Triple Chocolate Marbled Bundt Cake

Yield: 1 triple chocolate marbled bundt cake // Total Time: 1 hr. 20 min. // Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links.

What’s better than a marbled bundt cake? Well..a triple chocolate marbled bundt cake!

Triple chocolate marbled bundt cake

I absolutely LOVE making bundt cakes and can not help but marble them (I mean..why wouldn’t you?!) This cake is seriously so fluffy and moist, and is swirled with layers of vanilla, two types of chocolate, and is topped with a chocolate ganache. If you’re looking for a simple way to elevate vanilla and chocolate, you’ve come to the right recipe!

Triple chocolate marbled bundt cake recipe tips

Weigh your ingredients

Weighing your ingredients is important for getting the recipe perfect and getting consistent results. Not weighing your ingredients can lead to adding too much or too little of an ingredient which can lead to the recipe not turning out properly. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend purchasing a kitchen scale. This one is super cheap and worked well for me when I was starting out!

Weigh your bowl!

This is absolutely not necessary but if you are like me and want all your layers to weigh the same amount, then this tip is for you. Simply make sure you take down the weight of your bowl prior to adding ingredients. When you have the final weight, simply subtract the weight of the bowl and divide by 5 for even layers. For me, this was 330g per layer.

Mix the batter carefully

It is super important to not overmix the cake batter or you end up with a tough and chewy cake rather than a light and moist cake. When alternating between adding the wet and dry ingredients, be sure to only mix just until the ingredient is fully combined and no more.

Room temperature ingredients

It is SUPER important for the ingredients to be at room temperature so that they properly incorporate with each other. If you have ever had your batter look curdled, it is most likely due to the ingredients separating from being at different temperatures. Take out the eggs, buttermilk, and butter at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hr 30 min. before starting the recipe OR follow these methods for room temperature ingredients FAST:

1. Fast room temperature eggs. Place the eggs in a bowl in the sink and continuously run hot water over them for one minute. And there you go – room temperature eggs! Alternatively (and less waste-fully) fill a bowl with warm water and let the eggs sit in it for 5 minutes.
2. Fast room temperature butttermilk. Microwave the buttermilk in 5 second intervals until it is no longer cold (but not hot!) to the touch.
3. Fast room temperature butter. Slice the butter into 1 tbsp. slices and place them flat on a plate. Microwave in 5 second intervals, until you can easily push into the butter.

Keep an eye on the cake!

Baked goods love to go from underbaked to overbaked in what seems like a split second. Start checking at the cake with a toothpick around 35 minutes. The cake is done when only a few moist crumbs stick to the toothpick.

Make your chocolate more chocolatey

Did you know there’s a way to get even more chocolate flavor out of your cocoa powder? This little trick is my favorite way to add more flavor to my chocolate recipes! The trick is to “bloom” your cocoa. Blooming the cocoa means you mix it with a hot liquid and let it sit before adding it to your baked goods. Doing so releases the cocoa powder particles from a very thin membrane on them, exposing cocoa solids and bringing out more flavor. If you want to know more about cocoa powder and the different types available, you can read my blog post all about it here.

Ingredients and substitutions

For the marbled bundt cake:

All purpose flour: the structure of the cake. I would not recommend using cake flour as the cake is already super fluffy and tender using the all purpose.

Baking powder: for helping the cake rise.

Salt: for balancing and bringing out the sweetness of the cake.

Unsalted butter: for tenderizing the cake and giving it that classic buttery taste. You can substitute in salted butter, just be sure to reduce the added salt from 3/4 tsp. to 1/4 tsp.

Vegetable oil: for tenderizing the cake. You can substitute in any neutral oil, such as canola, in place of the vegetable oil.

Granulated sugar: for sweetening the cake and keeping it moist. The sugar also helps aerate the butter to give this cake it’s rise.

Eggs: for moisture, structure, and binding the batter together. We will use a total of 3 whole eggs, and 2 egg whites.

Vanilla: I use and love this vanilla extract.

Buttermilk: for tenderizing the cake and adding moisture. I highly recommend using buttermilk but I know it can be hard or annoying to purchase, especially if you don’t plan on using it for anything else. It won’t be completely the same, but you can make a homemade buttermilk substitute. For this recipe, simply combine 20g of lemon juice or vinegar with 320g of whole milk and use as normal.

Dutch process cocoa powder: gives the cake a rich chocolate flavor.

Black cocoa powder: gives the cake a deep, rich chocolate flavor and turns it black in color!

Fresh brewed espresso: a shot of hot espresso poured over the cocoa helps bring out and compliment that ultra-chocolatey flavor. You can use freshly brewed espresso from a machine (it will be ~1 shot per type of cocoa), or instant espresso mixed with the appropiate amount of hot water. Hot coffee will also work well here too. If you are avoiding espresso or coffee for any reason, you can also use hot water in it’s place!

