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Rich, moist Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake with creamy frosting! This favorite easy copycat recipe tastes just like Nothing Bundt Cakes but at a fraction of the cost.
Table of Contents
- A Chocolate Lover’s Dream Cake
- Ingredients You’ll Need for this Cake
- How to Make the Best Chocolate Bundt Cake
- How to Make the Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting
- The Secret to an Ultra-Moist Cake
- Storing & Freezing Your Cake
- Rave Reviews About this Cake
- Questions About Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Nothing Bundt Cake Copycat Recipes
- More Chocolate Cake Recipes You’ll Love
- Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake Recipe
A Chocolate Lover’s Dream Cake
This cake has been a favorite in my family for years, and I’m so excited to share it with you! If you’re a chocolate lover like me, get ready for your new favorite dessert! This Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake is rich, ultra-moist, and loaded with chocolatey goodness. With a deep, fudgy flavor and a luscious cream cheese frosting, it tastes just like those famous Nothing Bundt Cakes—but at a fraction of the price! And the best part? It’s incredibly easy to make thanks to a few simple shortcuts.
Why You’ll Love This Cake
- Super Moist & Rich – Thanks to sour cream and instant pudding mix, every bite is melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
- Easy to Make – No need to measure out flour, cocoa powder, or leavening agents—the cake mix does the heavy lifting!
- Budget-Friendly – Skip the bakery prices and make this copycat recipe at home.
- Perfect for Any Occasion – Birthdays, holidays, or just because—you don’t need an excuse to enjoy this chocolate masterpiece!
Ingredients You’ll Need for this Cake
For the Chocolate Bundt Cake:
- Devil’s Food cake mix (for the richest chocolate flavor)
- Chocolate instant pudding mix (see recipe notes for size details)
- Sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt for a lighter option)
- Large eggs
- Water
- Vegetable oil
- Mini chocolate chips (plus extra for garnish!)
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Cream cheese, softened
- Butter, softened
- Powdered sugar (depending on your desired sweetness)
- Vanilla extract
How to Make the Best Chocolate Bundt Cake
Preheat & Prep
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Grease your bundt pan thoroughly to prevent sticking.
Mix the Batter
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, water, and oil until smooth.
- Stir in the mini chocolate chips.
Bake
- Pour the batter into your prepared bundt pan.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool
- Let the cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes.
- Carefully flip it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
How to Make the Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting
Beat the Cream Cheese & Butter
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
Add Powdered Sugar & Vanilla
- Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.
Frost Like a Pro
- Scoop the frosting into a ziplock bag and snip the corner.
- Pipe it in thick ribbons around the cake for a bakery-style look.
- Sprinkle with extra mini chocolate chips for the perfect finishing touch!
The Secret to an Ultra-Moist Cake
I’ve made my fair share of bundt cakes, and this one is hands-down the best. What’s the secret? The combination of instant pudding mix and sour cream! These two ingredients work together to lock in moisture, ensuring every bite is rich, fudgy, and irresistible. And don’t forget those mini chocolate chips—they create little pockets of chocolatey goodness throughout the cake!
Storing & Freezing Your Cake
How to Store Your Cake
To keep your cake fresh, store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. If refrigerating, allow it to come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
Freezing Instructions
If you want to freeze your bundt cake for later, wrap the unfrosted cake tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. Store it in the freezer for up to three months. When you’re ready to enjoy it, let it thaw at room temperature before adding the frosting.
Rave Reviews About this Cake
“Just made this last weekend for my daughter’s 18th birthday and it was amazing- everyone raved about it! Very moist and full of rich chocolate flavor (and I normally don’t like cake.) We’re now preparing to make two for Christmas Dessert. Thank you for another delicious recipe.”
– Brittany
“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!”
– Lisalia
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!”
– Carey
Questions About Chocolate Bundt Cake
A non-stick bundt pan with a light-colored interior works best to prevent over-browning. Be sure to grease it well for easy cake release.
Absolutely! You can add chopped nuts, white chocolate chips, or even caramel bits for a unique twist.
Let the cake rest for at least 10-20 minutes before flipping it out. This helps it set and prevents it from breaking apart.
This cake is delicious on its own, but you can serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for an even more decadent treat.
