Chocolate Bundt Cake

4.91 from 86 votes
277 Comments

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This Chocolate Bundt Cake recipe is rich, moist, and delicious! Our recipe tastes just like the cake you can get at the popular Nothing Bundt Cakes shop, but at a fraction of the price.

Spatula removing a slice of Chocolate Nothing Bundt Cake.
Featured with this recipe
  1. A Nothing Bundt Cake Chocolate Chocolate Chip Recipe
  2. Ingredients in Chocolate Bundt Cake
  3. Secret to a Moist Cake
  4. Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting
  5. Frequently Asked Questions
  6. Nothing Bundt Cake Copycat Recipes
  7. More Chocolate Cake Recipes
  8. How to Make Chocolate Bundt Cake
  9. Chocolate Bundt Cake (Nothing Bundt Cake Copycat Recipe) Recipe

This Chocolate Bundt Cake is rich, moist, easy to bake and fun to serve! Perfect for any birthday party, anniversary gathering, backyard picnic or Sunday dinner. Take some help from the store with a boxed cake mix and add a few simple ingredients to make it taste especially homemade and delicious. Top with our luscious cream cheese frosting for a show stopping centerpiece that everyone will love.

A Nothing Bundt Cake Chocolate Chocolate Chip Recipe

There are few things I love more than a Nothing Bundt Cake. If you have one nearby, you know what I’m taking about. They are dense and moist and delicious, but they are also a little pricey. You can make this bundt cake for much less than the cost of one at the store. And I guarantee you have most of these ingredients already in your fridge and pantry.

This chocolate bundt cake recipe tastes just like the real thing – plus you can steal a taste of the cake batter and eat as much frosting as you want. I won’t tell!

Ingredients in Chocolate Bundt Cake

Save tons of money by making this copycat recipe yourself. Here’s all you need for a perfectly rich and delicious chocolate bundt cake:

  • Devil’s Food cake mix – one box of your favorite brand. Make sure to use the devil’s food cake mix instead of regular chocolate cake mix.
  • Chocolate pudding mix – one 3.4 ounce box INSTANT pudding mix.
  • Sour cream – one cup of regular sour cream. You can also use plain greek yogurt if you like.
  • Eggs – four large whole eggs
  • Water – about half a cup
  • Vegetable oil – half cup
  • Mini chocolate chips – one and a half cups. Add more as a garnish on top of the frosting too!

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • Cream cheese – two packages of 8-ounce cream cheese, softened to room temperature.
  • Butter – one cube, or half a cup, also softened. Remove the butter and cream cheese from the refrigerator abut a half hour before making the icing.
  • Powdered sugar – 3 to 4 cups, depending on how thick you like your frosting.
  • Vanilla extract – a couple of teaspoons of pure vanilla extract add such a rich flavor to the cream cheese frosting.
Side view of a Chocolate Nothing Bundt Cake slice.


Secret to a Moist Cake

I have tried my hand at several bundt cakes and this truly is the best chocolate bundt cake recipe. What separates this cake from others that I’ve tried is how moist it is. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a cake as moist as this one.

The secret is adding instant pudding mix and sour cream to the mixture. And because you start with a devils food cake mix, it’s such an easy recipe to make. No worrying about the right amount of cocoa powder, baking soda, salt or all purpose flour. All of that is taken care of in the dry ingredients of the cake mix. All you have to do is whisk in the sour cream, water and oil in a large mixing bowl and you’re all set!

Don’t forget the chocolate chips, which adds an extra level of richness and chocolate flavor to the finished product. You could use milk chocolate or semi-sweet, whatever you have on hand.

Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting

You could top this chocolate cake with a simple glaze or a layer of ganache glaze, but if you want a true copycat recipe, you must try this rich cream cheese frosting. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to frost this cake like a pro! All you need is a Ziplock bag and some scissors. Put the frosting into the bag, cut a tiny hole in the bottom corner and get busy! Watch the video in the recipe card to see how it works.

Chocolate Nothing Bundt Cake with a pom pom on top.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are bundt cakes different?

The way the pan is designed, round with a hole in the middle, the cakes come out very thick and moist. Unlike other cake pans, which allow for more expansion during the baking process, this pan keeps the batter from expanding, resulting in a moist, thick cake.

Do bundt pans need to be greased?

Yes! For best results, use baking spray or use a pastry brush to brush vegetable oil all over the inside of the bundt pan. That way the cake comes out in tact. Use a toothpick to check to see if it comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack until ready to frost.

How long to keep cake in bundt pan before removing?

Use a toothpick to check to see if it comes out clean. If it is, you’ll know the cake is done. Once it’s done, remove from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, but preferably closer to 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack until you’re ready to frost.

READ NEXT: 35+ Valentine’s Day Dessert Ideas

Nothing Bundt Cake Copycat Recipes

More Chocolate Cake Recipes

If you love chocolate cake you are in the right place! Check out some of our favorite cake recipes that make the perfect dessert for any occasion.

How to Make Chocolate Bundt Cake

Spatula removing a slice of Chocolate Nothing Bundt Cake.

