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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4.91 from 86 votes (42 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    We were looking for a great cake for our small family Holiday party. My daughter loves to bake and she loved making this bundt cake. The flavors are just delicious and it was a big hit.

  2. 5 stars
    I love this chocolate bundt cake! It is so moist and rich. I’m saving this cake to make again as a Christmas dessert everyone will love it!

  3. 5 stars
    I’d never heard about this specific type of cake before but it looks so cute and delicious – have to try it asap!

    1. 5 stars
      Hi Emmeline,

      Nothing Bundt Cakes is a chain of shops in the US that sells cakes — “nothing but Bundt cakes.” They sell them in various flavors and sizes. They also sell small bibelot items, cards, etc.

  4. Please Please Please!! Wanting the Nothing Bundt Cakes recipe for RED VELVET!!! All of the ones I have made are fabulous! Even substituted blueberry filling for the raspberry filling in the white chocolate raspberry “bundt”. AMAZING

  5. 5 stars
    I LOVE this cake. It’s so pretty and SO delicious. Tastes JUST like the original from nothing bundt cakes – best part… I can make it for a fraction of the price. Thanks for this great recipe!

    1. I haven’t tried it that way before, so I’m not sure. Let me know how it turns out if you do try it!

  6. Will I get a bad result if I refrigerate this for a short time then ice it before my daughter gets home for her birthday??

    1. Nope! It should be fine in the fridge! You can even put it in the freezer – it thaws pretty quickly.

  7. Have you ever tried making this as a mini bunt cakes??? If so, what temperature and how long did you cook it for?

    1. I haven’t, but I would try lowering the temperature by 25 degrees and then bake for 20 minutes and check them every 5 minutes after that.

    1. If you leave it out the cake will come out very dry. You can substitute it with one cup of yogurt plus one teaspoon of baking powder!

  8. 5 stars
    This was DIVINE. Thank you so much for this recipe. It brightened spirits during a not so bright time in the world!

  9. 5 stars
    I’ve had the “real” cake from their store on multiple occasions, and this one was SPOT ON (and even better because it was much less expensive)! I ran out of sour cream (gasp) so I reached for fat free plain Greek yogurt….. I ended up using about 1/2 cup of each. I only had chocolate fudge instant pudding on hand so I used it. I also used dark chocolate chips (60% or 62%, I believe).

    For the icing, I cut the recipe in half and had MORE than enough icing….. probably could have iced 2 or 3 cakes with just half the icing recipe.

    My daughter and I ate this cake up in 3 days’ time! Hey, it had Greek yogurt and eggs in it, so I counted it as “breakfast food”! LOL! 😊

    We will definitely make this agin, and I’m considering substituting pumpkin purée for the oil. Has anyone tried this?

    Thank you for replicating these awesome recipes! Being in corona-quarantine is a perfect time to try out some new desserts with the family. 😊

    1. No, definitely use the instant pudding. The cooked pudding will cause the cake to have a heavier texture. Thanks for asking!

      1. 5 stars
        My sister made this cake while I was in town, and let me tell you that was the best cake I have ever ate or made myself, I am on my second piece now.😊

        1. I’ve never had a cake from Nothing Bunt Cakes, I love the idea of making on at home! Does it matter what size of bunt pan you use? My friend got me a heart shaped one, I think it’s 10, 10 1/2 cups.

    1. 5 stars
      Absolute best chocolate cake ever! I’ve made so many chocolate cakes, and truly this is the best. I never get chocolate cake at restaurants now, because after this one I am always disappointed. I have served this so many different ways…as written, as cupcakes, warm right out of the oven with no icing and ice cream, and most often as written, but with half the icing. You can’t lose with this recipe!

      1. Is refrigerating overnight a must? Thinking of making this in the morning and then frosting it several hours later for a birthday celebration in the afternoon/evening.

        1. Either way is okay! I find that the batter is more smooth when the ingredients are at room temperature, though!

          1. Hi, this cake turned out a bit dry any idea what might have caused it to dry? One thing i did differently is baked as a cake instead of a bundt cake. Any suggestion

    2. I’ve done it with a white cake mix and white chocolate pudding added whit chocolate chips and swirled with raspberry pie filling. Amazing!

    3. Love the Nothing bundt cakes..I am going to attempt to make one this Christmas.. Could I use a 6 cup bundt pan,then maybe put the leftovers in another pan.

      1. Yes, of course. Be sure not to overfill the bundt pan. The cake “grows” as it bakes. Don’t fill it over 2/3 full. Good luck!