Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake — A rich, dense, and decadent chocolate cake that’s filled with an airier chocolate cheesecake and topped with smooth chocolate ganache is a chocoholics DREAM! A celebration cake that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day, Christmas parties, or special anniversaries and birthdays that’s sure to receive RAVE REVIEWS!
Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache
For anyone who can’t get enough chocolate as well as for those for whom nothing is too rich or too decadent, this triple chocolate Bundt cake is the end-all-be-all to make your chocolate dessert dreams come true!
What you’re looking at is a homemade chocolate Bundt cake, filled with a more subtly chocolate-flavored cheesecake layer, and then topped with a deeply comforting chocolate ganache.
The combination of a dense chocolate crumb in the cake, contrasted with a less intense and moister and lighter chocolate cheesecake filling, and then the smooth and not-too-sweet chocolate ganache is dessert perfection.
For those who don’t like sacchariney-sweet desserts, you are going to be very pleased with this chocolate-filled bundt cake because it’s not at all too sweet.
Instead, it has an elegant mouthfeel, classy, sophisticated, and like the type of cake you would have just a sliver of after dinner at a fancy restaurant.
It’s a stunning holiday or celebration cake for everything from Valentine’s Day, Christmas party season, or make it as a special anniversary or birthday cake.
Anyone lucky enough to have a piece of your triple chocolate Bundt cake will surely give it rave reviews!
Tip: This is a long and very detailed post and contains lots of photos. If you are already an expert baker or want to cut straight to the recipe, feel free to scroll right on down past my tips, tricks, and chatter to the recipe card!
Ingredients in Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake
This magnificent triple chocolate Bundt cake as you may guess from the name has three main components: chocolate cake batter, chocolate filling, and chocolate ganache.
For the Chocolate Bundt Cake:
- Semi-sweet chocolate
- Whole milk
- Sour cream
- All-purpose four
- Cocoa powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
For the Filling:
- Cream cheese
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Semi-sweet chocolate
For the Chocolate Ganache:
- Semi-sweet chocolate
- Heavy cream
How to Make Homemade Chocolate Cake Batter
Make this scratch chocolate cake is easier than you think despite it looking complicated.
Tip -Take note you have 3 bowls going on – melted chocolate mixture, dry ingredients, wet ingredients.
Follow these simple steps:
Step 1: Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan well.
Step 2: Place chopped chocolate in a bowl, heat the milk until almost boiling, pour it over the chocolate.
Step 3: Let it stand for 5 minutes, stir it smooth, then set it aside to come to room temp before adding sour cream; set this melted chocolate mixture aside.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt; set this dry mixture aside.
Step 5: In a separate bowl beat together butter, brown sugar, before adding the eggs one at a time, and then the vanilla; set this wet mixture aside.
Step 6: Add half the dry mixture to the wet.
Then add the melted chocolate and sour cream mixture.
Step 7: Repeat this process as outlined in the step above; set your final bowl aside.
How to Make a Chocolate Filling for Bundt Cake
The cheesecake layer has a very subtle chocolate flavor compared to the cake and ganache. I put less chocolate in this layer so you would be able to both taste and see the contrast of filling to cake more distinctly.
This chocolate cheesecake component is easy to make.
Follow these steps:
Step 1: Beat the cream cheese with a handheld mixer until smooth.
Step 2: Add the sugar and then the eggs one at a time.
Step 3: Add the vanilla, melted chocolate, beat to combine.
Step 4: Add half the cake batter to a prepared Bundt pan.
Then all the cream cheese mixture.
Then remaining half the batter, and bake.
How to Make Ganache for Chocolate Bundt Cake
Chocolate ganache is really just a fancy way of saying chocolate syrup and it’s so incredibly easy to make!
Follow these easy steps after your cake is inverted:
Step 1: Heat the heavy cream in the microwave or on the stove until it’s just about to boil.
Step 2: Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate in a bowl.
Step 3: Let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes, whisk, and pour it over the cake.
Tips: You want the ganache at a nice pourable consistency. Not too runny and not too thick or hardened. Watch it and you’ll know when to pour it over your homemade Bundt cake.
What Kind of Chocolate Should I Use?
For this homemade chocolate Bundt cake with ganache, the type of chocolate you use in both the cake batter and ganache is really important.
Look for a semi-sweet chocolate bar intended for baking.
Another good option if you have a Trader Joe’s in your area is their Pound Plus Dark Chocolate Bar. Priced extremely well given the high quality that I find their chocolate to be.
It’s rumored to actually be Scharffen-Berger which is known to be a super premium and very expensive chocolate for baking but this is a possibly a baking (old wives) tale for another day!
