Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is the chocolate cake I come back to time and again. Here’s why it’s a favorite:
- Delicious with or without the ganache drizzle (but why not go all out?)
- Incredibly moist, rich, and chocolatey
- Comes together fast thanks to a cake mix
- Foolproof for beginner and experienced bakers alike
- Crowd-pleasing and always earns rave reviews
- Fancy enough for special occasions but easy enough for weeknights
After you preview the recipe card, be sure to look below for ingredient substitutions, recipe and storage tips, and suggestions for pairings and tasty variations!
Ultimate Chocolate Fudge Bundt Cake
This amazing chocolate cake starts with a cake mix and couldn’t be easier or more decadent.
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Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 308kcal
Ingredients
- 1 chocolate cake mix
- 1 3.4 oz. package instant chocolate pudding mix
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Chocolate ganache for frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat 1 chocolate cake mix, 1 3.4 oz. package instant chocolate pudding mix, 1 cup sour cream, 3 eggs, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, and 1/2 cup water until well blended. Fold in 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Spoon batter (it will be thick) into prepared pan.
- Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour.
- Cool for 15 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, drizzle cake with Chocolate ganache, if desired.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 85mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g
Keep scrolling for tips, ingredient substitutions, answers to frequently asked questions and more!
Recipe Tips
Here’s how to make sure your cake turns out perfectly every time:
- Grease Well: I swear by Baker’s Joy spray for bundt pans. If you’re greasing by hand, make sure to coat every nook and cranny, then dust lightly with flour.
- Thick Batter: The batter will be thick—don’t worry! Spoon it into your pan and smooth it out a bit.
- Cool Before Turning Out: Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before flipping it onto a rack.
- Ganache Drizzle: If you’re using ganache, wait until the cake has cooled completely. Need a ganache recipe? Try this Chocolate Ganache—it works beautifully here!
Storing & Serving Suggestions
- Store: Keep leftovers tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: This cake freezes really well! Wrap slices individually and thaw at room temperature.
- Serve With: A dollop of whipped cream, fresh raspberries, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream makes it extra special.
Fun Variations to Try
Want to mix things up? Here are a few ways to make this cake your own:
- Peanut Butter Swirl: Drop spoonfuls of peanut butter into the batter before baking and swirl with a knife.
- Mocha Fudge: Replace some of the water with cooled brewed coffee for a deeper chocolate flavor.
- Mint Chocolate: Add a teaspoon of mint extract and use mint chocolate chips.
- Caramel Drizzle: Skip the ganache and drizzle with Homemade Caramel Sauce instead!
144 comments
Georgette Hillenbrand
I read with interest the comments of how “I changed this, or I added that…”.
Well I made it exactly as stated, and I didn’t worry about the size of the box of cake mix. I didn’t frost it because I had to get it somewhere in a hurry.
The cake was taken by my adult daughter to her place of employment. It lasted all of twenty minutes. The praise for this cake was 100% positive.
Today I made the recipe into cupcakes to take to church tomorrow.
Thank you for this recipe. It is now the only chocolate cake I will ever make.
Danelle
Thank you SO much!!!
Charlane
OMG! The BEST chocolate cake ever! My husband wanted a “chocolate” chocolate cake for his birthday – like one we’ve had from a high end bakery or a 5 star restaurant. I found this recipe with a Pinterest search, and the ingredients list made it sound decadent – perfect! Cake mix sizes have changed a bit since the recipe was created – they no longer make 18.25 oz – and I had to buy a 15.25 oz mix….I looked for advice on the internet for help and was advised to add 5 Tablespoons of flour and 1/4 tsp baking powder (I didn’t see in the Comments until later that you could use the new smaller mixes with no alterations), and the cake was rose nicely and tasted great! Moist, dense but not too heavy, chocolate chips remained dispersed in the batter, and very chocolatey, but not too much so (is there even such a thing as too much chocolate?!). I even used the Chocolate Fudge Sauce recipe recommended, but I did alter that to sweeten (I doubled the corn syrup) as it was a definite bitter chocolate flavor. I saw in another comment that someone heated up jarred fudge topping – I bet that would be good, too! I’ve now gotten rid of all my other chocolate cake recipes as none of them beat this one! Thank you for sharing!
Danelle
Thank you SO much!!!
May
Hello, what can i use instead of the chocolate chips if i want to make this a white cake? Do you think white chocolate chips would work? Do you suggest something else instead?
Thank you
Danelle
I’ve never tried making it as a white cake. I think white chips would work, but honestly, I think I would just leave them out.