Decadent Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake (from a Mix!)
This triple chocolate bundt cake from a mix is a perfectly decadent dessert that is so easy to prepare! You’ll want a glass of milk to go with this one!
With just a few simple tweaks, a humble box of cake mix is transformed into a delicious, indulgent dessert!
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Recently, we were celebrating my mom’s birthday. Because I love baking, I am usually the one who volunteers to make the cake (or in the case of my husband’s birthday, usually some sort of creamy layered dessert).
She probably would have loved these Instant Pot chocolate custard cups, but I wanted something that would easily feed a crowd.
I often go the route of from-scratch frosted cupcakes, but on this particular day, I was short on time.
I knew I wouldn’t be able to bake cupcakes or a layer cake and have time to pipe lovely buttercream frosting. But I still wanted something really tasty and beautiful.
My mom is a chocolate lover and passed those genes onto me. So the idea of a triple chocolate bundt cake seemed to be the perfect fit for celebrating her birthday.
I decided to doctor-up a cake mix, and the result was heavenly!
Not only was it a stunning bundt cake, but it was absolutely delicious.
Looking for a from-scratch recipe? Try my homemade chocolate fudge cake, chocolate sour cream bundt cake, my one-bowl chocolate cake, or my old-fashioned chocolate sour cream pound cake!
Why You’ll Love Baking this Chocolate Bundt Cake with a Mix and Pudding
The cake was perfectly moist, not dry and crumbly. It was dotted with small bits of chocolate, then drenched in folds of satiny chocolate glaze, followed by a sprinkling of miniature chocolate chips.
I mean, can it get any better??
This is a pretty rich and decadent cake, thanks to ALL of that chocolate! I think it would be amazing topped with some vanilla ice cream, if you want to go the a la mode route, too.
And since it starts with a cake mix and a few simple additions, it really is a cinch to whip up quickly. So easy!
I’ve even created a variation of the recipe for making mini chocolate bundt cakes.
For another simple cake mix recipe, try my southern chocolate mayonnaise cake!
More Delicious Cake Recipes You’ll Want to Try:
- Instant Pot Rainbow Bundt Cake
- Chocolate Angel Food Cake from a Mix
- Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake
- Instant Pot Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Red Velvet Bundt Cake in the Instant Pot
- Pressure Cooker Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake
- Applesauce Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze
- Easy Old Fashioned Canned Carrot Cake
- Easy Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Instant Pot Mint Chocolate Cake
- Easy Apple Butter Bundt Cake
- Easy Pumpkin Bundt Cake from a Mix
- Homemade Granny Cake
- Vanilla Pudding Cake
- Best Angel Food Cake from a Mix
- Easy Cream Cheese Pound Cake Using a Cake Mix
- Old-Fashioned Dream Whip Cake
- 4-Ingredient Vanilla Pudding Dump Cake
- Easy White Mayonnaise Cake
- Best Jell-O Instant Pudding Cakes
How to Make a Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake from a Mix
Make the batter. You’ll start with a basic devil’s food cake mix.
To that, add in a large package of instant chocolate pudding mix, some sour cream (find out what sour cream does in baking and you’ll never make a cake without it again!), vegetable oil, eggs, and hot water.
Beat all of that until it’s well-combined. Stir in some miniature chocolate chips.
Bake. This chocolate pudding bundt cake bakes for about 50-55 minutes. Allow the cake to cool for a bit in the pan, then invert it onto a plate to finish cooling.
Make the glaze. Once the cake is cool, prepare the glaze by melting some chocolate chips, butter, and corn syrup together in a double boiler, stirring constantly until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake.
Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Last, sprinkle some more mini chocolate chips on top of the glaze, and voila! You have a lovely and delicious triple chocolate bundt cake!
Notes and Adaptations for Making a Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake from a Mix and Pudding
- I used a devil’s food cake mix, because I think it generally has a deeper, more chocolatey flavor than just a plain chocolate mix. But you are welcome to use what you have!
- Feel free to sub plain greek yogurt for the sour cream if desired.
