Mohamed Shili Joanna Gaines Chocolate Bundt Cake is a decadent American comfort dessert. This moist, dark sponge is infused with a hint of cinnamon and loaded with mini chocolate chips before being draped in a silky, two-ingredient chocolate ganache.
If you do nothing else, grease and flour every single nook of your bundt pan. That’s the difference between a beautiful, sculpted centerpiece and a broken cake that leaves its best parts stuck to the metal. I’ve found that using a pastry brush to get a thick layer of softened butter into the ridges is much more reliable than just using a quick spray of oil.
The cinnamon is doing more work than you’d think here. Without it, the cocoa powder can taste a bit flat, but that half-teaspoon of spice actually amplifies the richness of the chocolate and gives the cake a bakery-style depth. I didn’t expect the boiling water and butter mixture to matter that much, but the heat blooms the cocoa, making the entire house smell like a chocolate factory.
Joanna Gaines Chocolate Bundt Cake Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable or canola oil
- 1/3 cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup (240ml) water
- 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (170g) mini chocolate chips
For the Chocolate Ganache:
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups (340g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Extra mini chocolate chips for topping (optional)
How To Make Joanna Gaines Chocolate Bundt Cake
- 1. Preheat the oven: Heat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and position the rack in the center. Spend a few minutes thoroughly greasing your bundt pan with butter and dusting it with flour or cocoa powder, tapping out any extra so the cake doesn’t have white patches.
- 2. Combine dry ingredients: Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Making sure the baking soda is well mixed into the flour prevents any bitter metallic spots from appearing in the finished cake.
- 3. Prepare the wet mixture: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the oil, cocoa powder, and water, then bring the liquid just to a boil before taking it off the heat immediately.
- 4. Mix wet and dry ingredients: Pour the hot cocoa mixture into the dry flour blend and stir it together with a whisk or wooden spoon. Once it’s combined, add the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract, whisking until the batter is smooth and shiny.
- 5. Add chips and bake: Gently fold in the mini chocolate chips so they’re spread evenly through the batter. Pour everything into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.
Don’t let the cake sit in the pan for longer than five minutes after it comes out of the oven. If it cools too much inside the pan, the sugar in the cake will act like glue and make it nearly impossible to flip it out in one piece.
- 6. Make the ganache: Heat the heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl until it just starts to simmer, which usually takes about 2 minutes. Pour the chocolate chips into the hot cream, let them sit undisturbed for 5 minutes, then whisk until the mixture is thick and glossy.
- 7. Decorate the cake: Once the cake is completely cold, slowly drizzle the ganache over the top, letting it run down the sides and into the center. Sprinkle a handful of extra mini chocolate chips over the wet ganache if you want that extra bit of texture.
Recipe Tips
- Use mini chips inside the batter: Standard-sized chocolate chips are heavy and often sink to the bottom of the bundt pan, which can cause the cake to stick or break. Mini chips are light enough to stay suspended in the batter while it bakes.
- Bloom your cocoa powder: Adding the cocoa to the boiling water and butter mixture is a step you shouldn’t skip. The heat dissolves the cocoa solids and releases more flavor than if you just whisked the dry powder into the flour.
- Check for doneness early: Bundt pans are deep, and the center can stay raw while the edges get dry. Start testing with a long skewer at 45 minutes to make sure you don’t overbake the exterior of the cake.
- Don’t over-whisk the eggs. Once the eggs go into the batter, mix only until they disappear. If you beat the batter too much at the end, you’ll end up with a tough, rubbery crumb instead of a soft and tender one.
- Let the ganache thicken: If your ganache is too runny and slides right off the cake, let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes. As it cools, it will become thick enough to cling to the curves of the bundt shape.
- Sift the flour if it’s lumpy: If your flour has been sitting in a tight bag, give it a quick sift or whisk it vigorously before measuring. Clumps of flour in the batter can turn into dry white pockets inside the dark chocolate cake.
What To Serve With Joanna Gaines Chocolate Bundt Cake
A cold glass of milk or a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream is the best way to balance the heavy chocolate flavor. The creaminess of the ice cream helps soften the richness of the ganache.
Fresh raspberries or sliced strawberries add a nice tartness that cuts through the sugar. You could also serve it with a hot cup of black coffee to bring out the toasted notes of the cocoa and cinnamon.
How To Store Joanna Gaines Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Fridge: Keep the cake in a sealed container or under a cake dome for up to 5 days. You don’t need to put it in the fridge unless your kitchen is very warm, as the ganache stays stable at room temperature.
- Reheat: A single slice is great if you warm it in the microwave for about 10 seconds. This makes the mini chocolate chips inside get melty again and softens the ganache so it tastes like it was just made.
- Freeze: You can freeze the unglazed cake for up to 3 months by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap and foil. If you’ve already added the ganache, freeze the slices on a tray first until the chocolate is hard, then wrap them individually.
