Chef hubs has been calling this “Jenna’s best triple chocolate bundt cake”, so that’s the name I’m sticking with! It’s one of the easiest bundt cakes because it’s a doctored up chocolate cake mix recipe with chocolate pudding and sour cream. It is insanely delicious and very moist, and no one will ever know you took short cuts! Let’s get to baking one of the best homemade bundt cake recipes from “scratch”!
During the third trimester of my pregnancy, I went on a baking frenzy. On a quest to get my chocolate fix, I bought a pretty bundt cake pan and tried my hand at some of the very best easy chocolate bundt cake recipes I could find. The recipes had to be quick enough that I could make them before my feet hurt (thanks baby weight!) and moist enough that the big bundt cake could last a week and still taste delicious – down to the very last slice.
That’s when “Jenna’s best triple chocolate bundt cake” became a thing in my house. My husband, a well known chocolate dessert addict, was elated to taste test and support my quest.
Surprising ingredients in Jenna’s best triple chocolate bundt cake
This is a wonderful recipe for beginner home bakers because it begins with something familiar – a box chocolate cake mix – and incorporates additional ingredients that bring bold flavor and give the cake that homemade chocolate cake from scratch taste.
Two stand out ingredients you may not expect are the chocolate pudding and sour cream. The pudding adds additional chocolate flavor and the sour cream makes the cake obscenely moist.
Plus, there are tons of chocolate chips…
Jenna’s best triple chocolate bundt cake – step by step
First, prep the kitchen with equipment you need to make the chocolate bundt cake.
Grease a 10 inch bundt pan with butter or butter spray, then add a light dusting of flour.
Take out some large bowls for mixing the batter and frosting.
And get your hand mixer (or stand mixer) ready.
Combine all the cake ingredients (chocolate pudding, sour cream, eggs, water, vegetable oil) in a large bowl.
Using a hand mixer, combine for one minute on low until combined, then increase the speed to high and continue mixing for one additional minute.
Add in chocolate chips, stir the cake batter, and pour it into the greased and floured bundt pan.
Bake the triple chocolate bundt cake at Preheat oven to 350°F for 55 minutes.
Let the cake cool in the bundt pan for 15 minutes to completely set. To transfer the bundt cake to a serving platter or cake stand, turn the platter/stand upside down on the open side of the bundt pan, and invert the cake on the plate.
Allow the triple chocolate bundt cake to cool another 20-30 minutes before finishing with chocolate frosting.
How to make chocolate frosting for triple chocolate bundt cake
With a hand mixer, beat the butter, cocoa powder and powdered sugar in a deep bowl on low speed for two minutes, while periodically scraping the sides of the bowl to integrate all the ingredients.
Add the vanilla and cream to the chocolate frosting and beat on high for two additional minutes, while regularly scraping the sides of the bowl.
Using a spatula, frost the top, center and sides of the triple chocolate bundt cake.
Decorate the chocolate frosting with a handful of chocolate chips.
The best time to frost cake
This triple chocolate bundt cake with cake mix has layer upon layer of decadent chocolate flavors. The chocolate frosting can be made while the cake batter is cooking in the oven, but wait to frost the cake until it is completely cooled, about 30-60 minutes after baking. This will prevent the frosting from melting off the cake.
How to prevent cake from sticking to a bundt pan
Using parchment paper is a great idea when working with a flat sheet cake, but you can’t use parchment paper in a bundt pan. So to get a perfect chocolate bundt cake that releases from the pan, grease the bundt pan with butter or butter spray, then add a light dusting of flour.
How to make triple chocolate bundt cake without sour cream
The sour cream added to this chocolate bundt cake makes it extremely moist. If you’re looking for a sour cream replacement in cake, you can use yogurt instead. For each cup of sour cream a recipe calls for, substitute one cup plus one teaspoon yogurt.
How to freeze a bundt cake
My best chocolate bundt cake with cake mix can be made a month or two in advance. Bake the cake as instructed, and let it completely cool for an hour. Then wrap the “naked” (aka not frosted) cake tightly with plastic wrap and a layer of foil. To defrost the bundt cake, allow it to thaw at room temperature for 6-24 hours. Make the frosting up to a day before enjoying the defrosted bundt cake.
Tasty tips and notes for making triple chocolate bundt cake
- Let the chocolate bundt cake cool completely before frosting it. This will help the frosting stick and prevent it from melting off the cake.