- You can substitute hot coffee for the hot water–it won’t impart a coffee flavor, but will deepen and enhance the chocolate flavor. I’m not a coffee drinker, so I never have coffee on hand, and the hot water worked just fine!
- When preparing the bundt pan, you can dust it with flour or cocoa after greasing it. For chocolate cakes, I generally dust with cocoa so that there aren’t any light-colored flour remnants on the cake after removing it from the pan. I especially do this in cases where the outside won’t be totally covered with frosting, such as this cake. But if appearances don’t matter as much to you (let’s be honest–it’s going to be in somebody’s belly in no time flat), flour will do the trick.
- If you don’t want to do a glaze on top, you can just dust it with powdered sugar and serve!
- My bundt pan was 9.5″ x 3.4″ and holds a volume of about 10 cups, similar to this one.
- You can also add some orange extract, like this chocolate orange bundt cake does!
Recommended Equipment:
Decadent Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake from a Mix
This triple chocolate bundt cake from a mix is a delicious, show-stopping dessert that doesn't require a lot of effort or skill! It's decadent and rich, making it the chocolate lover's dream!
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 15.25-oz or 13.25-oz package devil's food cake mix
- 1 5.9-oz package instant chocolate pudding mix
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
For the Glaze:
- 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 3 Tbs unsalted butter
- 1 Tbs light corn syrup
For the Topping:
- About 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips (feel free to use more or less as desired)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a bundt pan (I used a 9-inch pan) and dust with flour or cocoa.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a medium-large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, oil, eggs, and hot water. Begin mixing on low-medium speed, then gradually increase to medium-high speed and beat for a couple of minutes, until smooth.
- Stir in miniature chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until top springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool in pan for about an hour before inverting onto a plate. Allow cake to completely cool.
- Once cake has cooled, prepare glaze by adding chocolate chips, butter, and corn syrup to a double boiler (I just used a glass bowl over a small pan of simmering water). Melt contents together while stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and drizzle or spoon over the cake, allowing it to run down the sides.
- Once the glaze has cooled, sprinkle additional miniature chocolate chips over the top.
Notes
- Cake mix sizes have decreased over the last few years. Some stores still sell 15.25-oz boxes, while others have transitioned primarily to selling 13.25-oz boxes. I have tested this recipe with both sizes of cake mix, and it turns out great with either! So feel free to purchase the size available at your local store.
Cake adapted from: All Recipes
Glaze adapted from: All Recipes
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
Wilton Perfect Results Non-Stick Fluted Tube Pan, 9-Inch -
BLACK+DECKER 6-Speed Hand Mixer with 5 Attachments & Storage Case, MX3200B -
KitchenAid KSM75WH Classic Plus Series 4.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, White -
Stainless Universal Double Boiler，Baking Tools，Melting Pot for Butter Chocolate Cheese Caramel(18/8 Steel)
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 400Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 110mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 2gSugar: 21gProtein: 5g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.
Mine didnt turn out quite as pretty as yours but it was delicious. Love the recipe.
Hi Kimberly! I’m so glad you enjoyed it–I always tell myself the looks aren’t going to matter when it’s in someone’s belly! 🙂
This cake turned out so amazing! It was a beautiful present for my Father’s birthday. My Father specifically wanted a total dark chocolate and this recipe definitely delivered. Delicious!
Aw, this makes me so happy to hear, Angela! Thank you for sharing–I’m so glad it was just right for your father’s special day! 🙂
Is the cake batter size correct? I can only find 15.25 oz cake mix!
Hi Gretchen! Thank you for catching my typo–you’re correct, it should be 15.25-oz, not 18.25-oz. I’m editing the recipe now! 🙂
Cake mixes used to be 18.25. Downsized and up priced them a few years ago.
Interesting! I did not realize that, Kem!
They have downsized again! Betty Crocker is now 13.25 oz.
I’ve seen that recently! My goodness, they just keep shrinking everything. I’m going to experiment with the smaller size and make sure it still works okay! So far, most of my recipes I’ve tried with the smaller boxes still work okay, so I’m hoping the same is true for this one!
