With a little bit of help from a boxed mix, vanilla pudding, sour cream, and chocolate chips, this easy chocolate chip Bundt cake recipe is ready for the oven in about 10 minutes! It's a moist, rich, and decadent dessert that will impress your guests and will satisfy every craving. Dust the cake with powdered sugar, drizzle with ganache, or top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for the perfect finishing touch!
Easy Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
Every home cook needs a delicious go-to cake recipe -- better yet if it's quick and easy! When I recently baked my mom's double chocolate chip bundt cake recipe, I realized that a couple of tweaks could make a different -- but equally delicious -- dessert. The end result is a simple treat that tastes like the perfect cross between a chocolate chip cookie and a pound cake (but not as dense)!
The decadent cake is moist and rich (thanks to sour cream and pudding in the batter), tastes a lot like a yellow birthday cake, has a nice outer crust like a pound cake, and a light and tender crumb. It's basically the best of both a chocolate chip cookie and a yellow cake, since the Bundt pan gives the exterior a nice crispy texture (like the edges of a cookie), while the inside of the cake stays moist, fluffy, and soft.
Since the vanilla cake is studded with chocolate chips, you also gets pockets of melty, gooey chocolate in every bite! What more could we possibly ask for?!
What is special about a Bundt cake?
The Bundt cake pan was invented by H. David Dalquist, the owner of Minnesota's Nordic Ware company, in 1950. The unique ring-shaped pan allows more of the cake to be in contact with the edges of the pan, and therefore the heat is transferred more evenly. This allows the inside of the cake to cook through without burning the outside, creating a crisp, golden brown crust on each slice.
What's the difference between a cake and a Bundt cake?
Unlike more traditional sheet cakes or layer cakes that are baked in shallow pans, a Bundt pan has decorative sides and tops that range from ridges to fruit, or other still life scenes. It is typically used for pound cake, coffee cake, and other dense, moist cakes like this old-fashioned chocolate chip Bundt cake using cake mix. Since more of the cake's surface is exposed to high heat in a Bundt pan, you achieve a nice brown crust on the outside of the cake, while keeping the inside perfectly moist.
Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you'll need to make a super moist chocolate chip Bundt cake. As always, the specific measurements and the complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Yellow cake mix: I like the super moist Duncan Hines yellow cake mix, but any similar variety (such as Betty Crocker or Pillsbury brands) will work. You can even substitute with a white cake mix.
- Sour cream: use full-fat sour cream for the best flavor and texture.
- Instant vanilla pudding mix: just the small 4-serving (3.4 ounce) box of dry mix -- not prepared into actual pudding.
- Water: the liquid that thins the cake batter.
- Vegetable oil: keeps the cake super-moist. I use vegetable oil, but any neutral oil (such as canola oil) will work.
- Large eggs: give the cake structure.
- Chocolate chips: I like the miniature semi-sweet chocolate morsels because they're less "chunky" in the batter, making the cake easier to cleanly slice. They also disperse more throughout the batter so that you have rich chocolate chips in every bite, and they don't sink to the bottom of the cake. You can substitute with regular chocolate chips if you prefer.
- Powdered sugar: for dusting the top of the cake. Skip the powdered sugar if you like, or substitute with a simple vanilla glaze or a chocolate ganache.
What does sour cream do to a cake?
The sour cream is an important ingredient, thanks to its high fat content and its acidity. The sour cream adds moisture without thinning the batter, adds fat for creaminess, helps to control the browning, and activates the leavening agents.
Why add pudding to cake mix?
The gelatin component in the instant pudding mix makes the cake super moist. It's the secret ingredient to make your cake more fluffy, too! When baking a cake in a Bundt pan, a very moist batter is necessary so that the cake doesn't dry out. Don't omit the pudding, which is a key ingredient.
Can you use any cake mix in a Bundt pan?
Yes, you can use any flavor and any 15.25 ounce brand cake mix in a Bundt pan, but you can't follow the directions on the package. Instead, follow this recipe formula (with the sour cream, pudding mix, eggs, oil, and water). Feel free to substitute with white cake mix, chocolate cake mix (or Devil's Food), or just about any other flavor that you like. Lemon bundt cake is another popular choice -- without the chocolate chips!
Can you use regular icing for Bundt?
It's difficult to spread regular cake frosting on a Bundt cake with a traditional offset spatula, thanks to the characteristic curves in a Bundt pan. Instead, try using the regular icing by piping it onto the top and sides of a Bundt cake with a piping bag.
How to Make a Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
A moist, fluffy, sour cream chocolate chip bundt cake is perfect for just about any occasion! Serve it for a birthday party, bring it to a potluck picnic, or share it with a friend in need. You'll love the ease of the cake mix -- and just 10 minutes of prep!
- Mix together the batter ingredients in a large bowl on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Transfer the batter to a greased and floured Bundt pan. Tap on the counter a couple of times to release any air bubbles.
- Bake in a 350°F oven for about 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, and then turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar.