For the ganache:

Semi-sweet chocolate: I used and recommend a semi-sweet chocolate baking bar, but you can use your favorite % cocoa chocolate bar. I have not tried the ganache with chocolate chips but I would recommend against them as they contain different stabilizers that may interfere with the texture of your ganache.

Heavy whipping cream: thins out the ganache.

How to make triple chocolate marbled bundt cake:

1. Prep ingredients. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and set aside.

2. Cream together the fat and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl and with a hand mixer-) cream together the butter, oil and granulated sugar for 5 minutes.

3. Slowly add in the eggs. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer running, add in the eggs one at a time, beating for 20 seconds before adding the next egg. (Count the egg whites as 1 egg each). With the last egg, beat in the vanilla.

4. Alternate the wet and dry ingredients. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk. Gently mix in 1/3 of the flour mixture just until no flour streaks remain, then mix in 1/2 of the buttermilk. Repeat until you have used up all of the flour and buttermilk. Be super careful to not overmix here!

5. Bloom the cocoa. Add the dutch process cocoa powder to a small mixing bowl, then add the black cocoa powder to a different small mixing bowl. Pour 30g (~1 shot) of hot espresso or hot water over each bowl, then mix until smooth.

6. Make the chocolate batter. To each bowl, add ~330g (~1 1/2 c.) of batter and lightly mix just until no flour streaks remain. Be super careful to not overmix here!

7. Layer the batter. Evenly spread ~⅓ of the vanilla batter into the prepared bundt pan. Place dollops of the dutch process cocoa batter over the vanilla, then spread it out into an even layer and use a knife to swirl it around. Spread ½ of the remaining vanilla batter over the top, then place dollops of the black cocoa batter over the vanilla. Use a knife to swirl around the layers, then top the pan off with the rest of the vanilla batter and swirl again.

8. Bake. Bake the bundt for 40-50 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out with only a few moist crumbs on it. Bundt cakes have a tendency to dry out easily, so be sure to keep a close eye on it!

9. Make the ganache. Pour hot heavy cream over the chopped chocolate bar, then place a lid or plate on top of the bowl and let the mixture sit for 1 minute before whisking together. Once the mixture is smooth and the cake has come to room temperature, pour the ganache over the cake.

10. Serve and enjoy! Slice up the cake, serve, and enjoy!

Triple chocolate marbled bundt cake Q & A

Do I need to use dutch process cocoa and/or black cocoa?

While I highly recommend both of these cocoa powders because they have a deep, rich flavor and make the different colors inside the cake, you definitely do not have to use one and/or the other. If all you have and can find is natural cocoa powder, you can use that to create just a marbled chocolate-vanilla bundt cake. If you have dutch process cocoa but can’t find black cocoa powder, you can marble the layers with dutch process and natural cocoa powder.

How to prevent the bundt from getting stuck to the pan

I use and absolutely love this pan and have never had a problem with the cake sticking. To make sure your cake doesn’t stick, generously butter it, making sure to get all of the crevices. An easy way to do this is to melt 1-2 tbsp. of butter and use a pastry brush to brush the inside of the bundt. Then, generously pour some sugar or flour into the pan and shake it around so that it completely coats the inside. Tap out any excess and then you’re good to go!

How to store this triple chocolate marbled bundt cake

Like most baked goods, this cake will taste best served on the day it is baked. The internet will tell you that you can keep ganache at room temperature for a couple days – but I would avoid keeping it out for more than 4 hours because of the heavy cream content. If you are making this cake in advance, I would avoid pouring the ganache over it until ~30 minutes before you plan on serving it. The unfrosted cake can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Can I make this in a different sized pan?

Yes of course! This batter makes enough to fit in a 12 cup capacity bundt. This means it can also fit dispersed between two 8″ round pans, or a 13 x 9″ pan. Just be sure to keep an eye on it as it bakes, because it may take more or less time depending on the thickness! If you want to make it in a smaller bundt pan, just be sure to only fill it up ~3/4 of the way and then you can use the rest of the batter to make cupcakes!

Why do you measure in grams?

My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale, and here’s an article about why I use a kitchen scale, and why you should too!

A note on oven temperature

Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature. For example, I always have to set my oven to 330°F if I want it to bake at 350°F. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.

Tools and ingredients

12 cup capacity bundt pan: I have never had a bundt not come out perfectly from this pan, I love it!

Vanilla: I love using Rodelle vanilla extract. Not only is it a great quality product, but it’s on the lower end of the price that vanilla can be! This is the one I use.

For a full list of tools, equipment and ingredients that I use and love, you can check out this page here.

Did you make this triple chocolate marbled bundt cake?

If you made this triple chocolate marbled bundt cake I would love to see it and know your thoughts! Please leave a comment and review down below, and tag me on Instagram @freshbeanbakery. If you have any questions about the recipe I will gladly do my best to answer them in the comments below!