Just updating this to say that I tested the recipe today with the 13.25-oz mix, and it works fine with no other adjustments! I’ve updated the recipe to show that you can use either size. 🙂
Yes. They’re making them smaller rather than increasing the price.
Looking forward to making this recipe! In the info above recipe, you mention small instant pudding, but in ingredient list the larger 5.9 size pudding is noted. I am sure it delicious with either, but which size pudding do you do? Thanks!
I’m sorry for the confusion–thanks for catching that! I use the larger 5.9-oz package. I’ll change the info to match! Hope you enjoy it as much as we do! 🙂
This recipe was a hit. I didn’t have a bigger Bundt pan so the rest of the batter I made them into cake donuts for breakfast with coffee and that was a hit too! Thank you for sharing
Thank you so much, Ashley–I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it and that your creativity paid off in the form of donuts! What a great idea! 🙂
I noticed that this recipe does not call for vanilla flavoring. Most recipes call for it. Thoughts?
Hi Pat! You’re welcome to add vanilla extract if you’d like, but I don’t find it necessary for most cake mix recipes–especially with all that chocolate! 🙂
Can’t wait to make this .
I use salted butter . Will this be a problem when making the glaze ?
Thanks
Kathleen
Hi Kathleen! I haven’t personally tested it with salted butter, but I think the amount of salt won’t make a big difference. It may cut the sweetness just a tad, but I think it should work fine! Enjoy! 🙂
I cannot find a large instant pudding box! Aside from weighing the pudding mix is there something I can do with the smaller size box?
Hi Regina! If you can’t find the 5.9-oz box, you can just use one of the 3.9-oz boxes–the extra 2 ounces of pudding mix isn’t a make-it-or-break-it measurement, so you’ll be fine with just one smaller box. Enjoy! 🙂
My cake is in the oven now. I have always used a 3.9 oz of pudding mix unless otherwise required. It works all the time! So don’t fret..
Good to hear that, Sandy! Thanks for the comment–enjoy your cake! 🙂
Hi! I made this amazing bundt cake a couple of weeks ago. THANK YOU for sharing the recipe. Now I need to make cupcakes. Can you tell me if this recipe will work for cupcakes, too????? 🙂 Thanks, again.
Thanks so much for your kind words–I’m glad to hear you loved it as much as we do! 🙂 It should work fine for cupcakes, but with a shorter baking time of course. Fill the cupcake wells about 2/3 of the way full. Normally, a cake mix makes about 24 cupcakes, but you might get a few extra out of the batter since we add some extra ingredients. Enjoy!
So much appreciate your reply! Made 24 cupcakes… .probably could have been 30 if I had not been so heavy on filling the cup. The little cakes are delicious after baking for 20 mins in my oven. Dipped them in ganache glaze. BEAUTIFUL! 🙂 Thanks so much! So, SO glad to have found you.
Ooooooh DIPPING them in ganache is a fantastic idea! I’m going to store that away.
Just made this and it was indeed decadent. I recently read about using mayo in cakes so I did that instead of the sour cream but other than that made it per the recipe and it was perfect!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Jessica! Thanks for sharing that mayonnaise is a good substitute for the sour cream!
This recipe has become the family favorite! We love it! I usually make it with a Duncan Hines dark chocolate fudge cake mix, but I didn’t have any chocolate cake mixes yesterday! I only had a French vanilla cake mix. But I had a small box of vanilla pudding to go with it, so I went with those instead. I was also out of mini chocolate chips, so I used the regular size chocolate chips. Everything else was according to your recipe. It turned out so good! Yummy!!
What a yummy variation! I’m so glad the cake has become a staple in your family. Thanks so much for sharing, Erica! 🙂
Hi there I am trying to make a chocolate rum cake for a friend and your recipe is very similar but definitely seems like it would be very moist. Which is what he is looking for 🙂 so my question is can I add rum to this recipe? The recipe I was looking at calls for a 1/2 cup rum. Thank you in advance.
