Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

Make this chocolate chip bundt cake recipe whenever you’re looking for a simple, chocolate and vanilla cake. The cake itself is tender and full of mini chocolate chips. It’s then slathered in chocolate icing. You get the perfect amount of chocolate and vanilla in every bite. It’s a fun one, I hope you love it!

Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Chip Cake

I took a favorite vanilla bundt cake recipe of mine and adapted it to make a chocolate chip version. The end result is so good, but here is why I especially am a fan of this bundt cake:

• Soft and tender vanilla cake filled with mini chocolate chips, for the perfect cake-to-chocolate ration in every bite.
• A rich chocolate glaze on top adds extra chocolate flavor
• Bundt cake is easy to make and decorate
• Perfect as an everyday dessert and also for simple occasions

What is Reverse Creaming?

The trick to making a super tender, soft bundt cake with a tight crumb is to use the reverse creaming method. I’m a huge fan of reverse creaming (I know some bakers hate it though), and for the right recipe it really does yield the best texture and flavor. You’ll find this recipe in a ton of the recipes on this site, including blueberry bundt cake, gingerbread layer cake, and peach shortcake cake.

Reverse creaming is when you add the dry ingredients first instead of last as you normally would. You beat the dry ingredients and sugar into the butter, and the butter wraps around the flour, creating a protective layer that prevents gluten development. It’s very forgiving since it reduces the risk of over-mixing the batter (which leads to tough cake) and creates a stronger emulsion to prevent the batter from splitting. 

Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

Here is everything you will need to make this cake as well as some substitution notes:

Ingredients for Cake Batter

• Mini Chocolate Chips: I highly recommend you use mini chocolate chips if possible. These are smaller and therefore you get a wider distribution of chocolate throughout the cake with the same volume as if you had used regular chocolate chips. They also make sure there is a perfect amount of chocolate in each bite.Tip: Toss the chocolate chips with a bit of flour before folding them into the batter to prevent them from all sinking to the bottom. 
• All-Purpose Flour and Cake Flour: I highly recommend measuring the flour with a scale to ensure accuracy.
  • If you do not have cake flour, then just use all-purpose flour, but replace x tablespoons of the flour with cornstarch.
• Granulated Sugar: For sweetness. Avoid making substitutions or reducing the amount of sugar in the recipe, as this will impact flavor and texture. 
• Unsalted butter and oil: I use a combination of butter and oil as the primary fat sources. The butter adds a nice, rich flavor while oil contributes to a tender texture.
• Large eggs, at room temperature: Soak eggs in a bowl of hot water for 5-10 minutes to warm them up.
• Buttermilk: I don’t think there’s a perfect substitute for buttermilk, but in a pinch if you need to DIY you can combine equal parts sour cream and milk.
• Baking soda and baking powder: leavening agents
• Salt and vanilla extract: for flavor. Don’t be afraid to use plenty of good vanilla.

Ingredients for Chocolate Icing

• Butter: use either salted or unsalted
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate: use whatever you like best. I’m not a fan of milk chocolate since it’s too sweet for this icing.
• Powdered sugar: more formally known as confectioner’s sugar
• Milk or half and half: use this to smooth out the icing’s texture
• Vanilla extract and salt: for flavor

You will also need a 10-12 cup capacity bundt cake pan. I recently invested in a new Nordicware bundt pan and it’s been such a great investment. It’s so sturdy and heats evenly.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Beat dry ingredients together with butter. Mix flour, sugar, leavening agents, and salt together in the bowl of a mixer. While running the mixer on low speed, add in the butter, a slice at a time, followed by the oil. Continue beating until the mixture resembles a soft, perhaps crumbly, cookie dough (see picture below).

Step 2: Add eggs, one at a time. Beat in each egg, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition. The batter will start to look like a paste. Add the vanilla.

Step 3: Add buttermilk. They trick here is to go slow. Slowly stream the buttermilk into the mixing while running it on low speed. If you go too quickly it will splatter everywhere since you’re forcing the liquid into a thick emulsion. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue beating until you achieve a smooth batter.

Step 4: Add chocolate chips. Toss the chocolate chips with 1-2 tsp of flour before folding them into the batter. This will prevent them from all sinking to the bottom of the pan while baking.

Step 5: Bake the cake. Pour the batter into a well-greased bundt cake and bake the cake until a toothpick comes out clean. This will take 45-50 minutes. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes in the pan after taking it out of the oven before flipping the it out. This gives it a chance to set a bit.

Step 6: Make icing. Once the bundt cake is completely cool, you can add the icing. Start by microwaving butter and chocolate together until melted. Then whisk in the remaining ingredients until the icing is smooth. Spread the icing on top of the cake. It doesn’t have to look perfect–it’ll taste the same regardless.

Tips for Success

• Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure that the eggs and buttermilk are not cold out of the fridge before baking. They will mix better, which leads to an even, tender crumb.
• Weigh ingredients (and most importantly the flour) using a kitchen scale. It’s easy to overmeasure flour, which leads to dry cake. If you do not have a scale, fluff the flour and spoon it into a measuring cup, using a knife to level off the top.
• Make sure leavening agents are fresh. Old baking soda and baking powder do not work as well and the cake will not rise. If it’s been over a year since you’ve purchased new leavening agents, then it may be time for a replacement!
• Let the cake rest in the pan for 10-15 minutes before taking it out. Fresh out of the oven cake is too hot and fragile. It will break and you will burn yourself if you don’t let the cake set and cool a bit.

How to Store Leftover Bundt Cake

This bundt cake is stable, so you can store it at room temperature. Make sure to put it into an airtight container or tightly wrap it with foil. It will be good for 4-5 days, though it will be best if you eat it within the first 1-2 days. Avoid sticking this cake in the fridge, as the cool temperature will dry it out.

Pin & Save for Later

If you’re interested in making this recipe, browsing around, or not ready to bake yet, no problem! Simply hover over or tap (on mobile) any image in this post (pick your favorite or use the one below), and use the pin icon in the corner to save for later.

Hope you enjoy your chocolate chip bundt cake!

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