Chocolate Bundt Cake (Nothing Bundt Cake Copycat Recipe)

4.91 from 86 votes
This Chocolate Bundt Cake is rich, moist, and delicious! Our recipe tastes just like the cake you can get at the shop.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16

Video

Equipment

  • Bundt Cake Pan
  • Electric Mixer
  • Mixing Bowls

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

  • 1 (13.25-ounce) box devil's Food cake mix
  • 1 (3.4-ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 4 large eggs
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup oil
  • 1 ½ cups mini chocolate chips

Cream Cheese Frosting

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a standard Bundt cake pan. Set aside. Mix together cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, water, and oil. Stir in chocolate chips.
    Batter of Chocolate Nothing Bundt Cake in a mixing bowl.
  • Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes.
    Top view of Chocolate Nothing Bundt Cake batter in a Bundt pan.
  • Remove from oven. Let cool for 20 minutes.
    Baked Chocolate Nothing Bundt Cake in a bundt pan.
  • Remove the cake from the Bundt pan by placing a plate upside down over the Bundt pan. While holding the plate firmly on top, flip both over so the cake comes out onto the plate. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge overnight before frosting.
    Unfrosted Chocolate Nothing Bundt Cake on a cake plate.
  • In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the powdered sugar. Start with 2 cups, then keep adding more until it is nice and thick.
    Cream cheese frosting in a mixing bowl to frost the Chocolate Nothing Bundt Cake
  • Spoon the frosting into a resealable zip-top gallon bag. Clip one bottom corner of the bag.
    Piping bag with cream cheese frosting for the Chocolate Nothing Bundt Cake.
  •  Squeeze frosting out of the bag onto the cake in strips, as pictured.
    Side Close up view of a frosted Chocolate Nothing Bundt Cake with pom pom decoration.

Notes

*Prep time and cooking time does not include letting the cake refrigerate overnight.
For a true copycat recipe, frost with cream cheese frosting.
  • Place frosting in a Ziplock bag.
  • Cut a tiny hole in the bottom corner of the bag.
  • Frost cake in strips over the entire bundt cake.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 579kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 6gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 490mgPotassium: 182mgFiber: 1gSugar: 48gVitamin A: 745IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 112mgIron: 2mg

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.

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Comments

  1. I just made this cake and it is absolutly delish, the frosting is the best I’ve ever had. Thank you so much.

    Nancy

  2. This is THE BEST chocolate cake recipe EVER. I found it a couple of weeks ago, and I have already made it three times. I look for any excuse to make it now. Everyone raves about it and asks for the recipe, and they can’t believe it uses a mix. Neither can I. I made it in mini bundt pans first, and that did not turn out well. The texture was not right–too light and fluffy. It was way more dense and fudgy in a bigger bundt pan or a 9×13 pan, possibly because the batter doesn’t have as much to “grab on” to in the oven. Make this cake. So good. Oh, and I have since gone to Nothing Bundt Cakes to try their real chocolate version. I was hoping mine was at least comparable. In my opinion, this one was better.

  3. Does anyone know of a nothing bundt cake copycat that doesn’t have store bought cake mix and store bought pudding mix? No matter what I do to doctor up a cake mix I just cannot get over that store bought cake taste. I love everything homemade so much more. But I cant find a truly homemade version anywhere online anyone have any suggestions

  4. Nothing Bundt Cakes Red Velvet is one of the best I’ve ever had. I have not had luck replicating it myself. I love scratch recipes too. I could try to take a red velvet cake mix and supplement similar to this recipe, which would nice…. I would like to figure out in the world to do it from scratch. Anyone have tips on this. Making this chocolate one right now and am excited 🙂

  5. This cake is AMAZING! My friend ordered the Turtle Cake for her husbands birthday from Nothing Bundt Cakes and it was delicious as well. I believe the frosting was the same. Perhaps you could try your hand at this one too? 🙂 Thanks again for posting.

  6. Erica, thank you for sharing this recipe! My daughter wants the red velvet nothing bundt cake. Do you think I can just sub out the chocolate cake mix for red velvet? And what about the pudding, stick with chocolate or do a vanilla or something elxe?

  7. Have you perfected any other flavors? I am so thrilled I found your recipe. I am going to try it as I am looking for a good gift and this shop is not in our area. Please perfect the other flavors we need your recipes!! Especially red velvet!!

    1. I am currently working on the white chocolate raspberry one. I am REALLY close but not quite favfamilyrecipes worthy yet! I will post it as soon as I get it PERFECT!

  8. If you don't have a frosting tip big enough to do the "finger" look.. try putting the frosting in a Ziploc bag and cut the end where you would like. practice on an up-side down bowl a few times before doing it on the cake. Hope this helps! –Erica

  9. I'm so excited to try this–it's actually in the oven right now. I am nervous about the frosting. How did you make it look so… PERFECT? Do I need any special instructions?

  10. I live near a Nothing Bundt Cakes store, but I missed getting my hubby one for his birthday (today)! They were closed when I "dropped by" yesterday evening. So… I'm trying your recipe. It's in the oven!! I'm excited to serve it to him!

  11. Just the typical size (I think they are 8-9"), you can even use the little bundtlet pans if you want, just reduce the time and keep checking on them until they are done.

  12. This is amazing. I am new to your blog, so I took some time to browse through your earlier posts. I'm so glad I did that. I really like the food and recipes you share with your readers and I'll definitely be back. I hope you have a wonderful day. Blessings…Mary

  13. This cake was FABULOUS!
    Oh IF you are working on other flavors please keep us posted. I tried the White Chocolate Blueberry the other night, OMG it was a.m.a.z.i.n.g!
    Wonderful blog,
    Anne.

  14. There are usually 2 sizes. Use the smaller one, I am sure the larger one would be ok too though