Hi Kate! How thoughtful of you to bake a cake for a friend! I haven’t tried adding rum to this cake myself, but I don’t see why you couldn’t! Enjoy! 🙂
Thank you for getting back so quickly!! :). Should I adjust the amount of oil down to add the rum? The original recipe called for 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup rum. Or do you think I should keep the oil the same and just add the rum?
No sour cream. Can I use softened cream cheese?
Hi Tina! I think that would work fine–you can beat it in with the butter and sugar. You can also just omit the sour cream entirely, without substituting for it, if you’d like–it just gives the cake some extra moisture, but it can certainly be made without it. Enjoy! 🙂
I was wondering if I could use peanut butter chips for the glaze instead of chocolate, would it set up the same?
I haven’t tried peanut butter chips, so I can’t say for sure, but that does sound delicious! You could also try making a glaze with creamy peanut butter instead of using chips–this one looks like a good option: https://familyaroundthetable.com/peanut-butter-glaze/
Does it need to be refrigerated or can it be put in a container and left on the counter?
Hi Sabrina! I don’t refrigerate mine. It should be good for at least a couple of days on the counter. 🙂
Can this cake be made in a 9×13 pan?
I haven’t personally tried it, but I think it would probably work fine. You’ll likely need to decrease the baking time a bit, though–I’d start checking it around 25-30 minutes or so. Enjoy! 🙂
Hi, i tried this at my friend’s house and loved it. So I am making it but because of yellow color dye, i cannot use instant pudding mix. Any substitute for that? Can i use “cook and serve “ kind of pudding mix instead? The ingredients works for me.
Hi Bina! You can omit the pudding mix. The texture will be slightly different, but the cake will still be fantastic. Enjoy! 🙂
Wow. Delicious recipe. I used a king Arthur gluten-free cake mix half a cup of butter, quarter cup oil, small box of pudding, and used a tube pan because my husband likes the crust on the cake. It was wonderful. Will make again and again. Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Liz! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed it! 🙂 And thanks for letting us know you had success with the gluten-free cake mix, too!
Hi!
Your cake is baking in my oven!
Cannot wait to take to my friend’s Birthday luncheon tomorrow!!!
Just wodering—
Should it be refrigerated after glazing?
Please advise!!!
Thank you in advance for sharing your amazing looking recipe!!!
Shar
Hi Shar! I hope your friend loves it and feels so special! I personally store mine at room temperature after glazing. Enjoy! 🙂
My favorite cake now. I had to cut off a huge slice or would have eaten it all. Have already replaced ingredients so I’m ready to go when a crave a chocolate fix. The cupcake idea was great. I’ll do that next and freeze some.
Thank you so much, Sandy! I love hearing that you enjoyed it. I agree, it’s hard to exercise portion control with this one! 🙂
I AM GOING TO USE BETTY CROCKER SUPER MOIST TRIPLE CHOC CAKE MIX BUT IT HAS PUDDING MIX IN IT DO I STILL USE THENPUDDING IT CALLS FOR OR SHOULS I LEAVE IT OUT?
JENNIFER
Hi Jennifer! You can still use the pudding mix in addition to that cake mix. Enjoy! 🙂
I’m making this cake to take on vacation and would like to know if it can be frozen a few days before I go? Thank you.
Hi Gretchen! I think the cake itself should freeze fine, but I’m not sure how the glaze would hold up. You might want to wait until the cake has thawed out before adding the glaze, if that’s an option. But even without the glaze, it’s a delicious cake! You could always add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of hot fudge sauce instead, if that’s easier to do when you’re away from home. Enjoy! 🙂
CHRYSTI-
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ANAZING CAKE RECIPE! I HAVE MADE IT TWICE FOR BIRTHDAY PARTIES, AND JUST MADE, FROZE, AND WRAPPED IN SARAN WRAP AND CARRIED IN MY TOTE BAG ON THE PLANE TO COME SEE MY KIDS HERE IN COLORADO! I SPRINKLE SOME WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS IN WITH THE BATTER, AND ALSO DECORATE THE GLAZE WITH SOME WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS. I HAVE ALSO CUT INTO INDIVIDUAL SERVINGS AND WRAPPED EACH WITH SARAN AND FROZE IN A GALLON ZIPLOCK BAG. IT WORKS PERFECTLY! NOW THAT I AM IN COLORADO, I WANT TO MAKE IT FOR THEM AGAIN. I AM NOT SURE HWHAT I SHOULD DO TO ALTER THE RECIPE TO HIGH ALTITUDE. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS?