Results can’t be guaranteed if you use other types of bar chocolate either in terms of how they will melt or taste.
Unsweetened chocolate bars, as well as bars with a very high percentage of cocoa like a 93% bar or similar, will be far too bitter since there really isn’t very much sugar in this cake.
Conversely, milk chocolate will not give you the richness and depth of flavor that you are for in this cake. It’s too sweet and not complex enough so avoid milk chocolate.
Do not use chocolate chips.
What Kind of Cocoa Powder Should I Use?
As for the cocoa powder, you are looking for unsweetened natural cocoa powder.
Do not use sweetened cocoa or hot cocoa powder mixes intended for hot chocolate.
Finally, I don’t know how Dutch process cocoa powder would fare. I tested the cake with traditional unsweetened cocoa powder so stick with that.
Should I Use All-Purpose or Cake Flour?
When baking, more than 99% of the time I use King Arthur All-Purpose Flour. I have written extensively about it over the years.
Specially in this Best Cookie Making Tips post I suggest using it because it has a bit more protein, or gluten, then other brands of flour which is a form of insurance in baking that your baked goods turn out as planned!
Since I don’t keep cake flour on hand, I use all-purpose which results in a dense and rich crumb, which we adore.
For those wanting a slightly lighter texture to the cake, feel free to use cake flour. However, use 2 extra tablespoons than I indicate for all-purpose flour.
Can I Use Lite or Reduced Fat Dairy Products?
Absolutely not! Do not use fat-free, lite, or reduced fat dairy products.
The reason for this is that rather than having fat, which helps stabilize the cake as it bakes apart from just tasting far richer, non-fat and lower fat products are made with water or weird engineered ingredients which liquify during baking. So you will literally end up with a soupy cake that doesn’t set up. Don’t do it!
This specially means NO:
- Lite or fat free sour cream
- Skim milk (use 2% at the minimum, whole milk is preferred)
- Lite or reduced fat cream cheese
- Half-and-half instead of heavy cream
Instead, use full fat dairy products that are at room temp optimal results. Specifically the cream cheese.
It’s impossible to whip it smooth and not be in clumpy little balls if it’s cold. Not what you want for your cheesecake filling layer!
Can I Make This Recipe as a Layer Cake or Smaller Cake?
No, you can’t make it as a layer cake. The recipe is written to make it as a Bundt cake.
If you wanted to make it as a smaller Bundt cake, such as in a 6-cup Bundt pan, you could try halving the recipe and see how it goes.
However, I haven’t tested it that way so cannot say how it will work.
Serving and Storage Suggestions for Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake
As you may imagine, this chocolate Bundt cake is super rich and decadent.
Serve it with freshly brewed coffee or espresso or a tall glass of cold milk.
Because of the cheesecake filling, you should store your masterpiece in the refrigerator. It will keep airtight in the fridge for at least 1 week.
Cakes in general freeze pretty well and because this does make quite a bit of cake, if you do find yourself with an extreme excess of extra cake, you can freeze it for up to 4 months.
Tip: I suggest doing so in individually portioned freezer-safe containers for both easier stacking in your freezer as well as easier thawing.
Can I Make This Bundt Cake in Advance?
Yes, you can! For anyone who wants to make their chocolate Bundt cake with cheesecake filling in advance, feel free.
It will easily keep well for 24-48 hours before you plan to serve it in case you’re wanting to make it for a special event but don’t want the stress or pressure of making it the day of your event.
Plus, really rich chocolate cakes like this one tend to taste even better when served chilled. Therefore, there’s absolutely no harm in making it ahead of time and refrigerating until you’re ready to serve it.
Tips for the Best Chocolate Bundt Cake
Despite the very lengthy blog post, this is not a hard cake to make.
There are just lots of steps and three main components, so I urge you to read the recipe once in entirety before beginning so you know where things are going.
When mixing together the cake batter, as I noted above, you have 3 bowls going on: melted chocolate mixture, dry ingredients, wet ingredients.
Make sure that the bowl with the wet ingredients is sufficiently large since that is the bowl that the other two bowls will pour into.
When you’re bringing the whole milk for the cake batter and the heavy cream for the ganache to a near-boil, otherwise known as scalding it, the temperature you’re looking for is 170F. I recommend using a kitchen thermometer to test this rather than guessing, especially if you’re a newer baker.
For those who love kitchen shortcuts, if you absolutely can’t be bothered with a two-step recipe like making chocolate ganache, feel free to cheat. Use store bought hot fudge sauce instead.
If you go this route, don’t opt for Hershey’s syrup in a squirt bottle. Make sure you’re selecting hot fudge that looks thick enough that it will hold up nicely on your chocolate Bundt cake and not run off.
