Heart Shaped Chocolate Bundt Cake
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This Heart Shaped Chocolate Bundt Cake is supremely chocolatey and decadent with a light buttery, moist crumb. It’s festive and fun, perfect for Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, afternoon tea, or any special occasion.
What I Love About a Heart Shaped Chocolate Bundt Cake
If this cake looks a little familiar, you would be right. My Heart Shaped Sour Cream Pound Cake, also perfect for Valentine’s Day, teatime, or any special occasion, is made in the same pan. Equally delicious!
But we needed a chocolate heart cake, too — it’s literally a chocolate lover’s dream. It’s easy and super chocolaty, yet the crumb is light and rich and fudgy. Happy sigh!
What makes it light and perfect? A trio of rich cocoa, butter, and sour cream. It’s decadent and utterly and completely delicious.
Glaze? You could make a chocolate ganache glaze, but using this Bundt pan would cover all of the pretty designs. So, I opt for a simple dusting of powdered sugar and serve with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries.
Moist, delicious, and easy!
Size? This chocolate bundt cake recipe is scaled to fit a 6-cup Bundt pan, making it a perfect size for celebrations.
And if you love heart-shaped treats, try my Heart Shaped Pavlova, Heart-Shaped Valentine Strawberry Shortcakes ,or Heart-Shaped Valentine Linzer Cookies.
Vanilla Pound Cake Recipe Ingredients
You will find the ingredient measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but here is a list of the simple ingredients you will need!
- All-purpose flour: I use unbleached all-purpose flour.
- Baking Soda: For the perfect lift.
- Salt: An important ingredient that helps balance the chocolate and sugar!
- Butter: Both salted and unsalted butter works great. For the best results, let the butter come to room temperature.
- Granulated sugar plus powdered sugar for dusting after it is baked.
- Large eggs for structure and stability.
- Sour cream, or you can substitute plain Greek yogurt.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: I use regular cocoa powder.
- Vanilla extract is irresistible for that flavor.
- Chocolate: I use half of a bar of quality chocolate, chopped finely for that added chocolate decadence.
Scroll down for the full recipe with ingredient amounts and print option.
How to Make This Chocolate Bundt Cake
Preheat oven to 350° F and prepare a 6-cup Bundt pan with baking spray that contains flour, or grease and flour the pan. Be sure the entire surface, including all the crevices, is well coated. I like to use a pastry brush.
Step 1: Bloom the chocolate
Whisk the hot water and cocoa powder in a medium bowl until well combined. Let cool for 10 minutes. This causes a blooming effect and enhances the chocolate flavor.
Step 2: Whisk dry ingredients
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt together in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
Step 3: Prepare cake batter
Add melted butter, sour cream, oil, eggs, and vanilla to the bloomed cocoa mixture. Whisk to combine and pour into the flour mixture. Stir just until there are no visible streaks of flour. Pour into the prepared Bundt pan. Tap gently on the counter to release any air bubbles.
Step 3: Bake
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a metal rack to cool completely.
Heart Shaped Bundt Cake Pan
I fell in love with this Bundt Cake pan during a recent visit to Williams Sonoma. I tell the story in more detail in the Heart Shaped Sour Cream Pound Cake recipe linked above, but after vacillating, I finally decided my Bundt Cake collection needed it. Smile.
I was right! It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day, or anytime I want to honor a family member, a friend, or someone who needs a lift and a little love in their life.
Plus, baking with this pan is a breeze! It’s nonstick; I never have trouble releasing the cake from the pan. Decorating? Unnecessary! All the pretty decorations are, quite literally, “baked” into the cake.
While I purchased my Heart Shaped Bundt Pan at Williams Sonoma, Amazon also has a Floral Heart Bundt pan with nearly the same design.
Helpful Bundt Cake Tips
- Scrape the when mixing: Be sure to scrape down the bowl as needed so that all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Room temperature ingredients: It’s important to bring the butter to room temperature for the best texture before beginning. It’s also helpful for the eggs to be at room temperature as well.
- Avoid overmixing: Be careful not to overmix the batter to avoid a dry and dense cake, mix just until the ingredients are incorporated.
- Grease the pan well: Use a baking spray with flour or butter to flour your pan so the cake is easy to remove once baked.
- Allow the cake to cool in the Bundt pan for 10-15 minutes before inverting onto a rack. If you try to remove it too early, the cake can break, and if you remove it after it has cooled, it will have steamed, creating moisture that will make it stick to the pan.
- Slicing the cake: Let the cake cool completely before slicing for the best results.
Storing the Cake
Room Temperature: This cake will keep at room temperature for 3-4 days when well covered. It can be refrigerated for 5-6 days. When serving, bring the cake to room temperature.
Can you freeze bundt cake?
Yes, bundt cakes freeze incredibly well. Let the cake cool before storing it in an airtight container for up to 3 months. I like to wrap it in foil and then store it in a container.
Thaw on the counter or in the fridge.
More Bundt Cake Recipes to Try
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Heart Shaped Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Heart Bundt Cake Pan or other 6-cup Bundt cake pan
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup hot water
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup cooking oil
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ounces chocolate bar chopped very finely (chocolate is optional)
Instructions
Prepare the Bundt Pan
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare a 6-cup Bundt pan with baking spray that contains flour, or grease the pan with butter and cocoa powder. Ensure the pan's interior is well coated, including the crevices, for easy removal after baking. I like to use a pastry brush.
Bloom the Chocolate
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the hot water and cocoa powder until well combined. Let cool for 10 minutes. This causes a blooming effect and enhances the chocolate flavor.
Make the Cake
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt together.
- To the cocoa mixture, add the melted butter, sour cream, oil, eggs, vanilla and very finely chopped chocolate bar. Whisk to combine and pour into the flour mixture. Stir just until there are no visible streaks of flour. Pour into the prepared Bundt pan. Tap gently on the counter to release any air bubles.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a metal rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- Storing the Cake:
Room Temperature: This cake will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days when covered or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freezing: This cake freezes well! Be sure to wrap it tightly in a layer of plastic wrap and foil. Thaw it completely before serving. - Chocolate Bar: This addition is completely optional but adds a layer of decadence to the cake. I used Ghirardelli Intense 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate, but use your favorite!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.