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR REPLY AND FOR THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE EVER!
Hi Shar! Thank you for your comment! I apologize it took me a couple of days to get back to you. I sent a reply to the email you sent me! 🙂
I made this today. I could tell while I was baking it there was some smell of burning and when I took it out I noticed the edges were burnt a little bit. Any tips what I can do for that not to happen again?
Hi Brittany! It could be related to where in the oven your pan was placed–I generally bake in the top 1/3 of my oven. Darker pans also can cause it to happen–some people wrap the outside of their pan with aluminum foil to help deflect some of the heat. If the top of the cake is burning, you can also loosely cover it with foil. It could also be that your oven runs hot–the best way to check if it’s calibrated well is with an oven thermometer. I hope that helps give you some ideas of things to try! 🙂
Is there something I can use instead of the 1 T of corn for the frosting?
Hi Deb! The corn syrup is more for texture than for taste–so if you don’t have any on hand, I’d recommend using some honey instead. Enjoy! 🙂
I made this cake yesterday. IT IS AWESOME!!! It’s a big cake and very rich, it should feed a crowd!! Thank you, we love it. Will make again and again.
Thank you so much, Chrystal! I love hearing that you enjoyed it as much as we do–it’s a keeper, for sure! 🙂
What can I use instead of vegetable oil?
Hi Meg! You could substitute melted coconut oil or melted butter, if preferred. Enjoy!
Hi Meg, your cake recipe has become my family’s favorite and it’s my new potluck dish, as everyone loves it. I started putting peanut butter in between the layers of batter so there’s peanut butter in every slice and it is amazing.. thank you for sharing this recipe.
Hi Erlinda! Thanks so much for your comment–I love hearing that it’s become a hit with your family! What a great idea to add some peanut butter–I bet that’s delicious! 🙂
Can this be baked as two 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans and then frosted like a regular cake?
Hi Arthur! I haven’t done it myself, but I think it should work fine. Enjoy! 🙂
I accidentally bought dairy-free chocolate chips! Will they work for this recipe – both for the cake and the glaze?
Hi Beth! I think they would definitely work fine in the cake. As far as the glaze, I believe dairy-free chocolate chips will melt faster than regular choc chips. So I’d keep a close eye on them when heating them with the butter and corn syrup. I hope that helps! 🙂
Sounds delicious! Can you use 2 9″ pans instead of a bundt pan?
Hi Linda! I haven’t personally tried it, but I think it would work fine. The bake time will likely be less, so I’d recommend checking it earlier. Enjoy!
Can this be made in two 9″ cake pans as well?
Mine turned out perfect! (Plus it was my first time baking a cake) What an easy yummy recipe!
Thank you, Alycea! I’m so glad to hear it worked well for you! 🙂
I make this cake for my family in a Bundt. What do I do differently to it to make it into a birthday cake using a large cake pan?
Hi Lynn! I haven’t made this cake in a 13×9″ pan, so I can’t say for sure. However, a 13×9″ cake usually takes less baking time than a bundt cake, so you’ll want to start checking it sooner (maybe start checking around the 30 minute mark?). I’d love to hear how it turns out if you give it a try! 🙂
I missed that the pudding is “instant”. I bought regular pudding. Will this be ok?
Hi Jane! I haven’t tried it with cook and serve pudding mix, so I’m honestly not sure how it will work. If you give it a go, I’d love to hear if it worked for you!
Hello! Super excited to try out your recipe. Question for you – why vegetable oil, and why not melted butter? I’m still learning! Please & thank you!
Hi Liana! I find that vegetable oil gives a lighter, fluffier, and more moist texture than melted butter. I use butter in cakes that are more dense, like a pound cake, but for a fluffier cake, I prefer vegetable oil. Hope that helps, and that you enjoy the cake! 🙂