Mom's easy recipe for super moist Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake with sour cream and an irresistible buttery chocolate streusel topping that's to die for! This old family recipe is simple to make and so good.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE RECIPE
- ⏱️ Ready In: 1 hour, plus cooling
- 👪 Serves: 12
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Butter, sour cream, semi-sweet chocolate chips, brown sugar, and cocoa powder
- 🎉 Best For: Beginner bakers, family gatherings, holidays, and an easy homemade dessert
- ⭐ Why It Works: Sour cream keeps the cake moist and tender, while Mom's simple mixing method makes the batter easy to prepare in one bowl.
- ⚠️ What to Watch For: Start checking the cake at 35 minutes and remove it when a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning it out.
- 🔥 Bake Temp: 350°F
This Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake is an old family recipe passed down to me from my dear sweet Mom. I've been making it for years, with sour cream for a moist, tender cake and Mom's buttery chocolate chip streusel on top. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Looking for more old-fashioned cake recipes? Don't miss our Old Fashioned Apple Bundt Cake with its buttery bourbon caramel glaze. And Be sure to browse our other delicious dessert recipes for more family favorites.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
⭐ Easy to Make: Mom's simple mixing method brings the batter together in one bowl with everyday baking ingredients.
⭐ Moist and Tender: Sour cream gives the cake a soft, moist crumb that stays delicious for days.
⭐ Irresistible Chocolate Streusel: A buttery streusel with brown sugar, cocoa, and chocolate chips bakes right into the top of the cake.
⭐ Perfect for Sharing: This 12-serving Bundt cake is an easy dessert for family dinners, holidays, and special occasions.
Ingredients You'll Need
A few simple ingredients are key to this moist Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake and its buttery chocolate streusel topping.
- Butter: Use softened, room-temperature butter so it creams easily with the sugar and works smoothly into the streusel.
- Sour cream: Gives the cake its moist, tender crumb and richness.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Used in both the cake and streusel for plenty of chocolate without making the cake overly sweet.
- Brown sugar: Adds sweetness and a rich caramel flavor to the chocolate streusel.
- Cocoa powder: Adds an extra layer of chocolate flavor to the streusel.
See the recipe card for full ingredient amounts and complete instructions.
Substitutions & Add-Ins
- Walnuts: Add chopped walnuts to the streusel for extra crunch. Walnuts were an optional addition in Mom's original recipe.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
Prepare Bundt Pan
Step 1. Grease Bundt Cake Pan . Grease the interior with butter or cooking spray. Be sure to get all the corners so it doesn't stick.
Dust with Flour. Add a little bit of flour to the bottom of the pan and carefully rotate and tap the pan until the flour is evenly distributed across the sides of the pan. Be sure to tap out any excess flour.
Make the Batter
Step 2. Cream the butter and sugar. In a large mixing bowl , beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
Step 3. Add the remaining cake ingredients. Sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda over the butter and sugar mixture. Add the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Mix on low speed until combined.
Step 4. Beat the batter. Increase the mixer to medium speed and beat for 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Step 5. Add the chocolate chips. Fold the chocolate chips into the batter.
Step 6. Transfer the batter to the pan. Spoon the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and spread evenly.
Make the Chocolate Streusel
Step 7. Make the streusel. Combine the flour, brown sugar, and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Add the softened butter and work it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until crumbly and the mixture resembles wet sand. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Step 8. Add the streusel. Sprinkle the chocolate streusel evenly over the batter.
Bake
Step 9. Bake. Bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Cool and Unmold
Step 10. Cool and remove from the pan. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Place a serving plate over the Bundt pan. Holding the plate and pan firmly together, carefully turn them over. Gently lift off the pan and let the cake cool completely.
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Step 11. Dust with powdered sugar. Once the cake is completely cool, dust with powdered sugar so it doesn't melt into the warm cake. Slice and serve.
expert Tips
- Bring the butter, eggs, and sour cream to room temperature before mixing so they combine more smoothly and evenly into the batter.
- Grease and flour every groove and the center tube of the Bundt pan because thorough coverage is the key to getting the cake to release cleanly.
- Follow Mom's 3-minute mixing time once the batter is combined to get the texture intended for this recipe rather than stopping as soon as the ingredients come together.
- Start checking the cake at 35 minutes because overbaking can dry out an otherwise moist sour cream cake.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning it out so it has time to set without cooling so long that it becomes difficult to release.
- Wait until the cake is completely cool before adding powdered sugar so the sugar stays on the surface instead of melting into the warm cake.