Additionally, if you think you may be in chocolate overload with the ganache, you can omit it and do a simple dusting of powdered sugar in lieu of the ganache.
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Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 & 1/3 cups light brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
Cheesecake Filling
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ounces semi-sweet baking bar, melted and cooled
Chocolate Ganache
- 4 ounces semi-sweet baking bar, chopped
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and spray a 12-cup Bundt cake pan extremely well with cooking spray. Tip - Use a pasty brush to brush every nook and cranny of the pan; set aside.
- Cake Batter - Note that you need 3 separate bowls for the cake batter.
- To a medium bowl, add the chopped chocolate; set aside.
- To a small sauce pan, add the whole milk, and heat until scalding (just about to boil). For optimal results, the milk should be 170F and you should use a kitchen thermometer to check.
- Pour the hot milk over the chopped chocolate and let it stand for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, whisk the milk and chocolate together until smooth and let it stand for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until it comes to room temp.
- Add the sour cream and whisk to combine. Tip - Make sure not to add the sour cream until the melted chocolate mixture has sufficiently cooled or the sour cream will curdle if it's too hot and you'll need to start over. Set this bowl aside.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a separate large bowl and electric hand mixer), add the butter, brown sugar, and beat on high speed to cream until combined, about 2 minutes. Note - You are not adding cream; cream in this sense is a verb. The mixture will not become completely smooth but has a more crumbly texture.
- Add the vanilla, and the eggs one at a time, mixing completely before adding the next egg. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Add half the flour and cocoa mixture, and half the melted chocolate sour cream mixture, to the brown sugar and egg mixture, and mix to combine.
- Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat the process by adding the remaining half the dry ingredients, the remaining half of the melted chocolate and sour cream mixture, and mix to combine; don't overmix. Set the cake batter aside.
- Cheesecake Filling - To a medium bowl, add the cream cheese and beat on high speed with a handheld electric mixture until very smooth. Tip - Your cream cheese needs to be very well softened to room temp or this is nearly impossible. Plan ahead and set it out 60-90 minutes beforehand.
- Add the granulated sugar and beat until combined.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
- Add the vanilla, melted chocolate, and beat to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Tip - Make sure the melted chocolate has cooled sufficiently to room temp so it doesn't cause the cream cheese to curdle because you would need to start over if that happens.
- Assembling the Bundt Pan - Pour half the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top lightly with a spatula; set remainder aside.
- Add all the cheesecake filling, evenly distributed around the pan, smoothing and pushing it around the pan lightly as needed.
- Top with the remaining cake batter, evenly distributed around the pan, smoothing and pushing it around the pan lightly as needed.
- Baking the Cake - Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs but no batter. Notes - This is a big cake so it will take awhile to fully bake. Additionally it has a cheesecake center which also takes a bit longer to bake through. Start checking at 55 minutes, but don't be surprised if it's not done until 70 minutes, depending on your oven, climate, and so forth. Don't take it out of the oven until it's done, irrespective of whatever the time of the clock says. Don't go by the clock, go by your cake!
- Allow the cake to cool, in the pan, on a wire rack, for about 10 minutes.
- Inverting the Cake - Carefully invert the pan onto a cake stand or serving platter. Note - The cake will still be hot when you invert it so use caution. Tips - If your Bundt pan was well-greased, the cake should invert and "plop" right out. In the very unlikely event that it doesn't, run about 2-3 inches of very hot water in your sink, and place the cake pan in it. The hot water should help to loosen the cake. Additionally, run a paring knife gently around the top of the cake where it meets the pan. Between these two tricks, even stubborn cakes tend to release.
- Chocolate Ganache - Chop the chocolate and add it to a small bowl; set aside.* (See Notes)
- To a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, add the heavy cream, bring it to just boiling or scalding, approximately 170F if you're using a kitchen thermometer.
- Pour the hot milk over the chopped chocolate and let it stand for 5 minutes.
- Then whisk until the mixture is smooth. Let stand for another 5 to 10 minutes, until it starts to thicken. Tips - You want the ganache at a nice pourable consistency. Not too runny and not too thick or hardened. Watch it and you’ll know when to pour HALF over your Bundt cake. You may not need or want to use all the ganache in this first pass. I like to save the remaining half, or at least some, for serving for a final extra blast of chocolate.
- Cake can be chilled before serving, or serve it at room temp. Extra cake will keep airtight in the fridge for at least 1 week. It needs to be refrigerated due to the cheesecake filling. Really rich chocolate cakes like this tend to taste better anyway when they're served chilled. Cake will also keep airtight in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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