This Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake is the dessert you pull out when you want something that looks fancy but comes together without a fuss. It’s dark, deeply chocolatey, and stays moist for days.

The batter gets its richness from three forms of chocolate: cocoa powder for earthiness, melted bittersweet chocolate for silkiness, and a pocket of semisweet chips in every bite. A simple ganache glaze poured over the top makes it as beautiful as it is easy.

What Makes This Bundt Cake So Good

The crumb is dense but tender, almost brownie-like at the edges. Because there’s melted chocolate in the batter, you get a fudgy texture that regular cocoa-only cakes miss.

No stand mixer drama, no layers to stack. You cream butter and sugar, add eggs and melted chocolate, then alternate dry and wet. The chips sink just enough to give little bursts of melted chocolate throughout.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour: spooned and leveled, not scooped.
¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder: gives a deep, dark color and smooth flavor. Natural cocoa works, but the cake will be lighter.
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened: let it sit out for an hour.
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature: if you don’t have it, stir 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar into 1 cup whole milk and let it sit 5 minutes.
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly: 60 to 70% cacao works best.
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips: toss with 1 tsp flour right before folding in so they don’t sink.

Ganache glaze

½ cup heavy cream
4 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped: (or use extra chocolate chips)

Variations / Substitutions

Swap the chips: use dark, milk, or even white chocolate chips for a different triple chocolate combo.
Make it dairy-free: use a good vegan butter stick and a thick plant-based milk plus 1 tsp vinegar in place of buttermilk. Choose dairy-free chocolate chips.
No buttermilk: the lemon juice trick works, or use plain whole-milk yogurt thinned with a splash of milk.
Add espresso: stir 1 tsp instant espresso powder into the melted chocolate for an even deeper flavor.

A similar cake worth trying is our Classic Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake.

How to Make Fudgy Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake

Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugar

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and thoroughly butter a 10-cup Bundt pan, then dust it with cocoa powder instead of flour (this keeps the cake dark). In a large bowl, beat the softened 1 cup butter and 2 cups sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

The mixture should look light and almost whipped. You’ll see it pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Step 2: Mix in Eggs and Melted Chocolate

Add the 4 eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Pour in the 2 tsp vanilla and the cooled 4 oz melted bittersweet chocolate, then mix until the batter is a uniform mahogany color with no streaks.

Scrape the bowl halfway through. The batter will look glossy and thicken slightly.

Step 3: Alternate the Dry Ingredients and Buttermilk

Whisk the 2 cups flour, ¾ cup cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. With the mixer on low, add the dry mix in three parts, alternating with the 1 cup buttermilk in two parts, starting and ending with the dry. Mix just until no flour pockets remain.

Stop as soon as the streaks disappear. Overmixing here makes the cake tough. The batter will be thick but smooth.

Step 4: Fold in the Chocolate Chips and Fill the Pan

Toss the 1 cup chocolate chips with the teaspoon of reserved flour, then use a spatula to fold them gently into the batter. Scoop the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and level the top.

The chips should be evenly scattered. Give the filled pan a couple of firm taps on the counter to release any air bubbles.

Step 5: Bake and Glaze the Cake

Slide the pan onto the middle rack and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the deepest part comes out with moist crumbs but no wet batter. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then invert it onto the rack and let it cool fully.

For the glaze, heat the ½ cup cream until steaming, pour it over the 4 oz chopped chocolate, let it sit a minute, then stir until glossy. Spoon it over the cooled cake, letting it drip down the sides. Slice and serve once the glaze sets, about 10 minutes.

Tips for a Perfect Bundt

Use room temperature eggs and buttermilk so the batter emulsifies properly and doesn’t curdle.
Greasing the pan with butter and dusting with cocoa powder creates the cleanest release, no white flour marks on the dark cake.
Check for doneness at 55 minutes. If the skewer comes out clean with only a few crumbs, pull it. A dark metal pan may finish sooner; a light aluminum one can take a few minutes longer.
Let the cake cool just 15 minutes before turning it out. Wait too long and the cake may stick.

The exact bake time shifts with your pan material. This table is a quick guide.

Pan type	Size	Approximate bake time
Light aluminum	10-cup	60 to 65 mins
Dark nonstick	10-cup	50 to 55 mins
Silicone	10-cup	60 to 65 mins

Keeping the Bundt Cake Fresh

Refrigerate: store the cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week. Bring chilled slices to room temp before eating. Reheating: a 15 to 20 second zap in the microwave melts the chips inside and makes the slice taste freshly baked.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use regular cocoa instead of Dutch-process?

Yes. The cake will be lighter in color and slightly less rich, but still very good. No changes to leavening.

Do I have to add the chocolate chips?

No, you can leave them out for a smooth, dense cake. It will still be triple chocolate from the cocoa, melted chocolate, and ganache.

What if I don’t have a Bundt pan?

You can bake this in two 8 or 9-inch round pans or a 9×13-inch pan. The round pans will take about 30 to 35 minutes, and the 9×13 about 35 to 40 minutes.

Why did my chips sink to the bottom?

They likely weren’t tossed in flour, or the batter was too thin. Make sure to fold them in right before filling the pan and avoid overbeating the batter after adding them.