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.
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Death By Chocolate Bundt Cake
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Box Devils Food Cake
- 1 3.9 oz. Box Instant Chocolate Pudding
- ½ Cup Water
- ½ 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.
Tanya
This is my go to recipe for death by chocolate bundt cake. Except I use a strong 1/2 cup of coffee instead of water. It really brings out the chocolate flavor! I also prefer a chocolate drizzle instead of a chocolate syrup topping.
Stephy
If you want to take it up a notch from the chocolate syrup, an easy ganache made from chocolate chips and heavy cream really elevates it. Plus, the poured ganache gives a base to pour a mix of different chocolate chips over top (I use a mix of dark and white).
Also, if you want to change it up, the recipe makes an even 2 dozen cupcakes.
Jessica
That sounds amazing! Thanks Stephy.
Krista Jones
I love this recipe and it has been my favorite for years until I made it and it sank. I tried again and it sank. Then I noticed that the cake mix I had been using (always duncan hines devils food) had gone down from 18 Oz to 15.25 Oz!! Ahah! I added 3 more Oz from another cake mix and it worked perfectly!
Another case of shrinkflation 😟
Sarah
Oh, I'm so glad you figured out the problem! It is such a good recipe. Thank you for your positive review! :)
Ang
I’m totally going to check my weights, thanks!! I haven’t made it in a while and I bet that’s going to be an issue. This is the one and only cake recipe I make - unmatched excellence 🙌
LG
I have made this cake several times it is a christmas tradition . I have used several different cake mixes and found that the best is dutch chocolate . I have also added nuts cherries, and other ingrediants to make a differant twist to make it better. Aiso i hvae found that if you bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour than let it cool for 25 minutes itcomes out of the pan perfect. I also use butter flavered cooking spray in the pan. I like to experiment with recipes and this one is very easy.LG
Jessica
It really is so adaptable! Thanks for your thoughts, glad you love it.
kazia ann forrest
This is the BEST cake recipe EVER. I am requested to make it every year for my oldest sons birthday. One year I must have been distracted when I made it and realized the batter seemed thicker than usual. My second realization came when I filled the bundt pan, baked and removed from the oven and noticed the cake didn't seem as tall as usual. Oh well, I did everything according to the recipe I always use and never a previous problem. I gave it to may son who was excited to receive it and he took it home. Later in the evening he called me to tell me how good it was but very thick and rich. He said it was great just different than the one i usually made. I could not understand why? I went to my recycling bin and pulled the box of devils cake mix out. Guess What!!! It wasn't a box of devils food cake but rather a box of triple chocolate brownie mix. No wonder it was dense and rich. The moral of the story seems to be ...this recipe is so good it works with just about any mix. Thank you for sharing it.
Jessica
Haha this made me laugh! Thank you so much for the sweet review, you totally made our night! It is our favorite cake recipe, too. Now I totally want to try it with brownies just to see, haha.
Genna
I’ve made this recipe before but instead of water, I use Kahlua….it’s so good!
Jessica
Sounds amazing!
Joyce
I have made this before and it is yummy, but lately it crumbles when cutting. Should I add less of what? Any suggestions appreciated. Also can bialys replace all the water.
Jessica
You may be overcooking just a tad, it definitely shouldn't be crumbly. Try pulling it out 5-10 minutes sooner next time and let cool in the pan before flipping.