Moist Chocolate Bundt Cake

This Moist Chocolate Bundt Cake recipe is a chocolate lover's dream!! The cake, which starts with a cake mix and pudding packet, is rich and perfectly dense with a thick layer of fudgy icing!

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Last year, I brought this Moist Chocolate Bundt Cake to a family Christmas party. I always hesitate to bring sweets to holiday stuff, simply because there's always SO much of it! However, I was in a bit of a pinch and needed something quick and easy, so I decided this cake would do the trick!

The cake turned out perfectly and because I was in a hurry, I decided to just dust it with powdered sugar instead of making the frosting. With the powdered sugar, it was really a wonderful, festive holiday look!

We cut into the cake and although it was a small family gathering, it was finished before we left! My father-in-law later said to me "Kelsey, if you ever bring that delicious cake around here again without ice cream, it's a sin." Haha....I got a good chuckle out of that. I'm always up for ice cream + chocolate cake, too!

While I'm on the subject of in-laws....
Fun fact: My parent's names are Kevin and Linda....turns out Zach's parents are also Kevin and Linda!! Both Linda's (and myself!) have the middle name "Kay." Both Kevin's graduated in the same year; both Linda's graduated the same year. And both couples had the same wedding dance song. Pretty wild, huh?? Ok, that was slightly random.....but anyway.....back to this cake!!!

What do I need to make a moist chocolate bundt cake?

Devils Food Cake Mix - I love that this recipe starts with a cake mix! It cuts down on the time it would take to measure flour, sugar, baking powder/soda, cocoa, etc. And although my Homemade Chocolate Layer Cake is my very favorite, chocolate cake mixes these days are pretty darn good!!

Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix - Ok, I'm not sure why it is, but instant pudding mix makes this cake SOOO delicious and moist. It intensifies the chocolate and gives it a richer flavor. Yes, please!

Sour Cream - Sour Cream in this cake helps balance the sweetness with a little tang and keeps the cake moist.

Eggs - There are four eggs in this cake, which helps the cake keep it's structure (no crumbliness!). The yolks also have some fat in them, which helps with the moistness of the cake.

Coffee - This one always makes people nervous! They think that just because they add coffee to the batter means the end product will taste like coffee....FALSE! I promise....just give it a try! Why coffee instead of water? Coffee helps elevate the chocolate flavor.

Vegetable Oil - Oil = Fat = Moistness and more flavor!

Chocolate Chips - For this recipe you'll need chocolate chips to mix in the cake batter, for the frosting and to garnish on top. You can really use any size chip, but I prefer regular size chips in the batter and in the frosting and mini chocolate chips for garnish.

Butter - This helps give the frosting a smooth texture and rich flavor.

Light Corn Syrup - Again, it's a texture thing. It adds a bit of sweetness, too, but is mostly there to help create a smooth texture.

Does this bundt cake need frosting?

Does it need frosting? No. Is it a beautiful and delicious addition to the cake? You bet!!

I love the look and flavor of the frosting. It's silky smooth and adds the perfect amount of chocolate. However, if you aren't one to love chocolate on chocolate on chocolate, you could certainly change or completely skip the frosting.

You could either change it out for a peanut butter frosting, vanilla glaze, mint glaze, etc. Or just skip it altogether and give the cake a good dusting of powdered sugar once it's cooled off. No matter which way you go, it'll be absolutely deeeeelish!

How do I know when my bundt cake is done?

The last thing you want to do with a cake is over-bake it. You've got a recipe that just naturally lends itself to being a super moist cake. However, with anything, if it's overcooked, the heat of the oven will just suck more and more moisture out of it.

We've all heard of the toothpick method, right? Basically, when you think the cake might be getting close to being done, you poke a wooden toothpick in the center of the cake and pull it right back out.

If the toothpick comes out gooey, that means the batter needs more time to cook. If the toothpick has some moist crumbs, but no "goo," it's time to remove it from the oven. Some people think it's not done until the toothpick comes out completely clean...but if that's the case, it might be overdone and dry.

You can also always use a thermometer. I use my thermometer almost daily - whether I'm cooking pork chops, bread, or cake, it always comes in handy! Eggs are cooked at 160F, so if the middle of the cake registers are 160, you can be assured that the cake is safe to consume.

How to make a this bundt cake

I love how easy this recipe is. It's like doctored up chocolate cake....so easy, yet so flavorful, chocolate-y and moist!!

It's time to bake!! Here's the recipe:

VIDEO of how to make Moist Chocolate Bundt Cake