Troubleshooting guide
Bundt cake sticking to the pan? The pan may not have been thoroughly greased and floured, especially around the grooves and center tube. Next time, make sure every surface is coated and let the baked cake rest in the pan for 15 minutes before turning it out.
Bundt cake turned out dry? It was likely baked too long. Start checking at 35 minutes and remove it when a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Cake broke when you turned it out? It may have been removed from the pan too soon. Let it cool in the pan for the full 15 minutes so the cake has time to set before unmolding.
Powdered sugar disappeared into the cake? The cake was still warm when it was dusted. Let it cool completely before adding the powdered sugar.
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
- Make-Ahead: Bake the cake up to 1 day ahead. Cool completely, cover tightly, and wait to dust with powdered sugar until just before serving.
- Store: Keep the completely cooled cake covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Wrap the completely cooled cake, whole or in individual slices, tightly and place in a freezer-safe container or resealable bag. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature.
- Powdered Sugar: For the prettiest finish, add the powdered sugar after thawing or just before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. You can bake this Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake in a 13×9-inch baking pan instead of a Bundt pan. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan, add the chocolate streusel topping, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Sour cream adds moisture and richness to Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake and helps create its soft, tender crumb.
Yes. Mom's original Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake recipe included ½ cup chopped walnuts as an optional addition. Stir the walnuts into the chocolate streusel along with the chocolate chips.
No. Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake already has a buttery chocolate chip streusel, so it doesn't need frosting. Let the cake cool completely, then finish it with a simple dusting of powdered sugar.
Serving Suggestions
This Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake is an easy dessert for family gatherings, holidays, brunch, or an afternoon treat. Serve it at room temperature with a dusting of powdered sugar and a hot cup of coffee or tea.
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📖 Recipe
Mom's Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
Equipment
- 9" bundt cake pan (10-12 cup capacity)
- hand or stand mixer
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- ½ cup butter (1 stick, room temperature)
- 1 cup sugar (granulated)
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
Chocolate Streusel Topping
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon cocoa powder
- ¼ cup butter (room temperature)
- ½ cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and prepare the pan. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the inside of the Bundt pan with butter or cooking spray, making sure to coat all the grooves and the center tube. Sprinkle a little flour into the pan. Turn and tap the pan until the inside is lightly coated, then tap out any excess flour.
Make the Batter
- Cream the butter and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.½ cup butter, 1 cup sugar (granulated)
- Add the remaining cake ingredients. Sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda over the butter and sugar mixture. Add the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Mix the batter on low speed until combined.2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 eggs, 1 cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Beat the batter. Increase the mixer to medium speed and beat for 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add Chocolate Chips. Fold the chocolate chips into the batter.½ cup chocolate chips
- Transfer the batter to the pan. Spoon the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and spread it evenly.
Make the Streusel Topping
- Combine Topping Ingredients. Combine the flour, brown sugar, and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Add the softened butter and work it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until crumbly and the mixture resembles wet sand. Stir in the chocolate chips.½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 ½ teaspoon cocoa powder, ¼ cup butter, ½ cup chocolate chips
- Add the Streusel. Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over the batter.
- Bake. Bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool and remove from the pan. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Place a serving plate over the Bundt pan. Holding the plate and pan firmly together, carefully turn them over. Gently lift off the pan and let the cake cool completely.
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve. Once the cake is completely cool, dust with powdered sugar so it doesn't melt into the warm cake. Slice and serve.
Video
Notes
Top Tips
- Room-temperature ingredients: Bring the butter, eggs, and sour cream to room temperature before starting so they blend smoothly into the batter.
- Prepare the Bundt pan well: Be sure to grease and flour all the grooves and the center tube to help the cake release cleanly.
- Don't overbake: Start checking at 35 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Powdered sugar: Wait until the cake is completely cool before dusting with powdered sugar so it doesn't melt into the cake.
Seanna Borrows says
This recipe has been completely updated with new images and instructions. Hope you'll give it a try!
Russ B says
Great family recipe!
Seanna Borrows says
Thanks Russ. It was my Mom's recipe and my favorite cake growing up.
MJ & Big Ed says
Hi! For the chocolate chip cake we don't see what quantity of each ingredient we need......are we missing something?
Seanna says
Thanks for the help MJ and Big Ed! I have updated the recipe to include a list of ingredient amounts in the text and also added a printable recipe. Not sure what happened there, but I sure am glad you let me know! Thank you!