Do cakes bake faster in a Bundt pan?
No, in fact, Bundt cakes require a longer baking time than most other cakes. This is because Bundt cake batters are so dense and the pans are so large. You'll need about 50-60 minutes to bake this particular cake in a 350°F oven.
How to Decorate a Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
This rich cake really doesn't need much in the way of decorations (yet another reason I love it so much)! A simple dusting of powdered sugar looks elegant and adds just the right finishing touch. If you prefer a sweeter, more decadent finish, try glazing the cake with a vanilla glaze or a chocolate ganache glaze.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the cake on its own, or top each slice with freshly whipped cream, fresh berries, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. A sprig of fresh mint would be a nice touch, too!
Storage
Covered loosely, this cake will keep at room temperature for about 2-3 days. To extend the life of your cake, store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Can Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze this cake! I often cut the large Bundt cake in half so that we can enjoy part of it now and save the other half for later. Allow the cake to cool completely, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, wrap again with aluminum foil, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Recipe Variations
- Loaf Cakes: If you don't have a Bundt pan, you can bake this cake in two loaf pans. The cooking time will be about the same or slightly shorter, typically 45-50 minutes in a 350°F oven.
- If you don't have a box of yellow cake mix, use white cake mix, or try a double chocolate chip cake by using chocolate cake mix and chocolate pudding mix.
- Use regular chocolate chips (milk chocolate, dark chocolate, semi-sweet, or white chocolate) in lieu of the mini chocolate chips.
- Finish with vanilla glaze or make a super-decadent chocolate chip cake with chocolate ganache instead of dusting with powdered sugar. You can also omit the powdered sugar and eat the cake without any decoration or topping -- it's delicious either way!
Tips for the Best Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake Recipe
- Grease the Bundt pan really well by coating with butter and then dusting with flour. Alternatively, you can use a cooking spray that's specifically made for baking (like this one). These options will ensure that your cake pops right out of the pan when it's done!
- Let the sour cream and eggs come to room temperature. They will mix smoother into your cake batter.
- Use full-fat sour cream for the best flavor and texture.
- Do not over-bake the cake or it can become dry. Start checking for doneness by the 50-minute mark, since total baking times will vary depending on your personal oven and the type and color of Bundt pan that you use.
- Don't leave the cake in the pan for too long after baking -- about 10-15 minutes is plenty. After that, condensation will start to form and the moisture will negatively impact the crust.
- The cake gets better as it sits, so this is a nice dessert option to prepare the day before you plan to serve it. Wait to dust with powdered sugar until right before serving.
More Bundt Cake Recipes to Try
- Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Chocolate Pound Cake
- Lemon Bundt Cake
- Old-Fashioned Orange Juice Cake
- Grandma's Old-Fashioned Rum Cake
- Cranberry Swirl Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel
- Apple Dapple Cake
- Sour Cream Pound Cake
Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix
- 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 (3.4 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding mix (just the dry mix)
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups miniature chocolate chips (about one 10-ounce bag)
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan; set aside.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to beat together the cake mix, sour cream, dry pudding mix, water, oil, and eggs for about 2 minutes.
- Use a wooden spoon or a spatula to gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan; tap on the counter once or twice to release air bubbles.
- Bake for 50 minutes – 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. My cake is always done in 55 minutes, but the total baking time will vary.
- Let cake stand for 10 minutes. Invert on a cooling rack and remove cake from pan.
- Once cake is completely cool, dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
- Grease the Bundt pan really well by coating with butter and then dusting with flour. Alternatively, you can use a cooking spray that's specifically made for baking (like this one). These options will ensure that your cake pops right out of the pan when it's done!
- Let the sour cream and eggs come to room temperature. They will mix smoother into your cake batter.
- Use full-fat sour cream for the best flavor and texture.
- Do not over-bake the cake or it can become dry. Start checking for doneness by the 50-minute mark, since total baking times will vary depending on your personal oven and the type and color of Bundt pan that you use.
- Don't leave the cake in the pan for too long after baking -- about 10-15 minutes is plenty. After that, condensation will start to form and the moisture will negatively impact the crust.
- The cake gets better as it sits, so this is a nice dessert option to prepare the day before you plan to serve it. Wait to dust with powdered sugar until right before serving.
- Loaf Cakes: If you don't have a Bundt pan, you can bake this cake in two loaf pans. The cooking time will be about the same or slightly shorter, typically 45-50 minutes in a 350°F oven.
- If you don't have a box of yellow cake mix, use white cake mix, or try a double chocolate chip cake by using chocolate cake mix and chocolate pudding mix.
- Use regular chocolate chips (milk chocolate, dark chocolate, semi-sweet, or white chocolate) in lieu of the mini chocolate chips.
- Finish with vanilla glaze or make a super-decadent chocolate chip cake with chocolate ganache instead of dusting with powdered sugar. You can also omit the powdered sugar and eat the cake without any decoration or topping -- it's delicious either way!
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