Nothing Bundt Cake Copycat

Nothing Bundt Cakes has been baking its cult-favorite Bundts for over 25 years. Trendy flavors may come and go, but the essential formula stays the same: a rich, tender Bundt cake topped with thick, velvety petals of cream cheese frosting.

This Nothing Bundt Cake copycat recipe makes a delectable “chocolate chocolate chip” cake that’s simple to whip up—and that’s as good as the real deal! Trust us, copycat dessert recipes are our specialty.

Ingredients for Nothing Bundt Cake Copycat

• Devil’s food cake mix: Be sure to grab devil’s food cake mix and not just a regular box of chocolate cake mix. Devil’s food cake is darker, richer and even fluffier than your average chocolate cake. It makes a big difference!
• Instant chocolate pudding mix: Avoid the chocolate pudding mix labeled “cook and serve” and be sure your box says “instant.” Use the wrong one and your cake will not set up right.
• Sour cream: A bit of sour cream adds tang, richness and moisture to this copycat Nothing Bundt Cake.
• Canola oil: Instead of melted butter, we use canola oil because it keeps baked goods softer for longer while still giving the cake a beautiful richness.
• Eggs: Bring the four eggs to room temperature by either taking them out of the fridge 30 minutes before starting this recipe or by covering them with warm (not hot!) water in a bowl for 15 minutes.
• Vanilla: You’ll need 3 teaspoons of vanilla extract for this cake.
• Chocolate chips: Grab a bag of the best chocolate chips. As an avid baker, my favorite brand is Guittard!
• Frosting: For the true Nothing Bundt Cakes experience, finish the cake with the signature cream cheese frosting.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the pan

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10-inch fluted tube pan.

Editor’s Tip: Greasing and flouring the pan is important. To grease a Bundt pan properly, plop a generous amount of shortening onto a paper towel and wipe the interior of the pan. Then sprinkle flour over the shortening and tap away the excess. Make sure you’re not missing any nooks and crannies.

Step 2: Make the batter

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In a large bowl, combine the devil’s food cake mix, instant chocolate pudding mix, sour cream, canola oil, water, eggs and vanilla extract. Beat them together on low speed for 30 seconds, then beat on medium speed for two minutes.

Ellie Crowley for Taste of Home

Stir in the chocolate chips, carefully distributing them throughout the batter.

Step 3: Bake the cake

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Transfer the batter to your prepared Bundt pan. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the cake cool in its pan for 10 minutes, then carefully get the cake out of the Bundt pan. Set the cake on a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature before frosting it.

Step 4: Frost the cake

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In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat together the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar.

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You can simply spread the frosting across the top of the cake, but to achieve the signature Nothing Bundt Cakes look, use a piping bag to pipe the frosting in thick stripes down the cake.

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Recipe Variations

• Change the cake flavor: Look for Bundt cake recipes in some of the bakery’s most popular flavors, such as lemon, red velvet and white chocolate raspberry. The main requirement is that the recipe must be made in a Bundt pan, which generally works best with richer cake recipes that have a denser crumb, like pound or coffee cakes.
• Choose a different frosting: Omit the cream cheese frosting and replace it with a rich chocolate frosting, a vanilla buttercream or a peanut butter buttercream frosting. While it won’t give you the thick petals of frosting, you could certainly replace the frosting with a vanilla glaze or chocolate ganache instead.
• Scatter garnishes on top: Although it’s a Nothing Bundt Cake copycat recipe, feel free to give it your own look. Garnish the cake with toppings like fresh fruit, chopped nuts, candy pieces, edible flowers or shimmery sprinkles.

How to Store Nothing Bundt Cake Copycat

Because it has a cream cheese frosting, you should store the frosted cake in the refrigerator. However, an unfrosted Bundt can be kept, covered, at room temperature. Because Bundt cakes are dense and moist cakes, they keep well, lasting up to 10 days in the fridge or a week at room temperature.

Can you freeze a Nothing Bundt Cake copycat?

You can freeze a baked, room temperature Bundt cake, tightly wrapped, for up to three months—up to eight months if it’s not frosted. Defrost the cake in the fridge before serving.

Nothing Bundt Cake Copycat Tips

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Can you convert this copycat Nothing Bundt Cake recipe into Bundtlets?

Nothing Bundt Cakes offers its tasty treats in mini sizes, called “Bundtlets.” You can make them at home by using a mini Bundt pan, which is similar to a cupcake tray, except each cup is an intricately decorated, scaled-down tube pan.

It’s easy to adapt this recipe and other Bundt recipes to mini pans. Here are a few crucial tips:

• Prepare the pan: Thoroughly grease and flour every nook and cranny, or the cakes may get stuck and lose the pretty detailing.
• Use the right equipment: It’s best to use a nonstick pan here (but you still need to grease it!).
• Leave plenty of space: Don’t overfill the mini Bundt pans; each cup should be about 2/3 full.
• Watch the cakes: Don’t overbake the mini Bundt cakes; check them with a toothpick after 20 to 25 minutes.
• Properly clean the pan: Give the pan a good long soak before attempting to clean it.

What can you do if the Bundt cake is stuck to the pan?

When you flip the Bundt pan over, the cake should slip out, especially if you greased your pan properly and waited for the cake to cool. If it doesn’t budge, lay a dish towel over the counter, turn the pan upside down and tap the base. If it still doesn’t budge, leave it there for a while. Gravity should do the trick.

Worst case scenario, if your cake is well and truly stuck, ease it out with a spatula or knife. If the cake sustains some dents and craters, take Julia Child’s advice and “never apologize.” Instead, cover the damage with extra frosting or whipped cream.