I’ve been thinking lately about how little effort a dessert actually takes to look like a lot of effort. A Bundt cake does that on its own: fluted sides, a proper shape, the whole thing. You set it on the table and people assume you were at the oven for hours. Usually you weren’t.
This one starts with a box of cake mix and a box of instant vanilla pudding, and that’s our little secret. It’s genuinely moist, genuinely chocolate, and the homemade frosting on top takes under 5 minutes to whip up. If I can make it on a Tuesday, it’s a keeper.
Why this cake
Bundt cakes get a reputation for being fussy — special pans, temperamental batters, frosting that won’t cooperate. This one skips all of it. The pudding mix does quiet work in the batter: it adds flavor, moisture, and a softer crumb than a plain boxed mix can manage. And the frosting? If you’ve only ever used the canned kind, you’ve been missing out. Five minutes, a few ingredients, and it’s the kind of frosting you want to spoon straight from the bowl.
Serve it plain, with ice cream, or with whipped cream. It works for birthdays, potlucks, holidays, or a Tuesday with no occasion at all.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 15.25 oz yellow cake mix (white cake mix works too)
- 3.4 oz box instant vanilla pudding mix
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
For the frosting:
- ¼ cup salted butter, very soft
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 dash salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp milk (more if needed)
A note for UK and EU bakers: “yellow cake mix” and “instant vanilla pudding mix” are the American standard supermarket versions. If you’re in the US or Canada, you’ll find both in the baking aisle. If you’re not, a plain white cake mix or a homemade vanilla batter works as the base, and the pudding mix is what makes this version extra moist.
How to make it
Prep time is about 20 minutes, the bake is 45–50 minutes, and it needs a couple of hours to cool. Total time: about 3 hours. The cooling is the only unglamorous part, and even that happens while you’re doing other things.
- Prep. Grease a 12-inch (30 cm) Bundt pan with shortening and dust with flour, or use a no-stick baking spray with flour. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Batter. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, oil, and water. Beat at medium speed for 2–3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula now and then. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 45–50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack. Let it cool completely, a couple of hours.
- Frost. In a medium bowl, beat together the soft butter, cocoa, salt, powdered sugar, vanilla, and just 3 tablespoons of the milk until smooth, adding more milk a little at a time until it’s spreadable but still thin enough to run slightly down the sides. Spread it over the cooled cake and let it fall where it may.
Slice and serve on its own, with ice cream, or with whipped cream.
Good to know
Why the pudding mix? It’s the difference between a good cake and a cake that stays soft for days. The dry mix dissolves into the batter and adds both flavor and moisture without changing what you already have to do.
Can I make it ahead? Yes, and it actually tastes better the next day, when the flavors have had time to settle. To bake it days or even weeks ahead, wrap the unfrosted cake in several layers of plastic wrap and freeze it. Thaw at room temperature, unwrap, frost, and serve. Freezer-friendly cakes are the ones that actually get baked.
Storage. Kept in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic, the cake lasts 4–5 days at room temperature. The fridge adds a few more days, but it’s best at room temperature before serving.
Swaps and variations
- Want more chocolate? Swap the frosting for a chocolate ganache glaze.
- Other frostings work fine too: buttercream, a vanilla glaze, cream cheese frosting, or just a dust of powdered sugar.
- Any cake mix is fair game for different flavor variations.
- For crunch, fold in ½ cup of chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Prefer milk chocolate chips? Use them, but either chop them smaller or toss them with a teaspoon of flour first so they don’t sink to the bottom of the pan.
One thing I’d do again next time without hesitation: mini chocolate chips. The regular size tends to sink, and the mini version keeps every slice even.
A note from Nora
The first time I made this, I rushed the cooling and inverted the pan while the cake was still warm. It held. It actually held, which surprised me more than the frosting did. Sam took three slices, the dog got a suspiciously interested sniff from across the kitchen, and we finished the cake over two days, which I take as a good sign. If I can make it on a Tuesday, it’s a keeper.
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