps control browning, and activates baking soda.
What is the difference between bundt cake and regular cake?
A bundt cake’s unique shape can make a beautiful statement on any table. However, because of that shape, more of the cakes surface is exposed to heat when baking. Good bundt cakes will always be super moist in order to combat this. Also, it is crucial to properly grease your bundt pan to avoid burning your cake or leaving chunks in the pan when you go to remove your cake.
Should you let your bundt cake cool before flipping it?
Yes. After removing from the oven place your pan on a wire rack to cool. For this recipe, allow cake to cool 20 minutes before flipping. This gives the cake time to firm up so you can flip it without leaving pieces behind. I like to flip my cake directly onto a cake stand or cake carrier.
Can you freeze a chocolate bundt cake?
Yes! I freeze this cake before adding garnishes. Allow cake to cool and then wrap with saran wrap or store in freezer safe container. Saves in freezer for up to six weeks. Move cake to fridge to thaw overnight. Once ready to serve, garnish with chocolate sauce and powdered sugar.
Can I use cream cheese frosting instead of chocolate sauce?
Absolutely! Piping cream cheese down the sides of a bundt cake is so pretty and also tastes delicious! Here is a good recipe for cream cheese frosting.
If you make this recipe and like it we’d love for you to leave a positive comment and review! They mean so much to us.
Death By Chocolate Bundt Cake
Video
Equipment
- bundt pan
Ingredients
- 1 Box Devils Food Cake
- 1 3.9 oz. Box Instant Chocolate Pudding
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1/2 Cup Oil
- 4 Eggs
- 1 Cup Sour Cream
- 1 12 oz Bag Chocolate Chips
- Chocolate Syrup To Garnish
- Powdered Sugar To Garnish
- Shortening & Flour To Grease Pan
Instructions
- Combine cake mix, pudding mix, water, oil, eggs and sour cream. Whisk until well combined and there are no dry clumps. Add in your chocolate chips and mix until just combined.
- Grease your bundt pan well. I prefer to do this by coating with a very thin layer of shortening and then dusting with flour. Properly greasing your pan is critical to easily removing your cake from the pan, as well as not burning the outer edge of your cake, don't skip this step!
- Pour your cake batter into greased bunt pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes. When cake is done, a toothpick or fork will come out mostly clean.
- Leave in pan until completely cooled. After plating cake, drizzle with chocolate syrup and a dash of powdered sugar to garnish!
Notes
Should you let your bundt cake cool before flipping it?
Yes. After removing from the oven place your pan on a wire rack to cool. For this recipe, allow cake to cool 20 minutes before flipping. This gives the cake time to firm up so you can flip it without leaving pieces behind. I like to flip my cake directly onto a cake stand or cake carrier.Can you freeze a chocolate bundt cake?
Yes! I freeze this cake before adding garnishes. Allow cake to cool and then wrap with saran wrap or store in freezer safe container. Saves in freezer for up to six weeks. Move cake to fridge to thaw overnight. Once ready to serve, garnish with chocolate sauce and powdered sugar.Can I use cream cheese frosting instead of chocolate sauce?
Absolutely! Piping cream cheese down the sides of a bundt cake is so pretty and also tastes delicious! Here is a good recipe for cream cheese frosting.Nutrition
Chocoholics unite!
This post was originally published March 3, 2014 and has been updated with new photography, a video, and more detailed information.
All my chocolate lovers want this cake for their birthday. I serve with a dollop of cherry pie filling at the side. Makes a nice presentation and everyone comments about how the two go so well together. This is a great recipe that is easy to prepare and always comes out wonderfully.
What a great idea Roger! Thanks for sharing, we are so glad you love the recipe!
Oh my goodness this is absolutely perfect a chocolate lovers cake for sure
I’ve done this multiple times and it is always a major hit with everyone! Now I want to try it with mini Bundt Cakes. How long should I bake it?
Yay Danielle we are so glad to hear you love the recipe! Mini bundt cakes should be between 20-25 minutes, or until the middle is springy when you touch it. Good luck!
This chocolate cake is FABULOUS! I made it for a group gathering celebrating 3 birthdays. Everyone LOVED it. One of the guests said “my birthday is in December. I want this for my birthday cake”. For all chocolate lovers. 🎂
Right!? Our family is obsessed too! It’s dangerous how good it is!
Do you use semi sweet chocolate chips for this recipe?
Yes!
Not only is this cake delicious, it’s easy! I made it for Easter, and my family thought I spent a lot of time on it, they loved it so much. Definitely a cake to keep for those days when you just need chocolate! (For me, that’s every day.)
I literally couldn’t stop dreaming about this cake after eating it! It was to die for! Thank you!
Oh my gosh you just made our day! Thanks so much friend.
I don’t usually like chocolate cake. But this is a different story.
Yay! That makes me so happy!
Amazing. So worth making!
I love chocolate cake and i love bundt cakes- the combination here is to die for!
How would you switch this into cupcakes?
Could I do 1/4 coffee and 1/4 kalua in place of the water?
I’m sure you could and that would be yummy! I’ve never tried it though so let me know how it goes if you do!
I have and it’s yummy. So is Bailey’s
Yum! And double Yum!
I made it even more chocolatety!
I added a 1/2 cup of chocolate jimmies to the batter and I made it into 2 layers. When cooled I then frosted it with a white chocolate frosting. I then covered the entire sides with mini chocolate chips. Then on the top of the cake I place Hersey milk chocolate kisses alternating with their kisses of white chocolate hugs.
I love this recipe, my only suggestion is to use coffee in place of water…
I have been making this cake for years and family often requests it, but with one difference. Instead of 1 cup of water, reduce to half cup and add half cup of Kahlua.Even a quarter cup will do. You won’t believe the difference in the flavor.
Mmm, I’m going save this recipe for the next birthday (that way I don’t eat it all to myself!)
Haha I know! I had to invite ppl over for dinner to share it with us for that very reason! It was a fun excuse to get together though
Oooo this looks to die for! I’ll definitely be trying this one out very soon!
Glad this cake is not at my house because I just re-dedicated myself to getting back on track with my eating… LOOKS AMAZING!!!
Haha me too! Thank goodness a tiny slice is all you need to be satisfied with this one! Thanks Amber
oh my goodness this looks so amazing! Im a huge chocolate lover, but my husband might realize I made the cake for myself if I make it for his birthday next week! ;)
Haha aw shoot! I’m sure you can invent a reason to make it soon!
I’ve used this same recipe before and loved it! Thanks for the reminder of how awesome it is–it’s been too long since I’ve made it. I love how pretty and impressive it looks in a bundt pan. No one can tell how little work it took!
I know! That is the best part, only one dirty bowl and it looks gourmet!! Thanks for the comment love