Death By Chocolate Bundt Cake is a bundt cake that is made with lots of chocolate; hence, the name! There is the chocolate cake, the chocolate-flavored cream cheese, and the chocolate ganache. It is a rich, dense, and decadent cake that will satisfy even the sweetest tooth! Just like my Death By Chocolate Pie, it’s another chocolate-lover’s dream dessert.
Cake Ingredients
There are three chocolatey parts to this bundt cake recipe–the cake, the filling, and the chocolate butter ganache.
Cake: Be sure the ingredients (specifically eggs, sour cream, and buttermilk in this recipe) are at room temperature. Room temperature ingredients emulsify (blend) better and quicker when mixed. The sweet spot of temperatures for most ingredients should be between 65°F and 70°F unless specified (like when adding hot coffee to the cake batter).
Coffee: Yes, I added hot coffee to the chocolate cake. Trust me, it adds so much depth to the chocolate flavor, and you won’t get a coffee taste! If you are totally against using coffee in chocolate desserts, you can always use hot water.
Sour Cream: Sour cream is added fat, which makes the cake that much richer and helps it stay moist longer, which is important when baking a bundt cake.
Buttermilk: Adding buttermilk to cakes gives cakes a softer crumb. If you don’t have any on hand, make your own homemade buttermilk.
Cocoa: Choose high-quality Dutch-processed cocoa to use in both the cake and the filling. Dutch-processed cocoa is less acidic and will give the cake a darker color. It also will result in a less bitter flavor. So, if you want a richer and more moist cake, use Dutch-processed cocoa.
Ganache: The chocolate ganache is made with butter to give it a little more richness and add to the shine.
It is important to use good quality products for this recipe, so I opted for Challenge Butter and Challenge Cream Cheese to make sure that my cake would be the best-tasting chocolate bundt cake you will ever try! Both are made the old-fashioned way, churned fresh daily from the freshest milk and cream from happy cows at family-owned dairies since 1911–the same way it’s been made for 110 years.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Filling
With the cake batter made, it’s time to make the filling. Using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Next, add the sugar, Dutch-processed cocoa powder, and vanilla. Beat the ingredients together, starting on low speed, until smooth and creamy.
How to Make the Ganache
The chocolate ganache is made with just two ingredients–semi-sweet chocolate chips and butter. For best results, use the double boiler method to melt the butter and chocolate together.
To do this, fill a pot about halfway full of water. Bring it to a simmer over low heat. Find a heat-safe bowl (glass or stainless steel) that can be set into the pot. Make sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. The steam is what will melt the chocolate.
Add the chocolate and butter to the heat-safe bowl. With the heat on low, use a rubber spatula to stir the chocolate until it is melted and smooth. Drizzle the ganache over the cooled chocolate bundt cake. You can serve the cake immediately; or, let the ganache set a bit before cutting and indulging! Store the cake in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
What is the Difference Between a Bundt Cake and a Regular Cake?
This may seem like a question that is a no-brainer. The difference between a bundt cake and a regular cake is that a bundt cake is baked in a bundt pan (also known as a fluted tube pan)! Well, that is true, and part of the answer, but not the entire answer.
Another difference is the bundt pans have a cylindrical hole in the middle, which means more of the cake will touch the sides of the pan. This results in a crustier edge. This isn’t a bad thing; it is perfect for supporting any frosting or decorating you may add to the cake.
The hole in the center of a bundt pan can also cause a drier cake since it is more exposed to the heat in the oven. To prevent this, be sure to use full-fat ingredients in the batter. This will keep the cake moist, which is what you want in a pound cake or any other dense, moist cake that is made in a bundt pan!
What Size Bundt Pan Should I Use?
Size does matter when it comes to making bundt cakes. I used a 10-inch bundt pan that holds 12 cups of liquid. Generally, the size of bundt pans is determined by how many cups of liquid it holds. When adding the batter, just be sure to not add too much of it or it will overflow in the oven. A good tip would be to fill the pan about 2/3 of the way full. And, if possible, use a light, nonstick metal pan for best results.
More Chocolate Cakes
Death By Chocolate Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ¾ cups (375 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ¾ cups (219 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (65 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) Challenge unsalted butter, melted, then cooled slightly
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup (173 g) sour cream, room temperature
- ½ cup (123 g) buttermilk, room temperature
- ½ cup (119 g) hot brewed coffee, or hot water
Filling
- 12 ounces (340 g) Challenge cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (29.5 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup (168 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113g) Challenge unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 10-inch bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs, sour cream, and buttermilk.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add the coffee, and whisk until the batter is completely combined. Set aside.
Filling
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with a handheld mixer on medium speed until the cream cheese is light and fluffy.
- Add the sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Start mixing on low speed, increasing to medium speed until light and fluffy.
Assembling and Baking
- Scrape half of the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan, spread the cream cheese filling in the center, and top with the remaining cake batter. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to smooth the top, if necessary.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the cake pan for 15 minutes. Then invert the cake onto a serving plate and let it cool completely (about an hour) before adding the ganache.
Chocolate Ganache
- Fill a pot about halfway full of water. Bring it to a simmer over low heat. Find a heat-safe bowl (glass or stainless steel) that can be set into the pot. Make sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. The steam is what will melt the chocolate.
- Add the chocolate and butter to the heat-safe bowl. With the heat on low, use a rubber spatula to stir the chocolate until it is melted and smooth.
- Drizzle the ganache over the cooled cake. (You may not need all of the ganache.) Enjoy!
Video
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Looks delicious!
I made this cake for Easter. It was delicious and moist and very chocolatey. It was really dense, is it supposed to be dense?
Could the filling be made without cream cheese? My husband will not touch cream cheese.
Thanks!
DMG
The cake is baking right now but I am skeptical. The recipe indicates equal amounts of flour and sugar, with different amounts of grams. Having experience baking over 50 years, I have not run into a recipe with equal amounts of flour and sugar. Time will tell when I slice into it.
It’s not technically equal amounts because you are not factoring in the cocoa powder. Flour + cocoa powder versus sugar.
And yes, flour weighs less than sugar.
Decadent cake-will definitely make this again.
Sounds yummy but no egg in the cheesecake filling?