Joanna Gaines Chocolate Bundt Cake Nutrition Facts
Per serving (1 of 12):
- Calories: 560 kcal
- Protein: 6g
- Fat: 32g
- Carbohydrates: 68g
- Sugar: 52g
- Sodium: 340mg
FAQs
Why did my Joanna Gaines Chocolate Bundt Cake stick to the pan?
This usually happens if the pan wasn’t greased thoroughly or if the cake sat in the pan for more than five minutes. Use a thin plastic spatula to gently loosen the edges before you try to flip it over.
Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk in my Joanna Gaines Chocolate Bundt Cak?
Yes, but the texture won’t be as tender and the cake won’t rise as well. If you don’t have buttermilk, add a teaspoon of lemon juice to half a cup of regular milk and let it sit for five minutes before using.
What’s the best way to get a smooth ganache?
Make sure the chocolate chips are completely covered by the hot cream and don’t touch them for the full five minutes. If you stir too early, the chocolate will cool down and you’ll end up with tiny unmelted lumps.
Is the cinnamon flavor very strong?
No, it’s very subtle and is there mostly to enhance the chocolate. If you really don’t like cinnamon, you can leave it out, but the cake might taste a little less complex.
Try More Recipes:
Joanna Gaines Chocolate Bundt Cake
Description
Joanna Gaines’ Chocolate Bundt Cake is the ultimate dessert for serious chocolate lovers. By using a technique called “blooming”—where the cocoa powder is heated with boiling water and melted butter—the chocolate flavor becomes incredibly deep and intense. Thanks to a combination of buttermilk and vegetable oil, the crumb stays flawlessly moist and tender for days. Studded with mini chocolate chips and drenched in a thick, glossy, homemade chocolate ganache, this cake looks like it came straight from a high-end bakery but is surprisingly easy to pull together at home.
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust:
For the Pumpkin Filling:
For the Cinnamon Whipped Cream:
Instructions
- Prepare the crust: Stir the crushed graham crackers, melted butter, and sugar together in a medium bowl until the mixture looks like wet sand. Press it firmly into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan, then pop it in the fridge to set while you work on the batter.
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 175°C (350°F) and place a rack in the center. Lining a baking sheet with foil and placing it on the rack below can help catch any butter drips from the springform pan during the bake.
- Make the cheesecake filling: Beat the softened cream cheese and both sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed. Keep going until the mixture is perfectly smooth and you don’t see any tiny white lumps of cheese remaining.
- Add wet ingredients and spices: Stir in the sour cream, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix on low speed until the color is a uniform, pale orange and the spices are evenly spread throughout the batter.
- Add eggs: Gradually pour in the lightly beaten eggs, mixing just until they disappear into the batter. Stop the mixer immediately once the eggs are incorporated to prevent adding extra air bubbles that could cause the cake to puff up and then collapse.
- Assemble and bake: Pour the pumpkin batter over your chilled crust and smooth the top with a spatula. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 40 to 50 minutes until the edges are firm but the center still has a slight jiggle when you gently shake the pan.
- Cool and chill: Let the cheesecake cool on a wire rack until it reaches room temperature. Once it’s no longer warm to the touch, move it to the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, though leaving it overnight is the best way to ensure the texture is firm.
- Make cinnamon whipped cream: Whisk the cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon in a chilled bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat the cream until it forms stiff peaks that stand up straight when you lift the beaters.
- Serve: Pipe or dollop the spiced whipped cream onto the top of the cold cheesecake right before you plan to eat. Use a warm, wet knife to cut the cake so you get clean, sharp edges on every slice.
Avoid overmixing at this stage. If you beat the eggs too much, the cheesecake will rise like a souffle in the oven and then develop deep cracks across the surface as it cools down.
Notes
-
Use mini chips inside the batter: Standard-sized chocolate chips are heavy and often sink to the bottom of the bundt pan, which can cause the cake to stick or break. Mini chips are light enough to stay suspended in the batter while it bakes.
Bloom your cocoa powder: Adding the cocoa to the boiling water and butter mixture is a step you shouldn’t skip. The heat dissolves the cocoa solids and releases more flavor than if you just whisked the dry powder into the flour.
Check for doneness early: Bundt pans are deep, and the center can stay raw while the edges get dry. Start testing with a long skewer at 45 minutes to make sure you don’t overbake the exterior of the cake.
Don’t over-whisk the eggs. Once the eggs go into the batter, mix only until they disappear. If you beat the batter too much at the end, you’ll end up with a tough, rubbery crumb instead of a soft and tender one.
Let the ganache thicken: If your ganache is too runny and slides right off the cake, let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes. As it cools, it will become thick enough to cling to the curves of the bundt shape.
Sift the flour if it’s lumpy: If your flour has been sitting in a tight bag, give it a quick sift or whisk it vigorously before measuring. Clumps of flour in the batter can turn into dry white pockets inside the dark chocolate cake.