Yes! Simply use a gluten-free chocolate cake mix and check that all other ingredients are gluten-free.
Nothing Bundt Cake Copycat Recipes
More Chocolate Cake Recipes You’ll Love
If you’re a chocoholic like me, you’ll love these other decadent desserts:
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
Video
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 (13.25-ounce) box Devil's Food cake mix
- 1 (3.4-ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix, *IMPORTANT – SEE RECIPE NOTES
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup oil
- 1 ½ cups mini chocolate chips
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 ounces cream cheese,, softened
- ½ cup butter,, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
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.
- Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Let cool for 20 minutes.
- 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.
- 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.
- Spoon the frosting into a resealable zip-top gallon bag. Clip one bottom corner of the bag.
- Squeeze frosting out of the bag onto the cake in strips, as pictured.
Equipment
- Bundt Cake Pan
- Electric Mixer
- Mixing Bowls
Notes
*IMPORTANT NOTE ON INSTANT DRY PUDDING MIX:
Many brands, including Jell-O and generic brands, have changed the ounces of mix in their small instant pudding boxes. If you can’t find a 3.4 ounce box, buy a 3.9 ounce box and measure out ½ cup (loosely packed) to use in this recipe. If you pack it down, you will need ½ cup plus two teaspoons. MORE RECIPE TIPS: 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this recipe?
We want to hear from you! Please leave a review.
Craving chocolate yet? This Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake is everything a chocolate lover dreams of—rich, moist, and bursting with flavor. Whether you’re making it for a celebration or just indulging in a sweet treat, it’s sure to become your new go-to cake recipe. Enjoy!
Have you tried this recipe? Let me know how it turned out in the comments below! I’d love to hear your thoughts and any fun variations you tried!
Thanks so much, this looks great! Can’t wait to try it.
Should I still add pudding mix if the mix i use already has pudding in it?
In short.. yes.
Will your recipe work in 2- 8 inch pans to make a layer cake? What I have in mind is a 2 layer naked cake. Planned on frosting in between the layers and slightly around the cake. Thoughts if it would work this way?
We have only tried it in a bundt pan but I am pretty sure you will be fine making it in regular pans. Just reduce the time and keep checking it 🙂
Did you end up making it in the 8 inch cake rounds? Curious how it turned out. I only have one large bundt cake pan but want to make two seperate cakes with one recipe.
This is fantastic and sooo much cheaper to make than to buy it at the Nothing Bundt Cake store! I found the perfect bundt cake pan at Goodwill and thanks to the Wilton cake decorating lessons I took, my family thought I bought the cake from the store. Thanks so much for sharing!
So glad you liked it (and loving that you fooled your family)! Thanks so much for the nice comment!
hello. What kind of oil do I use? Vegetable?
Tks
I like to use Canola oil when baking, but vegetable oil would work fine too. Thanks for asking!
Love love love this recipe, but I would like to make it in a sheet cake pan instead of a bundt cake. Have you done this before and do you know what size pan I should use? Thanks!
We have never made it this way so I don’t know what exactly to recommend. If you try it, let us know what you did and how it turns out!
Thanks for the great recipe- Nothing Bundt Cakes is the best! Quick question, how long did you beat the mix for? I was going to go by the cake mix box and do 2 minutes but my batter was getting too tough.
About a minute or two, you can stop if you think it is getting too tough. You just want it to be mixed well
I just made the cake BUT I forgot the pudding! It’s cooling now– should I start over or do you think will be alright?
Oh no! I hope it turned out OK for you. My guess is that it was fine. The pudding just makes it more moist. It’s so frustrating to forget an ingredient. It happens to me all the time!
I’d like to make these as cupcakes for a teen party. In the recipe it says to grease the bundt pan, but I assume that is to release the cake from the pan. So will the cupcakes work with the cupcake papers, or do they stick to the paper too much? How long do they bake as cupcakes?
They should be fine if you do it with cupcake liners, you shouldn’t have to spray them. As fat as the time… I have never made them as cupcakes before so I don’t know what to tell you. I would say try 10 minutes and keep checking them every few minutes after that! If you do it, come back and let us know how long you baked them for.
