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Moist Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake Recipe Using Cake Mix

A close-up of a chocolate bundt cake topped with glossy chocolate icing and red berries. A hand is lifting a slice, revealing the moist, rich texture inside. A modern kitchen is blurred in the background.

If you’re after a fail-safe chocolate dessert that’s always moist, rich, and utterly irresistible, this Moist Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake is a winner. It begins with a simple yellow cake mix but becomes extraordinary once you add instant chocolate pudding, sour cream, espresso powder (optional), and a full cup of chocolate chips. The result is a tender, bakery-style bundt cake that stays moist for days.

This cake is fantastic plain because the texture and chocolate flavor shine on their own. For a festive touch I topped mine with dark chocolate curls and fresh cranberries, but you can keep it simple with a dusting of powdered sugar or a light glaze. It’s a versatile recipe that works year-round — dress it up for holidays or serve it as an everyday treat.

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A close-up view of flour being poured from a plastic bag into a metal mixing bowl, with hands holding the bag and red nail polish visible.
A hand holds a box of Jell-O chocolate instant pudding mix above a large metal bowl containing chocolate powder. Kitchen cabinets and a countertop are visible in the background.
A hand holds a jar of King Arthur Espresso Powder above a large metal bowl filled with flour and cocoa powder, ready for baking.

Espresso powder is optional but it deepens the chocolate flavor and adds richness without tasting like coffee.

A hand with red nail polish uses a whisk to mix a bowl of dry ingredients, likely flour and cocoa powder, on a wooden countertop.
A metal bowl with dry baking ingredients and a mound of brown sugar sits next to a white bowl containing four cracked eggs on a wooden surface.
A hand holds a bowl of thick white yogurt above a metal mixing bowl containing a blend of dry and wet baking ingredients on a wooden countertop.
A hand with red nail polish stirs chocolate cake batter in a large metal mixing bowl using a spoon. The bowl is on a wooden surface in a kitchen.
A hand with red nail polish holds a spoon of white powder above a measuring cup filled with chocolate chips on a wooden surface. A metal mixing bowl is partially visible to the left.
A metal bowl filled with chocolate cookie dough, topped with chocolate chips and a dusting of flour, sits on a wooden surface. A metal spoon is sticking out of the bowl.
A metal bowl filled with thick, creamy chocolate batter being mixed with a metal spoon, sitting on a wooden surface.
A close-up of a bundt cake pan coated with pats and smears of butter, sitting on a wooden surface, ready for cake batter.
A thick chocolate cake batter is being poured from a metal bowl into a greased bundt pan, ready for baking.
A bundt cake pan filled with chocolate cake batter sits on a wooden surface. The pan is greased with visible streaks of butter or shortening. In the background, a mixing bowl with more batter is partially visible.
A partially opened bag of Ghirardelli 72% cacao dark chocolate chips sits on a white plate. The purple packaging displays images of chocolate chips and a cookie, with baking and cacao content details visible.
A Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao chocolate bar, partly unwrapped, lies on a wooden surface next to a black-handled vegetable peeler.
A bundt cake with light brown glaze drizzled on top, decorated with fresh red cherries, sits on a white plate in a kitchen setting.
A smiling woman in a floral dress stands in a bright kitchen beside a chocolate bundt cake with cranberries and a cookbook on the counter. White cabinets and a window appear in the background.

Interested in my dress? You can find it on the linked retailer if you’d like 🙂

A close-up of a chocolate bundt cake drizzled with chocolate glaze, topped with red cherries. A hand is lifting a slice, revealing the cake’s moist, rich texture. The background shows a modern kitchen.
A slice of chocolate cake with chocolate shavings, a cranberry, and whipped cream sits on a plate. Behind it, the rest of the cake is topped with chocolate glaze and cranberries on a cake stand.
A slice of chocolate bundt cake topped with chocolate shavings and a cherry, served with a dollop of whipped cream on a white plate. The whole cake, decorated similarly, is displayed in the background on a stand.

Tips & Notes

  • Coffee or hot water intensifies chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee.
  • Sour cream is key for a moist, tender, bakery-style crumb.
  • Toss chocolate chips with a tablespoon of flour to prevent them from sinking.
  • Shaved chocolate from a bar makes elegant curls for decorating; chips are great inside the cake.

Items Featured in Video

A collage showing ingredients and tools for a moist chocolate chip bundt cake, including chocolate chips, cake mix, Jello pudding, sour cream, espresso powder, a spatula, whisk, measuring spoons, and a woman with the finished cake.

👝 How to Store Leftovers

Keep the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6–7 days. If you prefer, refrigerate it and bring slices to room temperature before serving for best texture.

🤔 Common Questions

Can I use milk chocolate chips instead?

Yes — use any chocolate you like. Dark chocolate gives a deeper, richer flavor while milk chocolate is sweeter and milder.

Do I need to use espresso powder?

No. It’s optional. Espresso powder simply enhances the chocolate notes without adding a coffee taste.

A close-up of a chocolate bundt cake topped with glossy chocolate icing and red berries. A hand is lifting a slice, revealing the moist, rich texture inside. A modern kitchen is blurred in the background.

Moist Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake (With Cake Mix!)

This recipe turns a boxed cake mix into a rich, moist bundt cake with instant pudding, sour cream, and chocolate chips for an indulgent texture and flavor.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

  

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 small 3.9 oz box instant chocolate pudding mix
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
  • 4 eggs whisked before adding
  • ½ cup oil
  • ½ cup water or hot coffee
  • 8 oz sour cream
  • 1 cup dark, milk, or semi-sweet chocolate chips tossed in 1 tablespoon flour so they don’t sink
  • Butter for generously greasing the bundt pan
  • Dark chocolate bar for shaving curls (optional)

Instructions

 

Mix the dry ingredients

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the yellow cake mix, instant chocolate pudding mix, and espresso powder if using.

Add the wet ingredients

  • Add the oil, water or hot coffee, sour cream, and the four whisked eggs. Mix until smooth, about 1–2 minutes.

Add the chocolate chips

  • Toss the chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of flour, then gently fold them into the batter.

Prep your bundt pan

  • Generously butter the entire inside of the bundt pan — this helps the cake release cleanly.

Bake

  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45–50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. My cake was perfect at 50 minutes.

Flip & cool

  • Let the cake cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then invert onto a plate and allow it to cool completely.

Decorate (or keep it simple!)

  • For a polished look shave a dark chocolate bar with a potato peeler to make curls and scatter them on top.

Alternatives

  • Dust with powdered sugar for a quick finish.
  • Drizzle a simple vanilla or chocolate glaze if you prefer a sweeter topping.
  • Or leave it plain — the cake is so moist it’s delicious on its own.

Keyword bundt cake, Chocolate Bundt Cake, chocolate chips
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Make It Holiday-Ready: Dark Chocolate Ganache & Festive Garnishes

To give the cake a special holiday finish, make a simple ganache with about ¾ to 1 cup dark chocolate chips and ¼ cup heavy cream (add a little more cream if needed). Heat in short bursts, stirring until smooth and pourable. Pour the ganache slowly over the cake and let it drip naturally down the sides.

I finished mine by arranging fresh cranberries around the top edge for a bright pop of color, then shaved a dark chocolate bar with a potato peeler to create delicate curls and sprinkled them over the ganache just before serving. The combination is elegant but easy, and it makes the cake feel like a holiday centerpiece.