Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe for Christmas
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Rich and utterly divine, this Chocolate Bundt Cake is an easy-to-make, super moist, dense, chocolate pound cake recipe you won’t forget anytime soon. Rich but simple to make with a hint of espresso that I love serving during the holidays – but it is equally as delicious served any time of year!
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This Chocolate Bundt Cake is actually a Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake, baked in a bundt pan, that to my eye, makes me think of Christmas poinsettias. Talk about festive!
Chocolate and the holidays belong together. And while I’ve always loved a chocolate cake during the holidays like the Chocolate Espresso Coffee Cake I’ve made for years, this cake is equally deserving of tradition.
And while I’ve used the Nordic Blossom Bundt Cake, any 10 to 12-cup Bundt pan will bake just as deliciously and beautifully!
How to Decorate a Christmas Chocolate Pound Cake
Because this cake, to me, resembled a poinsettia, I elected to keep it simple. In this case, a dusting of confectioners’ sugar with a powdered sugar shaker.
But a beautiful melted chocolate glaze or white vanilla glaze would be delicious as well!
I also added a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and a couple of red cranberries.
Or — let the bundt cake design stand on its own. The cake is delicious enough without additional glazing.
Ingredients
Here are the Chocolate Pound Cake ingredients you’ll need. Specific ingredient measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post:
- Unsalted butter: If using salted butter, adjust the salt in the recipe slightly.
- Granulated sugar
- Large eggs for stabilitiy
- Vanilla extract for flavor
- Instant espresso powder: While this ingredient is optional, it elevates the cake’s chocolaty flavor.
- Buttermilk for a soft and tender crumb
- All-purpose flour, not self-rising flour.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Leaving: Baking powder, baking soda, and salt
Special Equipment
- Handheld electric mixer or stand mixer
- Bundt cake pan: I use a 10-cup Nordic Blossom Bundt Cake pan (Amazon).
- Spatula to transfer batter to the cake pan
Directions
Preheat oven to 325°F and grease and flour a 10 to 12-cup Bundt pan.
Step 1: Combine the Dry Ingredients
Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
Step 2: Combine the wet ingredients
Combine the buttermilk, instant espresso, and vanilla; set aside.
Step 3: Make the Cake Batter
In the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until the yolk disappears before adding the next one.
Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk espresso mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Sharply tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles.
Step 4: Bake the Chocolate Bundt Cake
Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Then, carefully invert the cake onto a rack to cool completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
First — use good quality, thick bundt tins. Nordic Ware are my go-to for this reason! Then bake sure you’ve buttered and floured (you can also use cocoa if you’re worried about flour streaks) the pan really well so the cake does not stick in the grooves. I find this method works better than cooking spray!
Yes! As it’s a simple buttermilk cake it will freeze really well — I would recommend decorating it once you’ve thawed it though to keep it looking fresh! It will still taste exactly the same.
More Easy Cake Recipes
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Chocolate Bundt Cake: Deliciously Simple Christmas Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and grease and flour a 10 to 12-cup Bundt pan.
- Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Combine the buttermilk, instant espresso, and vanilla; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until the yolk disappears before adding the next one.
- Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk espresso mixture; beginning and ending with the flour. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Sharply tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Then carefully invert the cake onto a rack to cool completely.
Video
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.