I was skeptical that this cake could taste like the real thing, but it really does! I only used 3 cups of powdered sugar for the frosting, and it made plenty. It was not very stiff, however, so it didn’t frost very nicely. Maybe I should have let it set up in the fridge first. In the end, I decided to re-frost the cake with a single layer all over. Will be making this again! (Especially since $28 is pricey for a cake!)
I’m so glad you liked it! This is one of my favorite cakes. It does make a lot of frosting. Adding more powdered sugar next time will stiffen the frosting. I would also recommend letting it sit in the fridge for an hour or so before frosting the cake.
Do you have a Gluten free version of this?
Sorry, not yet.
Hi. I have made it gluten free. I just used the Betty Crocker gluten free cake mix and made it the exact same way Turned out great. My friends tried it said just as delicious as my regular cake mix. My husband who has celatic disease loved it. And no side effects so yay!!!
Do you use TWO boxes of the Gluten free cake mix…since one box only makes one 9″ round instead of two??
Do you use 2 boxes of the gluten free cake mix (I am asking because the gluten free cake mix only makes 1/2 as much cake as a normal cake mix… it only makes one 9″ round instead of two)
Yum! Thank you for sharing with the Clever Chicks Blog Hop!
Kathy Shea Mormino
The Chicken Chick
Hi
I made your cake and it was the best! I’m making it again for a birthday but for ease of portability I am making it in a 9×13 pan. What is the best way to do the icing? Just spread it out or a design like the bundt?
Thanks!
You could just spread it out, or I have done it as a sheet cake with a design before. You can see a pumpkin sheet cake I did this way here: /2012/11/chocolate-chip-pumpkin-sheet-cake.html
My son has the taste of a king with a budget of a not so much. of a..lol.. so thank god for your inspiration!!! You are brilliant and we made it together which made it so memorable… the beauty of sharing!!!— sonya anselmo MJ
You are VERY VERY welcome! Your son has good taste 🙂 I am glad you made a memory of it! That is what this blog is all about!
I used your red velvet version but made cupcakes. Duncan Hines Red Velvet cake mix. I used milk instead of water. The batter was a little thick. IT WAS AMAZING. My guests that have had this at the Store said it was identical and very surprised that these could be done at home. It turned out 27 cupcakes. I actually made two boxes turning out 54 cupcakes. One batch of cream cheese frosting was enough for all 54 cupcakes, yes 54 cupcakes using the large piping tip and swirl beginning 1/2 from the outside rim spiraling towards the center for the peak. I will be trying the White Chocolate Raspberry next – cupcakes as well. Thanks for sharing.
On my previous reply. The swirl began 1/2 inch from the outside rim of the cupcake.
Thanks for sharing this! I have had a lot of people asking how to do cupcakes so I will refer them to your comment!
Do you remember how long you baked the cupcakes?
I could only find mini semisweet chocolate chips at the store, is that the kind you used?
Yeah, just whatever the mini chocolate chips are. They just melt better. Milk chocolate or semi sweet.. Either one.
Hi!!! I am so excited I found this! I had the nothing bundt cakes at a friends party and fell in love!!! I want it for my sons bday in April! But we will be having at least 100 invitees…so that will get pricey! Dow this recipie also work for cupcakes or in a standard baking pan? Not the bundt ones? It will be Mickey themed so I’d like to make it in a Mickey form! Thanks in advance!
Absolutely! Just watch it closely and check it every few minutes after 15 or so minutes. Oh if you like Nothing Bundt Cakes…. Come back here on Monday…. Get excited because I sure am!
Does it matter if the cake mix has pudding in the mix? Can’t seem to find the old stand by anymore.
My caramel brownies with the german choc cake mix are suffering because of the change in the cake mix. They just don’t set up well at all.
thanks in advance for your input!
wonderful!!!! Have you perfected the white chocolate Raseberry? I would love to make it for my husbands birthday Dec. 4
I am getting close! I will try to work on it this week and put it up! I can email you what I have so far but there’s no promises…
Would you email me what you have so far?? I am IN LOVE with the white chocolate raspberry and would love to see what you’ve got so far! Email is Emily.hensley@tcu.edu!
Has anyone had success with the mini bundt pan? I bought one of the pans yesterday but don’t know what recipe to use.
Thanks!