- No sour cream? Make a triple chocolate bundt cake without sour cream by substituting one cup plus one teaspoon of yogurt.
- A simple handheld mixer is all you need to whip together the ingredients, but this recipe can also be made with a fancy stand mixer.
- Here’s the bundt pan I used to make this cake. I love how simple and pretty it is.
- Make and freeze the cake (without frosting) a month in advance by letting it cool completely, then wrapping it in plastic wrap and a layer of foil. Defrost the bundt cake at room temperature for 6-24 hours.
Love all things chocolate? Hear about Kelly Lupton, a life coach with an interesting food hobby. She turned a fudge making hobby into a holiday tradition everyone loves.
Let me know when you make Jenna’s best triple chocolate bundt cake. Be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe. It means so much to hear from Sip Bite Go readers and I love seeing photos of your food! Don’t forget to tag me @sipbitego on Instagram so I can see how the recipe turned out. And sign up for the Sip Bite Go newsletter.
Jenna’s Best Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe (Sip Bite Go)
Ingredients
Chocolate cake
- 1 15.25 ounce box chocolate cake mix
- 1 3.9 ounce box instant chocolate pudding
- 1 16 ounce sour cream
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Chocolate frosting
- ¼ cup butter room temperature
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
Chocolate cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10 inch bundt pan with butter or butter spray, then add a light dusting of flour.
- Combine all the cake ingredients (chocolate cake, pudding, sour cream, eggs, water, vegetable oil) in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, combine for one minute on low until combined, then increase the speed to high and continue mixing for one additional minute. Add in chocolate chips, stir the cake batter, and pour it into the greased and floured bundt pan.
- Bake the triple chocolate bundt cake for 55 minutes. Let the cake cool in the bundt pan for 15 minutes to completely set. To transfer the bundt cake to a serving platter or cake stand, turn the platter/stand upside down on the open side of the bundt pan, and invert the cake on the plate. Allow the triple chocolate bundt cake to cool another 20-30 minutes before finishing with chocolate frosting.
Chocolate frosting
- With a hand mixer, beat the butter, cocoa powder and powdered sugar in a deep bowl on low speed for two minutes, while periodically scraping the sides of the bowl to integrate all the ingredients.
- Add the vanilla and cream to the chocolate frosting and beat on high for two additional minutes, while regularly scraping the sides of the bowl.
- Using a spatula, frost the top, center and sides of the triple chocolate bundt cake. Decorate with a handful of chocolate chips.
Video
Notes
- Let the chocolate bundt cake cool completely before frosting it. This will help the frosting stick and prevent it from melting off the cake.
- No sour cream? Make a triple chocolate bundt cake without sour cream by substituting one cup plus one teaspoon of yogurt.
- A simple handheld mixer is all you need to whip together the ingredients, but this recipe can also be made with a fancy stand mixer.
- Here's the bundt pan I used to make this cake. I love how simple and pretty it is.
- Make and freeze the cake (without frosting) a month in advance by letting it cool completely, then wrapping it in plastic wrap and a layer of foil. Defrost the bundt cake at room temperature for 6-24 hours.
Louise says
Ooh, I’ve not made a Bundt cake for years! And this one looks amazing 🙂
Louise x
Lori Riddle says
You had me at triple chocolate! I’ve been craving something delicious and this is it!!!
KIM CROISANT says
I have an old bundt cake pan that I love to use. I prefer to make mine from scratch. Beginners will love your way – it sure looks good.
Em says
It looks rich and delicious! I never bake in a bundt pan but I should next time!
GiGi Eats says
Holy MOLY! WHOA! This looks insanely tasty! ABOVE AND BEYOND tasty in fact!! YUM!
Adrianne says
If there is anything better than a chocolate cake, it is a triple chocolate cake!! Yum, all that chocolate is making me hungry and I want to jump through the screen to try it. This is a fabulous cake!!
The Panicked Foodie says
Looks so good!!! I’ve actually never made a bundt cake before. I love all of the step-by-step instructions which makes it easier for the user to follow for their first time :). Definitely going to need to try this, as I love all things chocolate!
Sophie says
This is so sinfully indulgent. Will die for chocolate!
Jill says
This cake looks so incredibly moist! I like using sour cream in baked goods, but I’m glad to have the substitution information.
Andrea Metlika says
This is a chocolate lovers dream right here! Yummy!!!